Making Friends with the Mirror: Self-esteem for Mirror-phobes

Whether you’re tall and thin, or short and round, we all feel like a goblin in human clothes sometimes. You can’t get your make up to look right, and the only clean clothes you have are jeans and that jumper your mum makes you wear when it’s cold.

So what do we do, when those “I’m ugly” thoughts just won’t go away? Here are my tips on how to boost your self-esteem without resorting to surgery and/or pimping yourself out to any guy who so much glances at you.

1) Banish friends who won’t accept compliments.

“You look so pretty” “No, you’re pretty I’m fat and ugly” “Your hair looks nice” “Really?” (Accompanied by a patronising look.) We all have friends like these. You say something nice to someone, and they make you feel like an idiot with no sense of style. Eventually, this habit will rub off on you, and no matter what anyone says you’ll feel ugly and frumpish. So ditch the miserable bunch, and stick around the people who know how to gracefully accept a compliment.

2) Take some nice pictures of yourself.

For every picture of you that makes you smile, you can be sure that there are 10 more that make you want to cry. So every time you see a bad snap, fix up your face, break out the camera, and take some good ones. Better yet, get some professional ones done. Certain photography studios will have competitions going occasionally, so make sure you keep an eye out for them. BUT be careful, because some of those competitions are just scams. I recommend Pierre Lemond studios, as there is no obligation to buy any photos, and any deposit is fully refundable. (See previous blog’s for details on scams.) These photos will serve to remind you just how beautiful you can look, to cheer you up on those ‘ugly’ days.

3) Buy nicer jean.

A study from the University of Hertfordshire revealed that more than a third of women, when asked, said that they would only wear jeans when they were feeling depressed. Apparently, jeans say that the wearer cannot be bothered with their appearance. So when you’re shopping for jeans, buy a pair that flatters you so even on those days you can’t be bothered, you can still look lovely. No matter what mood you are in never, ever, wear baggy sweats in public, unless you’re at the gym. Baggy sweats don’t even get their own bullet point.

4) Wash!!

I cannot stress how important this is. Keep your hair clean, your armpits sweat free and your breath minty. Even if you wear no makeup, and you succumb to the temptation of baggy sweats, having clean hair, skin and teeth can make you feel so much better about yourself. So stop skipping showers, and brush your teeth!

5) Pick your favourite body part and use it.

Legs, bum, boobs or tum, pick a bit and stick with it. Most women are constantly complaining about the bits they don’t like. So you have a big stomach? You probably have the breasts to match. You have a bony bum, but you have a flat stomach too. There’s a yin to every yang, and don’t forget it. You’ll pick faults with your body no matter what it looks, like so don’t try to change how you look, change how you think.

6) Eat Healthily!

No matter what you look like, you will manage to pick faults with something, so embrace what you look like and just make sure your insides are feeling good. When all the beauty has faded, if you took care of what's on the inside, you’ll be happy in the long run. If you make sure you eat everything you should, your body will take on it natural, healthy state. Your skin will be clearer, your hair will be shinier, you’ll have more energy to exercise and you will feel fantastic.

Those are my top tips for staying happy and healthy. Remember, it’s only you who has to live in your body, so make sure that anything you do to it is for your benefit.