1. Compliment Your Body
Begin every morning by performing these five steps to compliment your body:
Slowly get out of bed, focusing on mindful movement Take a deep inhale while reaching your arms to the sky Let out a slow exhale while lowering your arms to your sides Look at yourself in the mirror – smile – fake it if you gotta do it Identify something specific that you find attractive about yourself
That last part might feel awkward at first, but it’s okay. You’ll learn to love the process of complimenting your body as time goes on. You just have to be patient.
2. Maximize Your Commute
On your morning commute, turn on a song that excites you, makes you want to dance like wild person. It would be wise to make your own playlist so you’re not at the mercy of tiresome radio stations that play the same songs over and over and OVER again. “Wrecking Ball,” was okay the first time I heard it, but I’m not sure how I feel about the other 100 times…no offense, Miley; it’s not you, it’s me!
3. Improve Your Posture
How confident do you think you’re going to feel if you present yourself with the physicality of a timid child? Answer: Not very. Develop body confidence by following these four steps to improve your posture:
In the standing position, keep your feet roughly hip-width apart. Press your heels into the ground. If your legs are a tree trunk, the bottom of your feet are the roots that keep it planted. Hold your head high and gaze forward (not at the ground), while maintaining a proud (but not overly exaggerated) chest and neutral spine. In the seated position, avoid the temptation to: slump over, round your back, or close your body completely by crossing your arms or legs
Hint: Closing your body off as described above can be considered a visual cue that you aren’t open to meeting new people… so if you’re a single person on the prowl who wonders why nobody is approaching you, this might be something to consider).
4. Identify Your Strengths*
Think about three of the biggest achievements of your life. That could be graduating college, getting a raise or promotion, landing your first “real job,” getting published for the first time, or (insert your thing here). Now, think about what personal strengths you used to achieve those things. See any trends? If so, the road that leads to success is right in front of you. It might be helpful to write down your personal strengths in a notebook or journal, because this will help you to remember to look for opportunities to use those more often. *Note: That paragraph is one of these ten questions that will unlock your potential. Click here to open that in a new tab, as it will help you be more confident, too.
To Change Your Body, You Must First Change Your Thoughts
Questions? You are welcome to leave them in the comments (or if you just want to “hi,” that’s fine, too). Please share this with your friends on social media if you found it helpful. :) Featured photo credit: violino section playing/www.audio-luci-store.it via flickr.com
