This post is inspired by some great convos that I had with a bunch of beautiful strong women over the weekend (you know who you are!) -B xx
1. TREAT EVERYDAY AS AN ADVENTURE:
Every day is a new fresh start and should be treated like an adventure! It can become really easy to get stuck in your routines and to not try new things. So take risks, try out new things, regularly plan things into the every day that are going to stretch you out of your comfort zone. Create challenges and set goals for yourself. Achieving goals that you have set for yourself then gives you the confidence to achieve bigger and better goals. Start really small with tiny goals and then make them bigger as you gain more confidence. Whenever you achieve something important for yourself do something small to celebrate your own success. Each day try and make a special effort to look amazing – just for you! Wear your hair a new way, try a new bright lipstick, and take some fashion risks every now and then! Try not to get stuck into patterns of always going to the same places or wearing the same things.
“A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there” – Unknown
2. EMPOWER YOURSELF!
No one else is responsible for your own thoughts and feelings other than yourself. No one else can make you ‘feel’ anything. You teach others how to treat you with the behaviour that you accept for yourself. When you value and love yourself you won’t accept undesirable behaviour from others. Work on creating really good boundaries within all of your relationships that enable all of your own needs to be met. Knowing that you are responsible for everything that you create in your life gives you a sense of confidence. If you don’t like something you know that YOU have the power to change it!
“The woman who does not require validation from anyone is the most feared individual on the planet” – Mohadesa Najumi
3. MAINTAIN EYE CONTACT + SMILE LOTS:
Making great eye contact is something that you can learn and develop over time. It is also a great way to communicate to others how confident you are. As the saying goes ‘fake it until you make it’. Work on holding and maintaining eye contact with others – it can feel uncomfortable at first but over time it gets much easier. The more confident that you feel within yourself the easier it will be to maintain eye contact. People want to be around other happy people so when you smile and make eye contact others will automatically feel more comfortable talking to you.
“The people whose first instinct is to smile when you make eye contact with them are some of Earth’s greatest treasures” – Unknown
4. DEVELOP AUTHENTICITY:
As we get older the layers start to come off. We care less about pleasing other people and become more happy and confident in ourselves and who we are at the core. This can affect relationships and as we get older studies show that we tend to have fewer friends, but the relationships are less superficial and more nourishing to our soul. Becoming more authentic in yourself encourages others to also do the same. Don’t be afraid to spend some time alone working on yourself and discovering who you are and what it is that you love! Figure out what your dreams are and then make them happen!
“People don’t change. They just become more of who they really are” – Dr Gregory House
5. PRACTICE SELF LOVE:
When we are giving to ourselves and taking care of ourselves we are automatically going to feel more confident. Confidence comes from within so if we are regularly taking time out to work on those inner parts of ourselves then that is what is going to get reflected out. Regularly take the time to look after yourself mentally, physiologically and physically. If you are not taking care of your own unique needs it can then be hard to take care of others. Take time out to read, write, paint, cook, laugh, love and spend time being grateful for and enjoying everything that you have created in your life. Exercise and move your body through yoga, running, swimming, walking, strength training – figure out what works best for you! Sigmond Freud’s definition of functioning mental health is the capacity to work and to also love. When we are mentally healthy we should be able to work and give back to the world, our families and relationships in a positive way ♥
“Perhaps we should love ourselves so fiercely, that when others see us they know exactly how it should be done” – Rudy Francisco