How To Feel Confident In The Body You're In

As women, we are often faced with unrealistic ideals––especially when it comes to our bodies. Focus is often placed on outward appearance before skill set, personality, or achievements. It’s no wonder it can be a struggle for women to feel confident in their own bodies. They are constantly shown a similar body type over and over as the definition of beauty, and made to feel less-than if their body is different. In an externally-focused world, here are a few tips on how to feel confident in the body you’re in:

Stop Comparing

Although it sounds easy, we often compare ourselves to other people more often than we think. We judge our own self worth based on another’s material possessions, where they are in life, and how they look. In order to be content with your body (as well as yourself as a whole), make a concerted effort to stop comparing yourself to others. Try and stay in your own lane, and do the best that you can on a day to day basis. You never know what another person has gone through or where they are in their journey, so buying into comparison will only lead to more negativity.

Speak to Yourself

Affirmations are positive messages that you reinforce into beliefs by repeating them to yourself. It may sound silly, but the more times you compliment yourself and highlight your strengths over your weaknesses, the more you will start to internalize those messages. Start by writing a couple post-it notes and leaving them on your mirror. Read them daily. Repeat them out loud to yourself. Think about every negative body image message you tell yourself, then tell yourself the complete opposite. Out loud. Speaking these messages will help you really start to hear them.

Think About What Your Body Can Do for You

This is one of the most important things you can do to combat a negative body image. For many years, I disliked my athletic physique. My legs and arms are muscular, I’m short, and in no way did I resemble the tall, thin models I aimed to look like. As I got older, I realized there were many things my body could do for me. Being muscular allowed me to feel strong. It let me carry all of my groceries at one time. It allowed me to stand on a city train with no handrail and not fall over. Remove all of the negative labels you’ve given to your body. Now think about what your body allows you to do. If you run, think about how your legs are able to carry you those distances. Be grateful you can use your body at all! Perspective and gratitude can take you a long way in getting to self-acceptance. We’re thrilled to have Erin Bahadur of //erinsinsidejob.com/" target="_blank">ErinsInsideJob.com guest posting on our blog this morning! If you remember, Erin was selected as one of our Unbreakable Women this Spring because of her story and strength. She’s truly an inspiration, and we hope her words to you in this post will lift you up as well.