A lot of people struggle with confidence. It’s one of those things that sneaks up on you, and before you know it you’re second guessing how you look or what you said in a conversation. Most people have times when they don’t feel like they measure up, but to what? Who’s deciding what’s good enough? If you’re happy with how you look and how you feel, that’s all that matters. You don’t need anyone to agree with you or tell you it’s okay, but if you’re not feeling good about yourself right now, that’s okay too. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to make changes, as long as you’re doing it for you, not because someone made you feel like you should, or because it seems like everyone else has it together. Confidence isn’t something you get from comparing yourself to other people. It comes from knowing what feels right for you, and doing more of that.
Try To Get Some More Sleep
Sleep has such a big impact on how you feel about yourself, but it’s usually the first thing that slips when life gets busy. You start staying up later to get things done, or scrolling because it’s the only quiet time you get, and before long you’re running on fumes. Then everything feels harder, even the small stuff.Most people need around seven hours, but it’s different for everyone. What matters more is whether you wake up feeling like you actually slept. If not, try getting into a rough routine at night. Go to bed around the same time, keep the room dark (no TV or screen playing in the background all night!). Sometimes that’s enough to reset things a bit. If your head won’t switch off then write a few lines before bed about what’s sitting in your brain. It doesn’t need to be proper journalling, just a quick brain dump so you’re not lying there thinking about everything at once. And if you’ve tried everything and still can’t sleep, it’s worth talking to a doctor as there might be something else going on.
Look Into Products That Can Help
Start by figuring out what’s really happening. If your skin feels tight or sore after cleansing for example then the product that you’re using is probably too strong. If you swap it for a cream or gel cleanser made for dry or sensitive skin it will probably feel much better. If you’re getting spots around your mouth or jawline then it could be that your moisturiser is too rich, so look for one that’s labelled non comedogenic so it won’t clog your pores. For oily or congested skin, try something with salicylic or lactic acid. They work deeper than a scrub and clear out pores without causing irritation If you’ve ended up using several different serums and toners, simplify things for a bit. Stick to a gentle cleanser, a moisturiser that suits your skin type, and SPF in the morning. After a few weeks, you’ll usually see your skin calm down. Once it feels more balanced, you can add one treatment product at a time to see what actually makes a difference. It might be that that you’re struggling with your eyes becoming sore and crusty, this is really common in winter when many of us can suffer with sensitive eyes because of the weather. Look into eye drops for dry eyes to see if they help. Start by identifying your problem areas, and then have a look to see what products exist to help you.
Eat A More Balanced Diet
If you're not eating a balanced diet, it can have negative impacts on the way that you feel about yourself for so many different reasons. Many you keep crashing from sugar highs which is sending your brain all over the place, or it could be causing breakouts. It can affect your mood, and even make you feel hungrier and less energised. It can cause weight gain so that you feel bloated and your clothes don't fit you properly Healthier options contain nutrients you need, you'll look better and feel better and both of these things will then improve the way that you feel about yourself.
Surround Yourself With Positivity
The people that you surround yourself with are always going to play a huge part in how you feel about yourself, so don't be around negativity. You need people who are there for you, who care about you, who want to help when needed, and who don’t spend all of their time tearing you down. Sometimes unfortunately we're stuck spending time with people who arent our favourites, eg certain work colleagues and there's not much you can do about it. If there are people you're currently choosing to be around who bring you down then consider an honest conversation, or even cutting ties with them completely. Focus on the friends/family members that are supportive.
Don’t Be Afraid To Try Something New -
Finally, don't be afraid to try new things, even though it can put you out of your comfort zone. Change can come in many different ways but it’s always worth giving it a go if you think it will make you feel better in the long run. Trying new things can mean new skills, new opportunities, new friends and a new and improved you. You don't have to end up loving or being amazing at everything you try, confidence often grows from those small experiments so keep at it until you find what you love. Each time you do something that feels slightly outside your comfort zone, you prove to yourself that you can handle it. The more you experiment, the more you figure out what genuinely makes you feel good in your own skin.
