How to Increase Body Confidence & Embrace Your Sexy Self
Team MyMuse - Sep 23, 2024
An everything guide on how to increase body confidence and build a relationship with your body without judging yourself.
Life is hard enough as is- we live in a world with rising economic, socio-political, and cultural conflict, but you know what makes the whole experience even worse? Hating your body. Growing up in a culture with such rigid rules of what it means to look ‘beautiful’ makes life unbelievably difficult for all of us. Add the panic of existing in the digital world and you’ve really got yourself a steaming hot pile of crap.
What Is ‘Body Confidence’? (And Why Do I Care?)
Body confidence is the repetitive act of accepting, appreciating, and respecting your body just as it is. It’s about rejecting the notion that you need to fit into a certain shape or size to feel confident in who you are. It’s about learning to shift the focus from these unrealistic, unattainable beauty standards, to self-love, self-acceptance, and gratitude for your body’s abilities. When we feel confident in our bodies, we carry ourselves differently, move through the world easily and confidently, and are open to more enriching experiences.
At its core, body confidence impacts every facet of our well-being. It promotes emotional resilience, helps reduce anxiety, and enhances our ability to form meaningful relationships because we see worth in who we are.
A 2016 Dove Global Beauty and Confidence Report revealed that 7 in 10 girls as young as 10 years old have low body confidence and feel pressured to conform to unrealistic beauty standards. This isn’t something that we can just brush under the carpet. It’s so deep-rooted in our culture and minds that it impacts everything we do.
How To Increase Body Confidence
PCOD, coupled with my hairy, plump Punjabi genes always meant I wasn’t the most conventionally attractive person in the room. It gave me the useless superpower of knowing when I was being watched and judged. It was crippling to always be the ‘best friend’ of the main character, to never play sports or run or dance. It took away a huge part of my life, especially my childhood. I didn’t have an ‘aha’ moment that taught me to love my body. I didn’t stand in front of the mirror one day and accept myself. It took time and effort and a lot of unlearning.
Social media has made it even easier to promote a certain beauty ideal, and we’re constantly told we need ‘things’ to make us feel, look and do better. From skincare to clothes to self-care items- the world is constantly telling us who we are is not enough. So give yourself some grace. If you want to feel better about your body, if you want to have a relationship with it, you are already one step closer to it.
A couple of screaming matches, and loud (wildly unattractive) posts on Instagram later, I’m here, still working on it. I still have days when I critique the lines on my stomach; when I view them as dents and not as roadmaps for how far I’ve come. I don’t know when (and if) it’ll ever get easy. But here are some body confidence tips (reminder: it’s a slow process, but it’s oh-so worth it).
10 Tips To Boost Body Confidence
1. Start With Body Neutrality
I know that jumping from hating the way you look to absolutely loving your body is a tough ask, but start with something easier. Start with acknowledging that your body is so much more than just its appearance. Body neutrality means neither loving nor hating your body, but rather appreciating what it can do—such as walking, breathing, or allowing you to write, run and play. Your body is merely the vessel through which you view the world, it’s not the centre of your identity.
2. Reevaluate Your Environment
Wondering how to build body confidence? Whether it’s the people you follow on social media or the friends you spend time with, make sure you’re surrounded by positive influences that celebrate all body types. When online, engage with people who look more like you, it may soften the way you view yourself as well.
3. Perspective Is Everything
Whether it’s fitness or self-care, try to make it less about your appearance. Have a skincare routine because it makes it makes you ‘feel’ good. Work out because it keeps you healthy. Detach aesthetic value from the activities in your life- that’s how to increase body confidence.
4. Take Care of Your Body
Building a relationship with anyone (and anything) takes time and understanding. Do the same with your body, try to listen to it, maybe eat more intuitively, and move with intention. Try to nourish your body with good, wholesome food, get in regular exercise, and enough rest. Give yourself an intimate massage, and engage with your body in more meaningful ways. Treat it with kindness and care, not as a punishment to alter its appearance.
5. Celebrate Your Body
How to increase body confidence? Instead of fixating on things you’d like to change, focus on what makes your body unique and worthy of love. Wear clothes that make you feel good (and are comfortable). Run, play, swim, dance- do everything you’ve denied yourself because you look a certain way. Try sleeping without clothes on (if that’s a feasible option), or invite more ways to spice up your solo dates in the bedroom. Maybe use this personal massager for women to connect with your body!
6. Practice Self-Compassion
This is an important one. Be really really kind to yourself. Treat yourself with kid gloves. This is a tough endeavour, and you should be proud of yourself. We live in an age where body shaming is so common that 80% of women experience it at least once in their lifetime, significantly lowering their self-esteem and confidence (A 2021 Cosmopolitan survey). You have been conditioned to dislike your body. So, especially on days when your body confidence feels low, be more mindful of how you speak to yourself.
7. Limit Social Media Exposure
Take breaks from social media, or curate your feed to include diverse and body-positive influencers who promote real beauty standards. Also, when you engage with social media, be more accepting of yourself, limit how much you alter your appearance, and try to be as authentic as possible.
8. Wear What Makes You Feel Good
I love this one! Your clothes are reflective of who you are. Don’t wait until you achieve a specific body goal to wear clothes that make you feel confident and beautiful. Dress for how you want to feel now.
9. Engage in Activities that Bring You Joy
Whether it’s dancing, hiking, or swimming, find ways to move your body that make you feel alive and joyful, rather than focusing on appearance. This could also mean taking a pottery class and paying attention to how your hands guide the clay, or learning belly dancing. Use Groove wand massager and feel the sensations that swirl through your body. Don’t forget to use some lubricant gel to make things super smooth. Do something that reminds you of your body’s infinite potential.
10. Practice Gratitude
Try this every night. Right before you go to bed, take a moment to thank your body for all it does for you—whether it’s walking you to work, hugging a friend, or simply breathing. It’ll rewire your brain to think of all the joy that you have because of your body.
Building body confidence isn’t a one-day fix, it’s a lifelong journey. Your body will keep changing as you grow, and you’re going to have to keep accepting it. With the right mindset, a supportive environment, and practical tools, you can make strides toward loving your body just the way it is. Celebrate your body today, and you’ll unlock a world of emotional, social, and personal freedom, and no matter how you’re feeling- treat yourself with tons of compassion and grace, you are not in this alone.
Looking to take care of yourself? You may like:
Loop, Breeze, Desire Gummies for Women
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