Body Confidence, Not Just For Summer

Body confidence, I think it is something that the majority of us strive to feel/have. A couple of years ago I was talking about being beach body ready and at the time I was worrying about the thought of putting on a bikini, daring to bare the skin that I was sure others would be less than impressed to see. Now I know the way to achieve that sort of readiness is just to take your body to the beach, simple right? For some maybe not.

"The most beautiful thing you can wear is confidence"

You see to be able to put on that two piece, or one piece of you prefer, you really need self-confidence, a feeling of self worth and belonging, the ability to say f*ck it, this is who I am and I love myself regardless of any lumps and bumps because we shouldn't just be able to feel confident in our bodies at summer time, we should all be able to hold onto those feelings all year round. The question is how to find such confidence?

"What you think of yourself is far more important than what other people think of you"

This first idea might sound strange but it's actually a good way to start, fake it til you make it. If at first you have negative thoughts, don't look in the mirror and focus on what you don't like, instead tell yourself that you're beautiful, you really are you know. We don't all look the same and there is no written law as to what makes you good looking, we are all wonderfully unique and carrying that confidence with you will firstly keep a smile on your face which is a very attractive thing.

"I may not be perfect but parts of me are pretty awesome"

Another trick is to change the way you think about yourself. Instead of being quick to point out the things you don't like about your body, instead think about what your body can do, turn that negative into a positive. For example, I personally don't like my stomach but that tummy has allowed me to carry for wonderful children. You can be your biggest cheerleader, give yourself the respect that you absolutely deserve.

"Be proud of who you are and not ashamed of how others see you"

One other idea, use others to motivate you. I love the transformation stories in Woman's Health Magazine. They're a real inspiration of what our bodies can achieve when we believe in ourselves and they show that it is possible no matter your age. So surround yourself with like minded people, socialising in this way will give you a huge boost because lets be honest, body confidence requires support so trade negativity for positivity.

"Confidence is contagious, catch it, spread it"

At the end of the day there is no 'perfect' person in this world, it shouldn't come as shock to anyone that we all come in different shapes and sizes and we shouldn't be hating on ourselves and comparing our bodies to others around us and having unrealistic ideals about the way we should look. A part of having body confidence is saying goodbye to the haters (including the hate we carry for ourselves), because body confidence shouldn't be reserved for the summer holidays, it should be a feeling that we hold on to all year round.