Something I talk about vaguely every once in awhile is the topic of body confidence. How to stop comparing yourself and ‘love the skin you’re in’! and that’s all well & good, but I’ve realized I don’t necessarily write on my own experiences much. My mental health journey has been a doosey, and most of the time I feel... ick bringing it up. If you understand, you understand. I’m not shy about the whole anxiety thing, as that’s something I’m going to deal with for the rest of my life, in one bracket or another. But the other things from my past just make me sad when I bring them up, because it reminds me of the crap place I was once in.

How to be Confident

If I've learned anything in twenty one years, it's that becoming confident is a process that's never truly over.

You're always growing, always improving. But, I'll let you in on one of the secrets to it all:

Fake it.

That whole fake it til ya make it phrase may be a little overused, but in this case it makes all the difference. 

There are always gonna be times when your confidence level is at a -5 and it can be so easy to be like "I'm done."

BUT if you fake like you're the most confident person in the world, I think that eventually some of that can become real.

Be confident in your actions and your words and the way that you hold yourself.

Be confident in your strengths.

Be confident in your soul. 

Or at least act like you are. Then you will be.

Four ways to boost your dressing room confidence

You know how the story goes. You've been shopping for hours and have found the perfect pieces that you just know will look amazing, and all that's left to do is try it all on. You walk into the dressing room and begin the process. After a few try-ons it becomes increasingly clear that absolutely nothing looks good, and so you're left feeling unsuccessful and defeated. 

Yeah. I hate it too. It can take the fun out of shopping, and for me, that is just not acceptable. Luckily, there are things that you can do to help out your confidence in the dressing room.

1// Bring a friend. Somehow everything is better with a friend, shopping included. Bring someone who's opinion you can trust and who will reassure you when you're second guessing yourself. 

2// Eat something light beforehand. Obviously, if you were to eat say, a full-course steak meal, you would feel bloated and clothes will end up looking less than fabulous. You should definitely eat so that you're not shopping on an empty, grumpy stomach, but save the heavy stuff for an after-shopping treat.

3// Look at things from another perspective. We are often our worst critics. Add in full length mirrors that aren't always the most flattering and everything is distorted. Try picturing yourself as another person and look at yourself and your outfit from their perspective. Chances are things won't look so harsh anymore.

4// Breathe. An outfit doesn't define you. Clothing sizes don't define you either. If certain things don't work for you, that's okay. Instead of focusing on the things that don't work, think of what your favorite pieces have in common. Play those up. And work it.