We’ve all heard the phrase ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’. But how much does beauty really impact our self-esteem? The world we live in is increasingly fixated on appearances, and there’s no question that our physical looks play a role in shaping how we feel about ourselves. In this article, we’ll look at the psychology of self-confidence and explore how beauty influences our self-esteem.
1. Appreciating Inner Beauty: Unlocking Our Inner Confidence
When we think of confidence, we often think of beauty on the outside. But having authentic inner confidence is much more about appreciating what lies within and understanding how to be comfortable in our own skin.
Put simply, wholesome inner beauty is a result of recognizing the little things that make us who we are. It’s about facing our individual challenges that make us feel proud, centered, and balanced. Practicing even the simplest of self-care activities can help in building that notion of confidence— with time, we can recognize the beauty of being uniquely us.
Tips to Unlocking Inner Confidence
- Celebrate the small successes: Acknowledge that each day is a new opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive.
- Honor yourself from the inside out: Practice self love by surrounding yourself with positive people, places, and things.
- Be content in the present: Avoid worrying about the future, and focus on the present moment to further appreciate the inner beauty within you.
One of the best ways to do this is to ditch the digital world and return to the basics. Recognize the strength that comes from being able to truly appreciate the world around us. Go for walks, take in nature, and understand what it means to be truly present. Let go of familiar feelings of inadequacy, and relinquish the habit of comparing yourself to others. Appreciating the unique beauty of yourself among all other things on this planet is the first step to unraveling your inner confidence.
Once we come to terms with the beauty that lies within, it’s easier to face external beauty head on. By recognising our own inner beauty, we can come to understand that beauty really is skin deep and move away from surface level standards that can lead to feelings of disappointment. Instead, we free ourselves up to accept the natural appearances of ourselves and those around us.
2. How External Factors Can Undermine Our Self-Esteem
We all experience some form of insecurity, but an debilitating concept we are all familiar with is self-esteem. It’s a complex topic because its hard to define and believe in, but one of the main aspects of self-esteem is external validation. How we present ourselves, and how others view us, can make or break our self-esteem. This section will identify a few key external factors that can cause a detrimental impact to our core sense of self.
Comparisons
We live in a highly competitive world, and comparison is inevitable. We want to keep up with the Jones’, we want to have the same nice things, make the same amount of money, get into the same college. The list can go on. While there is nothing wrong with wanting to become a part of a group and wanting to succeed, when these goals become obsessions, they can damage our self-esteem. Constantly comparing ourselves to others can lead to feelings of inadequacy and a sense that others are always better than us. We should strive for success but without the comparison to others.
Social Media
Social media, now more than ever, can impact our self-esteem in a big way. The angle of a photo, how many comments, likes and followers a person has can all have a subconscious effect on our self-worth. We are exposed to unrealistic societal standards which can lead to feelings of anxiety and depression. We need to remember that we are unique individuals, and our sense of self should never be determined by others.
Circle of Friends
The people we are surrounded by have a profound impact on our self-esteem. Our inner circle acts as a support system, mentors, and confidants. On the other hand, being surround by people who have a different set of values and beliefs can have a negative effect as these can challenge our ones. Therefore, it is important to be mindful of who we interact with and whether this sets us up for success or failure.
Negative Self-Talk
The conversations we have with ourselves can be the most damaging of all. We often criticize our performance without giving ourselves the recognition or credit. This process can be subconscious and difficult to break, but it is completely necessary for healthy self-esteem. So next time you catch yourself engaging in negative self-talk, replace it with positives:
- Rather than focusing on my weaknesses, I will focus on my strengths.
- I will accept criticism and use it to grow, not tear me down.
- I will recognize the courage it takes to move forward.
- I will forgive myself when I make mistakes.
These are the key external factors that can impact our self-esteem. How we view and perceive ourselves is determined from the inside out.
3. Cultivating Self-Assurance: Uncovering the Psychology of Self-Confidence
There is a huge gulf between self-assurance and self-doubt, and many of us walk that tightrope every day. The truth is that cultivating self-assurance is a process – we have to understand the underlying psychology that can help foster self-confidence. Let’s break it down.
Understand The Benefits – Understanding why we need assurance can go a long way towards developing it. One of the most important boons to having self-confidence is being able to take risks and go out of your comfort zone. Self-confidence also leads to increased creativity, productivity, and better decision-making. When we cultivate it, it benefits our lives in so many ways.
Mindful Attention – Meditation and mindfulness aren’t just about spiritual moments, they can also lead to increased self-assurance. By grounding ourselves to the moment and allowing our breath to be the center of our attention, we show ourselves (and those around us) that we have an ability to focus and adapt. Mindfulness can also enable us to observe our situation from a broader, more rational perspective.
Believe In Yourself – They may sound like trite sayings, but phrases like “believe in yourself” and “you can do it” actually do have some cognitive backing. For instance, “self-affirmations” – statements made about oneself that positively reinforce skills and abilities – can be effective tools to ramp up our confidence, as can augmenting our self-talk with more positive statements.
Stay Positive – Having self-assurance isn’t about blindly happy thoughts – rather, it’s about positive awareness and growth. By staying cognizant of the successes and stressors in our lives, we can put ourselves in a better position to be confident. Many of us can benefit from taking time to recognize our accomplishments, no matter how small, and being thankful for the things and people that we’re thankful for.
4. Embracing Our Beauty: Empowering Ourselves With Self-Acceptance
So often, women have difficulty accepting their own beauty, however true accepting and embracing it can lead to an empowering feeling that can be life-changing. Here are four tips to help in embracing personal beauty.
- Change Your Mindset: Before transforming your beauty routine, you must focus on changing your mindset. Work to accept things you don’t like and love the things you do. Replace your self-criticisms with positive affirmations and you will start feeling beautiful on the inside and out.
- Create a Beauty Routine: Beauty routines are important to help you show love to your body. Start by focusing on the basics: skincare, good nutrition, and exercise. Enjoy the process of taking care of yourself and it will help you to appreciate your beauty.
- Find Inspiration in Others: It’s important to look for inspiration outside of yourself and find celebrities or influencers who have features you admire and respect. When you find people with qualities that make you admire yourself more, create a mood board or follow their pages to draw inspiration.
- Maintain a Positive Outlook: Embrace your beauty on the daily. Compliment yourself, smile when you look in the mirror, and have a positive outlook on life. Let your beauty radiates inside and out.
As essential as it is to physically take care of yourself, it’s equally important to take time for yourself each day to celebrate your beauty. Self-care should not make you feel guilty, it should make you feel better when times are difficult. Finally, accept the things you do not have control over or cannot change. Show love to who you are and allow that to be true and free.
Taking these steps to embrace your beauty can be a huge boost to your emotional and mental well-being. It’s okay to not like something about yourself, but let that negativity subside as you show yourself the same love you show others.
We all have the capacity to cultivate self-confidence, regardless of how we look on the outside. But by understanding how beauty and perception can affect our self-esteem, we can overcome these issues and develop greater self-acceptance and self-love. With this knowledge, we can embark on a journey of loving ourselves fully and wholly both inside and out.
