“I’m so ugly.”
“I look terrible in this.”
“Why can’t I ever look nice?”
“I feel so gross today.”
“I wish I had better…”
“I’m such an idiot.”
“I had no idea I was this stupid,” and the infamous “I wish I could be like…”
These thoughts cross my mind on the daily. I am not going to lie and act like I have myself figured out yet because I really do not. Of course I have those I LOVE MYSELF days, but unfortunately, I do not have them enough. In this article, I will be explaining my journey of self-love and how you can become the best version of yourself.
DISCLAIMER: I will be the biggest hypocrite on this planet throughout this article, but it’s only because I want my reader to do what I have not done, fully loved myself. But, do not worry I am totally working on it.
This is not going to happen overnight. You are not going to wake up one morning and say, “HEY THERE SEXY, WHY DO YOU LOOK SO GOOD?!” That just is not going to happen.
Of course, we do have days where we feel super confident, but they do not LAST! Here is the key-word, LAST. Not as in you are in last place, but last as in something happening for over a long period of time. This is important — we have to make this rise in self-confidence last, or else we will have to go through a whole month again wallowing in self-pity and wondering “why are we like this?”
I am sick and tired of that happening, and you should be too.
The first thing you MUST do is conquer your space. Take control of that tornado of a bubble you have. I KNOW your room is messy, and I bet your car is even WORSE. But don’t worry, so is mine…unfortunately. To make it easier on yourself schedule it; make sure you make it a point to fulfill that task. You have to be able to come home to a nice, clean space where you do not have to stress. Your home is your safe zone, DO NOT let clutter take that away from you.
NOTE: I have not cleaned my room or my car, BUT it is scheduled for SOON!
Now let me guess, you sometimes get too lazy to brush your teeth or forget to shower because you are too tired. Well, stop that nonsense right now. You are a fool if you think that not taking care of your personal hygiene will help you become more confident. I used to brush my teeth in the morning sometimes because I was too tired at night, they were starting to get gross and they made me feel insecure. Why would I want my teeth to become part of the problem, they should be a part of the solution. So, I started brushing my teeth in the morning AND at night. I started shaving my legs occasionally and BANG… a new woman was being born. Remember you do not have to change anything about yourself physically, I mean unless you want to.
I RARELY shave my legs simply because I forget. Just do something that makes you feel clean and powerful, a bath for instance. Get a good playlist going, light that Bath & Body Works candle (I know you have one, do not even try and deny it) and chill out.
NOTE: A pair of shaved legs makes me feel like I can conquer the world. What makes you feel that way?
QUIET! No, I’m not telling you to be quiet; I’m telling everything around you to shut its mouth. Wow, I really just pulled out some personification in this article, go me. Anyway, “me time” is essential to any growing human-being. Do you ever hear about those “mental health breaks?” I am almost positive that you have — they are extremely important. They allow a person to regroup and take a break.
What I do is take DAILY mental health breaks; I have to or else I will have a mental breakdown. Especially in college, we are prone to many of these on a weekly basis. For me, I like a change of scenery. Even if I am stuck on campus I put my headphones and take a walk. I make sure that I am not on my phone because I feel like that just adds more stress. This is YOU time. You may feel like you have no time because you have a test tomorrow, or three essays due in the next three days. But trust me, 30 minutes to an hour of alone time will not hurt.
An amazing app that is easy to use and very convenient is Headspace. Headspace is a guided meditation app and it has changed my life. You should try it out for yourself, and that is all I am going to say about that.
Finally, the last and coolest advice I can give you is to express yourself. Self-expression is a must for self-care. There are many outlets to convey how your feeling or who you are. Music, for instance, is an amazing way to release any emotions you are feeling. You can choose to share it or keep it for yourself, and you can continue to work on it and make it into a hobby.
Having a hobby is important, it distracts you from any daily struggles you have and gives you a different kind of purpose. You could also go into fashion. That is what I am trying to do, I will admit that it is hard, but I like getting out of my comfort zone. I suggest you do the same. Branch out, try new things, meet new people, and do not stop yourself from being the badass that you are.
DISCLAIMER: These are methods that I do to help myself become badass. These are things that are currently working for me. Everyone is different. I just hope this helped inspire someone out there. Below will be a screenshot of an amazing playlist created by yours truly, maybe this will help you get those juices flowing.
Check out “The Internal Makeover Every Girl Needs” playlist on Spotify.