Love the skin you're in

Love the skin you're in

February is the month of love.  And, what better way to celebrate love than to talk about self-love?  Whether you're attached or single, loving yourself should be a non-negotiable.  But it's not as simple as that, is it.    I think every woman I know or client I've worked with has some sort of hang-up about themselves.  For some it's small and others it is massive.   I'm no stranger to a hang up or twenty and over the years, I'd say they've evolved and changed as I've done healing work, or entered a new phase in my life.  Your self-love can change and adapt, it can grow and shrink and you can change it.

Five ways to build confidence

So how do you love the skin you're in?  Well, here are five things you can do to love yourself and build confidence:

1. List five things you like or love about yourself and pin it somewhere visible or make it your phone wallpaper so you can see it everyday and remind yourself of your amazingness.
2. Wear an outfit that you'd normally save for "best" at least one day this month, even if you're at home.  Take time to connect to how it makes you feel.  You can have this feeling every day when you wear what you love.
3. This one is a biggie, and can be tough.  Take all your clothes off and look at yourself in the mirror and say "I love you".  This may bring up a heap of emotion and you might find a lot of resistance to it.  If you want to start small, stay dressed and say it.  Work up to fully embracing all your gorgeousness.
4. Write down 3 words or phrases that describe your signature style or how you'd like to feel in your clothes and stick in on the inside of your wardrobe or next to where you get dressed so you can check in every day as to whether your outfit is on brand or making you feel how you want.
5. Edit your wardrobe and remove anything that doesn't fit, you don't wear or isn't you any more.  Clearing physical space will also create emotional space for you to move forward with our style, and build confidence.

You got this

When you spend time building your confidence and loving yourself has a much bigger impact on your life that just the clothes you wear.  I'm not going to sugar coat it - some of this is difficult, but it is really worth it.  And you are worth spending the time on it.  Figuring out your signature style can be great fun and really creative.  And using your colours and body shape can be useful frameworks to help you get started and try new or different things.

Help when you need it

Engaging the services of a personal stylist / image consultant / body & style consultant is something to consider to help you get the signature style or wardrobe or life you want.  It's like paying for a personal trainer or fitness classes or weight management classes.  And a big act of self-care showing that you matter to yourself.  Like investments in other areas of personal and physical development, stylists will help you achieve your goals quicker and likely save you money in the long run. 

A final thought on self-love before I go.  In 2021, (and recently divorced and single) I did 'self-love February' where I did one act of self-love a day and I posted on Insta.  Things I did ranged from taking a proper lunch break to reading a book to gifting flowers to my mum to meditating and writing gratitude lists to just having a shower and getting dressed with care.  It made me realise that acts of self-care and self-love don't need to be big, but it can be taking pleasure in the little things.  Just stopping to ask myself what was one thing I could do that day so show myself that I am important was a revelation.  And it really helped me at a time when I felt alone. 

Hope this helps you stop and think about how you can build self-love and confidence.  You matter, you amazing person!

Much love,

gx