Great Ways to Look and Feel Your Best

"Confidence is sexy." We've all heard it a thousand times, and we know it's true, but learning how to be more confident is more difficult than it sounds. Almost everyone wants to be more confident, but most of us simply don't know how. This is especially true for women who find themselves struggling with low self-esteem in a world that places a significant amount of value on the outward appearance.

Fortunately, there are plenty easy ways to look and feel your best without spending a lot of money!

Whether you prefer to spend time alone in prayer, striking poses on a yoga mat, or sitting in a relaxing hot bath, meditation comes in many effective forms. Not only is meditation a great way to de-stress and find your inner focus, but it can help you achieve your goals as well, which will improve the way you feel about yourself.

A recent study by researchers at the University of California at Santa Barbara found that students who practiced mindfulness (or meditation) training for at least an hour each day increased their performance on the GRE by a comparable amount to students who used lengthy test prep programs that cost thousands of dollars. ¹

There are brilliant men and women who devote their entire careers to the study of human body language. Did you know that 94% of all human communication is nonverbal? ¹

Experts note the following body language signals that show a lack of confidence:

• Tucking hair behind the ear
• Touching or covering the mouth
• Avoiding eye contact
• Looking down at the ground
• Shifting from side to side
• Slouching to appear smaller
• Leaning away
• Arms crossed as if creating a barrier between yourself and the other person

Likewise, there are certain body language signals that display confidence:

• Relaxed, open posture with shoulders back
• Leaning forward slightly when talking
• A "hand steeple" where only the fingers touch
• Solid eye contact
• Relaxed brow
• Arms down at sides or in another open position

Research shows that the "fake it till you make it" approach to confident body language really does work. Using confident body language will eventually empower you and develop genuine confidence and higher self-esteem. ² Try using these gestures the next time you're feeling awkward in a social situation and see how you instantly feel more confident!

One of the most common causes of feeling blue is excess clutter. You would be surprised to know how susceptible the human mood is to aesthetics. Living in an environment that feels packed with things you don't value or, at the very least, things that are out of place can have a strongly negative effect on your mood.

Your wardrobe isn't the only thing that should be regularly pruned. Cutting clutter and organizing the rest is a great way to create a clean, open-feeling space that is sure to boost your mood. Home is where the heart is, and it's also the only place we have to truly recharge before we go out and face the world each day. If you feel good about the place you live, chances are you will feel better about yourself.

When most people think of healthy living, they unfortunately think of diets and food that tastes like cardboard. This doesn't have to be the case! A healthy lifestyle can be achieved simply by getting enough nutrients and moving your body doing things that you love. If you associate a healthy lifestyle with the numbers on a scale, chances are your self-esteem is suffering for it.

Instead of looking at food and exercise as a means to an end, find ways to make a hobby out of both. Foodies are some of the healthiest and happiest people in the world because we enjoy food and put a high value on both taste and quality, nutritious ingredients. Take a cooking class and learn to prepare fresh meals that are as rich in nutrients as they are in flavor.

If going to the gym is something you dread and feel self-conscious about, try getting your daily exercise outdoors. Vitamin D is clinically proven to be linked with depression. A vitamin D deficiency can lead to feelings of fatigue, disinterest, and general malaise. Find something you love to do outside that gets you moving and doesn't feel like a chore. From kayaking to walking an outdoor mall, there is something for everyone.

Not only is healthy living good for you on the inside, but it can solve many of the outward appearance problems that make people feel less confident. A nutrient-rich diet improves circulation, evens skin tone, prevents acne, and helps prevent the signs of aging.

It's easy to get caught in a rut over time. Most people don't have the money to change their look on a regular basis with a whole new wardrobe, hair style, and accessories. However, once you do make a change, the result can be exhilarating. Changing your look doesn't have to be expensive. Just rotating the items in your wardrobe and occasionally buying a new and interesting piece to spice things up can improve your style and the way you feel about yourself.

People are always changing and growing, so seeing a visual accompaniment to the change within is a great way to boost your self-esteem and feel great about yourself. Go through your wardrobe once every few months and look at everything you own. Which pieces make you feel great, and which ones do you find yourself reaching for only when it's laundry day? If you're worried about waste, instead of ditching those pieces, consider putting them into storage until next time when you can reevaluate and see if you feel any differently. If you haven't felt a need to fish the item out of storage, get rid of it.

It can be difficult to smile when you're having a bad day, but a smile really does improve your state of being both inside and out. Studies show that the relationship between a smile and mood is multidirectional, meaning that you smile when you feel good, but smiling can also make you feel better. ³

A recent scientific study required participants to view images of facial expressions while either smiling or frowning. The participants who smiled rated the faces in a much more positive light than the ones who were asked to frown. Not only can smiling affect your mood, but it can affect the way you see the world around you as well!

• Smile more
• Observe the body language of confident people
• Maintain an open posture
• Change your look often
• Remove clutter
• Take time to meditate

There you have it, some simple and easy ways that you can improve your looks and the way you feel about yourself.

We can't always change the things we don't like about ourselves, but once you start to live fully and take care of yourself properly, many people find that the things they thought they disliked are actually part of what makes them unique!

Even if you don't feel confident in the moment, "fake it till you make it" really is solid advice. Simple things like improving your diet, investing in your appearance, smiling, and mimicking the gestures of confident people will eventually improve your confidence.