Do you ever stand in front of the mirror and not feel confident? It doesn’t have to be that way.
If you want to learn how I increased my confidence from the left (2020) to right (2023) despite being roughly the same size, keep reading for tips!
- What’s shown in media is not representative of everyone. Media intentionally shows a curated and posed image. As a petite midsize women, I rarely saw others who looked like me and I had to tell myself to not use the media as the beauty standard.
- Reframe your insecurities. Is there something about your body that you’re insecure about? If so, take out a piece of paper and come up with 5 ways to reframe it. For me, my insecurity is my thick thighs. Here are 5 ways I reframe it:
(1) They’re strong and let me lift heavy tires
(2) They allow me to walk, run, and do the splits (almost)!
(3) They give me curves in body con dresses, which I love!
(4) My thick thighs also gives me a booty!
(5) If someone needs a drum roll, I can give a pretty realistic drum roll by playing the drums on my thighs!I admit, my reframing got a bit sillier but it helps me see my thighs as more than just “thick thighs.” - Wear something you love! I find I’m actually most confident in bodycon dresses or pops of color. Personally, if I’m wearing sweatpants and a sweatshirt, I don’t feel my best. What do you love to wear?
- Get some movement in! Our bodies are not just things to be looked at. They can be strong, flexible, agile, etc. How can you move your body? Personally, I find that if my mind is in a funk, moving helps reset it. When I push myself to bench press or flip a heavy tire, my mind focuses on the movement versus repeating negative thoughts.
- Book a photoshoot and have friends hype you up! Until I did the Miss Chinese Chicago photoshoot, my prior photos were taken on camera phones. The camera photographer would just snap the photo without considering the angle, lighting, etc. Modeling in professional photoshoots helped me see myself in a new way and a professional can capture the beauty you never thought was there.
- (Optional) Enter a pageant!! The Miss Chinese Chicago pageant jump started me to become more confident. It was not just a pageant. It was a community of supporters from the Chi-AWE team and my fellow contestants who supported me. If you go this route, I highly recommend the Miss Asian Chicago pageant if you’re eligible and if not, do your research to find the right pageant!
