How you look to others isn’t important; it’s how you look to yourself that counts. Whether an individual has confidence in their appearance or not can have a significant impact on their experience of life, influencing everything from their self-esteem and happiness to their social and professional lives. In other words: it’s worthwhile working to become confident in your appearance. 

Prioritize Self-Care

Self-care is arguably the most influential factor when it comes to appearance and how someone views themself. It’s the foundation upon which confidence can grow. Your self-care routine will be specific to you, but in general may involve eating healthy meals, getting regular exercise, getting a consistent good night’s sleep, and practicing meditation/breathwork/other activities that enhance mental well-being. 

Wear Clothes That Make You Feel Good

Have you heard of the enclothed cognition theory? Put forward by Hajo Adam and Adam Galinsky, enclothed recognition theory proposes that our clothing influences not just how other people see us, but how we see ourselves. For instance, a person wearing a tailored, branded suit would view themselves as more powerful than when they were wearing slacks and a sweatshirt. The takeaway from this theory? Dress for the qualities that you want to embody. People who want to feel more sexy may buy lingerie online, while those who want to feel more sophisticated may buy stylish designer clothes. People looking to increase their creativity may style clothing items in unexpected ways or use bold colors. Plus, you can view taking the time to select items of clothing that you love as an act of self-care, one that tells yourself that you’re worthy and that you matter. 

Work With an Expert Hairdresser

You can’t change all aspects of your physical appearance. Rather than dwelling on the parts of your appearance that you wish you could change but can’t, it’s best to focus your energy on the things that are within your control. Of all the easy appearance-related victories that a person can have, the most straightforward is improving their hairstyle. For that, all you need to do is make an appointment at the best salon in town and let them work their magic. You might have to pay a little more than you usually would, but it’ll be worth it — after all, you really can’t put a price on a spectacular hair day.

Manage How You Speak To Yourself

Finally, look at improving how you speak to yourself. Many of us talk to ourselves in ways that we would never speak to a friend, and yet every time we have these moments of negative self-talk, we’re subtly eroding our confidence. Learn how to speak to yourself kindly, and your confidence in your appearance will improve.