Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Build Confidence in Your Appearance
• Method 2 of 3: Change Your Style
• Method 3 of 3: Improving the Quality of Life
• Tips

The general self-esteem of a person is composed of many separate aspects, including the attitude towards one's own appearance. If a person is convinced of their own unattractiveness, this leads to many problems. A person can become overly obsessed with their own appearance, spend a lot of time and money on grooming procedures, and resort to various, often unnecessary ways to improve their appearance. In addition, dissatisfaction with their appearance can lead to social isolation (for example, a person may avoid leaving the house or refuse to be photographed). In more serious cases, the person may develop mental disorders, such as body dysmorphic disorder or eating disorder, sometimes accompanied by social phobia. In less severe cases, low self-esteem for your appearance can simply negatively affect your mood and make it difficult to enjoy life. For this and other reasons, understanding and (if necessary) improving your confidence in your appearance can be very important to your overall mental health.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Build Confidence in Your Appearance

1. 1 Determine the cause of your self-doubt. If you understand what is the cause of your lack of self-confidence, then you can purposefully work with these feelings. Begin by keeping a "self-esteem" diary where you will write down when you feel confident about your appearance and when you feel insecure.After a week or two, you will be able to re-read your notes and try to identify typical patterns of occurrence of certain feelings.
   • How confident are you in the following situations: you spent a lot of time taking care of yourself; you are dressed in a certain style; you spend a lot of time communicating in a close circle, you have not communicated with a certain person for a long time; do you spend less time on social networks and do not read news about famous people?
   • Are there “serious” issues, such as having a job or personal troubles, that make you feel less confident about yourself? For some people, at such moments, anxiety forces them to bring to the fore the dissatisfaction with their appearance, because it seems to a person that such a problem is easier to cope with than with a “serious” problem of employment or difficulties in personal life.
   • If you are unable to identify certain scenarios or determine what exactly is causing your lack of self-confidence, it may be helpful for you to try to implement some of our tips that may help you.
2. 2 Pay attention to how you perceive your own body image. Renowned psychologist Vivien Diller offers a wide variety of cognitive-behavioral exercises that can help you become more confident about your appearance. She calls these exercises “beauty self-esteem”. These exercises will help you explore the source of your self-esteem, challenge your negative opinions about your appearance, and allow you to find ways to feel more positive about your appearance.
   • To complete the following steps with maximum confidence, sit upright with your back straight.
3. 3 Write down your positive qualities. Write down three qualities related to your appearance and three qualities related to your character that you value most in yourself. Rank these qualities in order of importance to you and write one sentence for each quality. For example: "I help other people. I volunteer for a charity once a week and always call my friends back when they need to talk to me."
4. 4 Analyze your positive qualities. Notice how your physical qualities are listed in relation to your character traits. Most people place personality traits higher on the list than physical qualities. This shows that not only our self-esteem is influenced by the way we think about our personality, but the opinion of others about us also depends to a greater extent on our personal qualities.
5. 5 List your best qualities. Write down three of your physical qualities that you think are most attractive. Write down one sentence for each quality that describes it. For example: "My long, wavy hair - especially when I leave the beauty salon, and the curls look so beautiful and well-groomed" or "My broad shoulders, especially when my girlfriend puts her head on my shoulder."
   • This exercise shows that every person has physical qualities that they can be proud of. You can emphasize these qualities by choosing the right clothes.
6. 6 Look at yourself in the mirror and notice what thoughts come into your mind. Whose words are these - your own or someone else's? Do these words make you think of someone: your parents, friends, or someone who hurt you?
   • Ask yourself how true these words are. Are your muscles really weaker than most people? Are your hips really that big? Are you really taller than most of the people around you? Are these things really that important to you?
   • Think about how you would talk to your friend.Is this any different from your way of talking to yourself? How can you make you think more positively of yourself and not use your usual critical, negative tone with which you address yourself?
   • Determine what you like about your reflection in the mirror. From now on, whenever you look at yourself in the mirror, look at these attractive features, and do not focus on imaginary imperfections in appearance, as you used to do.
7. 7 Be critical of the media. Do not forget that the body image that the media imposes on us is deliberately invented in such a way that we treat ourselves negatively. This attitude makes people buy various goods and new clothes. The image that is broadcast in the media not only differs from the appearance of an ordinary person, it is most often artificially improved using computer programs, for example, Adobe Photoshop. People who understand this and are sensible about the standards set by the media are often more confident in their appearance.
8. 8 Learn to perceive the world around you in a positive way. If you find yourself thinking negatively about your appearance, stop yourself and rewrite your statement into something positively colored. For example, if you find yourself thinking your nose is too big, stop and remind yourself that you have a manly, unique profile. If you think you are getting fat, think about how feminine and appetizing your figure looks, as well as plan how you can change your lifestyle.
9. 9 Keep a self-confidence diary. Every night before you go to bed, write down three things that characterize you positively. Reread this entry every morning and add two more. You can even repeat what you have already written about yourself before. The more good you think about yourself, the higher your self-esteem will become.
10. 10 Consider psychotherapy. If your negative attitude towards yourself persists for a long time, it may be helpful for you to consider working with a therapist. Your attitude towards your appearance may be associated with deeper issues that you do not fully understand, and working with a therapist can help you improve your overall self-esteem.

Method 2 of 3: Change Your Style

1. 1 Wear clothes that you feel confident in. Research has proven that the clothes we wear affect our self-esteem. For example, a superhero costume boosts self-confidence and makes you feel stronger, while white clothing helps people make decisions faster. There is evidence that women perform better on the math test when they are wearing a sweater than when they are wearing a swimsuit.
   • Try to wear clothes that you feel confident in, such as cute soft sweaters, your favorite jeans, or a suit and tie (or anything else that looks formal).
   • Check your wardrobe to make sure the clothes fit your style. If this is not the case, you will have to go shopping. If you do not like shopping or do not follow modern fashion, use the services of companies that can select a wardrobe according to your request and deliver it to your home, or find online stores with a flexible return policy for unsuitable items.
   • Wear the clothes you like. Favorite clothes can help to cheer you up. If you can't decide which color you like, choose blue because most people react positively to this color.
2. 2 Wear clothes that flatter your figure. Choose clothes that you like your reflection in the mirror. Clothing should be suitable for your body type, in addition, accessories that emphasize your dignity are of great importance.There is no one perfect type of figure, but there are clothes that look good or bad on a certain type of figure. Clothes that are properly fitted to the figure usually look great on a person.
   • If you are thin, avoid wearing dark colored clothing, especially black, which visually slims your figure. In this case, on the contrary, you should wear light-colored clothing. If you want to visually make a slim figure more feminine, we recommend wearing flowy dresses and emphasizing the waist with a belt or belt. Skinny men should not wear wide or baggy clothes to appear oversized. If you choose clothes in your size, you will look your best.
   • If you have wide shoulders and narrow hips, try not to wear brightly patterned scarves (they draw attention to your shoulders), shirts that accentuate broad shoulders, and shoes that look petite on your type. Better to choose pants that will make your thighs look fuller and shoes with wide heels or boots with buckles that accentuate the beauty of your legs.
   • If your figure is pear-shaped, choose bright clothes for the upper half of the body, and dark, solid colors for the lower one. Avoid stripes on clothing, especially trousers and skirts.
   • If you have an "apple" figure, avoid layering at the waist, belts and skirts above the knee. You should wear clothes with trim and interesting details above the bust line and below the hips.
   • If you are the owner of a feminine figure with a thin waist, large bust and curvy hips, wear clothes that accentuate your waist, but will be loose around the bust and hips. This will accentuate your appetizing forms and slightly reduce the visual volume in the thigh area.
3. 3 Wear clothing that is the right size or tailor it in the tailor shop for your body. Wearing clothes that match your current height and weight will help you feel more confident about your appearance, even if that size is not the ideal size you would like to have.
   • Especially order clothes in the sizes that suit you. For example, if you are a tall, thin man, you should order clothes from a special line for tall from online stores. You shouldn't take the path of least resistance and buy too wide, baggy clothes in a regular store just because they fit you in length.
   • Tailor the length and width of your clothing to fit your body. Good seamstresses also know little tricks, for example, they can lay darts (sewn folds that accentuate the shape) on clothes to show your worth in a favorable light.
4. 4 Find the right lipstick. Applying lipstick correctly means more than just getting the right color. This also means taking care of your lips by exfoliating (for example with a mixture of salt and almond oil) and applying a nourishing balm twice a week. As for lipstick itself, makeup artists recommend the following:
   • Try not to use lipstick with glittering particles, it looks cheap.
   • Choose bright colors based on the natural color of your lips (for example, cherry tone lipstick for light skin, cranberry lipstick for natural skin, and burgundy for dark skin tone).
   • Choose a nude lipstick based on your skin tone (choose a lipstick that is slightly brighter or darker than your natural skin color).
   • Try to avoid shades based on blue or black. With this lipstick, you will look older, more serious and even cause fear in people (bluish lips are often associated with vampires in people).
   • You don't need to apply lip liner, but if you do, match the color of your lip liner, not the color of your lipstick.
   • Apply the lipstick gently, then blend the borders slightly for a more natural look.
   • Start applying lipstick from the center of the lips, and then spread the pigment towards the corners of the mouth. Be careful and try not to apply lipstick directly to the corners.
   • Apply a rich lipstick to your lower lip, then press your lips together tightly. In this case, the lipstick will lie in a thinner layer.
   • Apply lipstick in one layer, then blot with a paper towel and reapply. This will help the lipstick last longer.
5. 5 Apply makeup to match the shape of your face. Although not everyone wears makeup, if you wear makeup, you can improve your attitude towards your appearance. To do this, you need to learn how to apply makeup correctly in order to increase your self-confidence. As with clothes, you must first determine what makeup suits you (suits your face shape) and draw attention to the features you want to highlight. To determine your face type, collect your hair from the back and look in the mirror at your hairline and chin:
   • Heart-shaped face (wide forehead and narrow chin). In this case, it is important to divert attention from the sharp chin and pronounced cheekbones by applying an evening tone and color accent on the lips to the entire face.
   • Round face (forehead and lower face of the same width). In this case, it is necessary to visually create a relief by applying the appropriate makeup on the cheeks and eyes (for example, applying smokey-eye shadows).
   • Square face (rectangular lower jaw and wide forehead). In this case, use muted tones, face, and eye and lip makeup to soften harsh facial features.
   • Oval face (forehead and lower face of the same width, face elongated). In this case, the blush should be applied in the form of horizontal lines, as well as highlight the lips and eyes with makeup in order to visually reduce the length of the face.
6. 6 Get your hair nice. A beautiful hairstyle, done in a good beauty salon or by a highly trained hairdresser, will help you feel more confident about your appearance and help you look stylish and modern. As with makeup, the main secret of a good hairstyle is to match your face type:
   • If you have a heart-shaped face, a chin-length bangs and side strands might work for you. This hairstyle will visually make your face look rounder.
   • If you have a round face, consider a symmetrical or slightly asymmetrical hairstyle with strands framing your face. This will help to visually make the face not so round and create the illusion of relief.
   • It is better to frame the face with graduated strands, this will allow you to focus on the cheekbones.
   • If you have an oval face, then most hairstyles will work for you, since most special haircuts for other face shapes are aimed precisely at making the face visually close to an oval shape.
7. 7 Taking care of your appearance is very important. If your appearance shows that you care about how you look and take good care of yourself, it will increase your confidence in your own appearance. To create such an effect, it is enough to follow a few simple rules:
   • Make sure your nails look neat and well-groomed (this advice is equally relevant for both men and women). Keep the bases of your nails clean.
   • Brush your teeth several times a day, especially after meals, which can contribute to tooth decay.
   • Always keep wet or cleansing wipes handy to remove makeup, sunscreen, sweat, or simply freshen up after hours of strenuous work. Try to cleanse your face every 2-3 days to keep your skin clean.
   • Apply an anti-aging moisturizer, sunscreen, and concealer (to even out your complexion).
   • Apply your makeup by hand (not with a brush), then you can better understand how much (literally) makeup you put on your face. This will help you look more natural.
   • For a quick manicure, use false legs. This is perfectly acceptable even for those who are from the 80s.
   • Use deodorant or antiperspirant regularly.
   • Use natural oils (such as coconut oil, almond oil, or avocado oil) to maintain healthy skin and hair.

Method 3 of 3: Improving the Quality of Life

1. 1 Choose your friends thoughtfully. Pay attention to your people and how you feel around them. Surround yourself with people who don't criticize you or speak negatively about your appearance. Otherwise, such an environment will negatively affect your perception of your own appearance.
   • Friends can even help you move towards your fitness and health goals. It can also help you feel more confident. Find someone you can go to the gym with or take long walks with.
2. 2 Smile and laugh as much as possible. It is well known that even making yourself laugh more can reduce stress levels and give you confidence. Moreover, people will consider you a friendly and trustworthy person.
3. 3 Accept compliments. If you get a compliment, don't contradict it, just accept it! If you have a low opinion of your appearance, you may find it ridiculous that people compliment you. Your anxious reaction may be to reject or discount the compliment. For example, someone compliments your shirt, and you immediately say that you put on this old, worn thing, because all your other clothes are in the wash. This reflects your lack of confidence in your own appearance, and in the end, both you and the person who complimented you feel uncomfortable. On the contrary, in this case, you should have thanked for the praise and rejoiced at the well-deserved compliment.
4. 4 Exercise regularly. Regardless of whether exercising affects your appearance, it will certainly have an impact on your perception of yourself, which, in turn, will improve your self-esteem. Studies of physical activity and weight have shown that people who are dissatisfied with their body weight are more likely not to exercise, no matter how much they actually weigh. These results suggest that exercise may be directly linked to improved self-esteem.
   • Exercise should be regular and intense enough to give you a sense of satisfaction. At the same time, there is no specific type of physical activity that is recommended for all people, and the exact time that you need to spend in training.
5. 5 Eat healthy foods. Certain foods, such as those high in carbohydrates and sugars, can make you feel fatigued and negatively affect your mood. Conversely, foods that are low in fat and release energy slowly can improve mood. Such food provides you with energy for a long time, and with such a diet, you do not feel irritability and heaviness in the stomach, and you can not be afraid to gain weight. These products also improve the condition of your hair and nails, so you look more attractive.
   • Eliminate foods that are too sweet, fatty, or heavily processed from your diet.
   • Eat nuts and seeds, legumes, and fruits and vegetables, especially those that are bright, rich in color.

Tips

• Remember that the opinion of others about you is not so important.It is much more important that you, and exactly you, think about yourself.
• Saying out loud positive and confident statements about yourself can help you feel more confident about yourself.
• If people say bad things about you, remember that they are showing their own negative side by doing so, and their comments say a lot more about them than about you.
• Be honest with yourself and look for what gives you a sense of calmness and confidence.