3 Tips to Make You Become More Confident in Your Body
Being confident and comfortable in your body may not come naturally. It seems that our default as human beings is to be insecure about how our bodies look or feel. And for a lot of people living with limb loss, that insecurity and discomfort can become magnified.
There’s nothing wrong with feeling insecure. Even "beautiful" celebrities admit to feeling insecure about their bodies at some point in their lives. However, this doesn’t mean that it’s okay to wallow in insecurity because it can be harmful to your mental health. It also affects how you interact with others, and that isn’t a great way to live.
In this article, we discuss some tactics that can help you shift your mindset and eventually overcome your insecurities.
Appreciate your body
Most of our insecurities come from viewing our bodies with a negative lens. But if you switch that lens for one of gratitude, you’ll see that your body is a gift, not a burden. This is the first step to becoming more confident in your body.
Understand that it does a lot of things for you at any given moment. Every day, your body produces 300 billion new cells so it can continuously repair and rebuild. Your eyes allow you to take in information, while your liver works overtime to fulfill more than 400 functions. You don’t even have to do any of these things consciously. Your body does them for you so you can go ahead and live your life.
Take a minute to appreciate all the things your body lets you do. Gratitude is the key to living a happier life.
Improve your self-talk
It’s easy to dismiss another person’s criticisms, but a harsh inner monologue can erode your self-confidence. You need to be careful about how you talk to yourself.
Your inner monologue is something that you naturally do during your waking hours. Research has shown that positive self-talk can help athletes improve their performance. It can also positively impact your life.
Starting today, be mindful of your inner monologue, then stop yourself when you start thinking negatively about yourself. If you can work towards improving something you don’t like, phrase the thought constructively, create a plan to improve, and be patient with yourself.
For example, you find yourself criticizing your lack of core strength. Instead of chastising yourself for not working out over the past month, accept that your body may need to rest more. Then come up with a plan that allows you to work on your core strength while also leaving plenty of room for rest.
Change your body language
Just as your inner thoughts can influence how you feel about your body, your body language or posture can help you either feel good or bad about yourself.
Who is the most confident person that you know? The chances are high that he/she also has excellent posture. They are not afraid to take up space in any room. They do not slouch, nor do they have rounded shoulders. And they probably look comfortable with themselves.
Do a quick scan of your body. Are you slouching? Are your shoulders rounded? Is your breathing shallow? As soon as you catch yourself doing any of these things, try to change it. Changing your physiology is an essential step in becoming more confident in your body.
Always remember that you have the power to change how you feel about yourself. Take a minute to be grateful for what your body can do for you. Always be kind to yourself and be patient even when progress seems slow. And be aware of how you hold your body and present yourself to the world. These three tactics may seem simple, but they’re proven effective.
Which of these three confidence-building tactics do you need to implement in your life now?
