7 Easy Body Image Boosters

I wrote this article last summer for Love Twenty Magazine, and am reposting it today because boosting your body image never goes out of style.

If you've been a reader for a while, I hope you find it just as helpful as you did the first time around.
If you're a new reader, this is a great article to start out with. Thanks for joining us!

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Healthy eating, exercise and sense of style are all essential, but if a girl doesn’t feel good about herself, what’s it all for? Feeling good about yourself isn’t as difficult as it seems (especially on bad days) and I want to help you get in the habit of feeling confident and beautiful. Try out these tips!

1. Practice makes perfect, right? The more you compliment yourself, the easier it will get.

2. Write out a list of all the little things you like about your appearance. For example: I have fabulous legs. My arms look awesome when I wear sleeveless tops. I love how my eyes pop when I wear bright liner. On ugly days, go over your list for a boost!

3. Find a go-to clothing item that you always feel great in — be it a perfectly tailored pair of pants, sky-high heels, or a little black dress.

4. Spend as much time as possible around people who make you feel good about yourself and as little time as possible with the ones who bring you down.

5. Check out the Health At Every Size (HAES) movement. HAES embraces the fact that we all have different sizes and shapes and health is more important than fitting society’s beauty ideals.

6. Cover your walls with photos and magazine clippings of your body image role models. Think of women who are comfortable with their figures, no matter what they look like. Emulate their confidence. Ideas to start your collection: Lizzie Miller (plus size model), your best friends, Christina Hendricks, Beth Ditto, Lady Gaga.

7. Remember to eat healthy and exercise, at least most of the time. Work in lots of fruit and vegetables, water, and long walks or time at the gym — along with a slice of chocolate cake, glass of wine or lazy day in. Health is about feeling good, just like healthy body image is about feeling good about your body, regardless of what society says it should look like.

So, beautiful, which tip is your favorite? What would you add to the list?