5 Ways To Feel Beautiful (Just The Way You Are)

We don’t mean to quote Bruno Mars but we just can’t help it because we would really love YOU to feel beautiful, just the way you are. Here at Redefine BeYOUtiful we were truly inspired by the Body Image Movement’s ‘Unstopple Training’ initiative –  trying empower girls and all women alike to have a different kind of transformation. It’s not trying to get you to reach number on the scales, or tone your arms, or live to advertiser’s definition of beauty (which is complete bullshit if you ask us!), but instead to love your body unconditionally as with that comes happiness and confidence!

To add on to the Body Image Movement’s initiative, here is our 5 tips for how to feel beautiful (just the way you are)

1 – Write a list

Hmm, not that kind of list though. Write down 3-5 of your qualities which you love daily. For example, that you’re kind, caring, creative… anything! Your inner qualities which will withstand the test of time will remind you that there is so much more to beauty than just a body (especially one covered with make up and other things advertisers are pushing onto you)

2 – Be a critic

When looking at ads (both in print and social media) think critically the message they are trying to send you. Often, it’s not the mere “you’re not good enough” but is instead “we’re trying to tell you you’re not good enough because we want you to buy our products”. Remember that this is advertiser’s job – to sell products! So if you want to buy the product, that is fine but don’t buy the message they are trying to tell you!

3 – Challenge ‘beautiful’

How? Engage in materials that challenge the meaning of beauty as the first step to challenging the definition of beauty yourself. We love materials from Beauty Redefined, Adios Barbie, Dove, Endangered Bodies and Body Image Movement – all of which gives you a little bit of a wake up call: You are beautiful whether you’re tall, short, skinny, curvy. Also, you’re beautiful not just because of how you look… but who you are.

4 – Seek help if you be hating

We hope it doesn’t get too far, but if you are feeling not so beautiful and it’s seriously affecting you – whether than be low self esteem or to the point of purging. Ask for help from those you love and help lines like The Butterfly Foundation – there are plenty of support networks out there to help you feel beautiful again (because you always were!).

5 – Tell yourself you’re beautiful

This is the most important: tell yourself you look and are beautiful! Now this might sound weird but research has proven that telling yourself you are beautiful, regardless of what advertisers or media is trying to tell you you should look like, is one of the key tricks to actually feeling beautiful (because you actually are!). Negative message feeds negative thinking and this is what advertisers are pushing to you. So feed yourself some positivity!

What do you think dear readers? What are your tips for feeling beautiful just the way you are?

KV