In today’s world of social media, it’s easy to feel insecure. Everyday, thousands of people share pictures of themselves online looking flawless. No pimples, perfect hair, and straight teeth. These photos give the illusion that perfection exists. It doesn’t.
Most of these photos are filtered and photoshopped to look a certain way. But even knowing that doesn’t help, does it? If you’re battling insecurity, keep reading. This article highlights a few ways to help you feel better about yourself. From practicing self care to accepting who you are, here’s how to be happier with the face you see in the mirror:
1. Make Changes
If you’re not happy with what you see in the mirror, consider making some changes. This might seem like bad advice at first. But the truth is, no matter how much you love yourself, everyone has things they’d like to change — and are capable of changing.
For example, maybe you struggle with acne or don’t like the color of your hair. While you don’t want these issues to control your life, you can work toward improving them. For your skin, you could look into acne treatment to improve your skin. For your hair, you could dye it a different color or use a wig to find the look you want.
It’s important to remember that your physical appearance doesn’t define you. You are beautiful as you are. With that said, there’s nothing wrong with making changes to help you feel more confident and beautiful. Just make sure you’re making these changes for yourself and not for someone else.
2. Avoid Comparisons
While comparisons can push you to become better, they can also have a negative impact on your well-being. For instance, let’s say your friend just landed a big promotion. That news might inspire you to work harder and maybe even ask for your own raise. That’s an example of how comparisons can be helpful.
On the other hand, let’s say your friend is on vacation with their significant other. Instead of liking their scenic posts and moving on, you start thinking about your own relationship. Why don’t we ever go on vacation? Why don’t I ever look as happy as my friend? Why am I not as skinny as my friend? These comparisons can cause you to go on a downward spiral, and make you feel bad about your own life.
It’s important to ditch the toxic comparisons. Instead of comparing your looks to someone else, appreciate the beauty within you both. Do your best to focus on your positive qualities more than ones you view as negative. It’s not easy, but the more you change your mindset, the better you’ll feel.
3. Practice Self-Care
Self-care means something different for everyone. To your friend, self-care might be taking courses to further their education. To you, it could mean focusing on your physical health. That might mean scheduling monthly massages, working out every day, or taking vitamins. It doesn’t matter what you do but how it makes you feel about yourself.
The goal of self-care is to engage in activities and habits that reduce stress and improve your overall well-being. With that said, you might not know what makes you feel good. That’s understandable and completely valid.
People are constantly being bombarded with messages about what they should do, feel, and say. This can make it hard to find what one truly enjoys. However, practicing self care allows you to take a moment to yourself and listen to your own needs. Self care encourages you to try new things that can help you get to know yourself better.
4. Find The Right People
Have you heard the saying, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with?” There’s a great deal of truth to this sentiment. The people you surround yourself with have a direct impact on the type of person you are.
If your friends spend a majority of their time on social media, comparing themselves to others, you’ll probably do the same. That’s why it’s important to surround yourself with people you want to be like.
Keep in mind, this doesn’t mean you should start ignoring your current friends. Everyone has their own insecurities and deals with them in different ways. Consider having an honest conversation with friends about negative self-talk and the importance of being confident. If that doesn’t work, then you may decide to explore other friend groups.
5. Accept The Bad Days
You’re human, and there will be days when you second guess yourself. There will be days when you don’t feel confident, no matter how hard you try. Instead of beating yourself up for it, accept that you’re having a bad day. And remind yourself that this feeling is temporary and will pass.
Sometimes, talking out your emotions with someone you trust can help you make sense of them. According to research, feeling anxious means your amygdala, which is the part of your brain that monitors your fight or flight response, releases stress hormones. Because of this, your body thinks it’s being threatened and goes on high alert. Talking out your feelings has been proven to diminish this fight or flight response, helping you calm down.
The more you fight your thoughts, the more power they have over you. So, don’t fight. Instead, let the thoughts come and don’t be afraid to share them.
Becoming more confident is a choice. You have to decide to adopt good habits, practice self-care, and stop negative self-talk. The tips above can help, but you have to commit to doing them.