Feeling happy and confident about your body and looks isn’t often easy, and it’s been made even more difficult through the pressures of social media and the idea of the ‘perfect’ body. This pressure is even more profound on young women who face a great number of body image issues due to society’s idea of the ideal female form. This pressure may come from the media, men, or even other women.
Having greater self-esteem doesn’t mean achieving the perfect body or attaining what the media implies you should. Improved self-esteem is about focusing on your positives and an image which you, and you alone, have a say over.
Here are seven tips to boost self-esteem:
1. Take a Social Media Break
Spending all your time online looking at perfected images on social media and comparing your image and body to others you see will not do your self-esteem any good. Instead, take a step back and have a break from social media to concentrate on self-care.
2. Or, Explore Different Accounts
Many young women striving for an improved image may follow the biggest and most obvious accounts, such as celebrities and models. However, this will only put more pressure on that ‘perfect’ image. Instead, look for alternative accounts that promote body positivity, and provide different perspectives of image and body shape.
3. Find Your Style
Huge amounts of confidence can come from finding the right style. Instead of focusing on how other people look, find clothes suited for your body shape which you feel comfortable in, and let your personality shine through.
4. Health Comes First
The idea of a perfect image may often put good health on the backburner. Health sacrifices may be made for an ideal image, or you may forget about feeling good rather than looking good.
Health is fundamental; you will feel infinitely more confident, energized, and comfortable within yourself if your body is a healthy weight and cared for. This doesn’t only mean physical health, either; your mental health can be severely impacted by low self-esteem issues, which is even more difficult when you’re struggling with mental health issues like depression.
It’s therefore important to care for your health first and look to overcome depression and look after your mental wellbeing.
5. Keep a Journal
Remind yourself of all the things you have to be positive about and grateful for. Instead of concentrating on what you don’t like in terms of beauty and body, think about what you love about yourself. Write a list of everything you’re grateful for, such as good health and a talent for a certain hobby.
6. Set Goals
Having better self-esteem doesn’t always mean accepting how you are. It’s okay to want to change a few things if that would make you more confident. Set goals to accomplish, such as fitness goals, for a healthy and happy body, as long as your goals are for yourself, and not for other people.
7. Don’t Compare Yourself to Others
A final tip: avoid comparing yourself to others. At the end of the day, you don’t know how a so-called perfect model is feeling behind the scenes, or what’s going on in the lives of others. Focus only on yourself and the positives of your own life.
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