Have you ever looked in the mirror and only pointed out the “flaws” in your body? Have you ever had that feeling when you walk into a crowded room and you feel as though everyone is staring, or judging you when in reality nobody noticed you even open the door? This blog post is for you.

In the many ways fashion can improve one's life, the most important is how it can improve your confidence. Going to the gym can be a struggle, especially when you lack confidence. Putting effort in wearing cute activewear to the gym can vastly improve the way you perform.

Have you ever worn a cute outfit somewhere and someone says “this isn't a fashion show”? Well I beg to differ, in fact if you want, anything can be a fashion show, including the gym.

How do you know if you are struggling with self esteem?

Some red flags to keep an eye out for are:

People-pleasing:

People pleasing is often a sign of low self esteem or poor confidence. Putting others needs and wants above your own for purposes of needing people to like you or fear of disappointment. It may give you a sense of validation or reassurance for a little while but it will catch up to you in a negative way. If you are constantly going above your own judgements and agreeing with people or changing parts of yourself to fit in better with the crowd you may be a victim of people pleasing. 

Speaking negatively about yourself and others:

It's often said that “hurt people, hurt people” not only is this phrase relevant when speaking negatively of others, but also yourself. When struggling with self esteem or self image, its common to be specifically harder on yourself. Nit picking your qualities or even comparing yourself to others can have a detrimental affect on your confidence levels and even lead to depression and anxiety. In a world of social media being so accessible to everyone including children, its more relevant than ever that comparison is the thief of joy. It has unfortunately become extremely easy to view other people online, living what one may consider to be a dream life and constantly ask,  why couldn't I be like them? It's important to be aware when having these feelings and make the decision to disconnect from social media. 

Social anxiety:

Social anxiety is more than just a little stage fright. It's often debilitating and can negatively affect your life. Social anxiety can be seen in many forms, such as constantly feeling embarrassed or the fear of people judging your every move. It can be as easy as walking down the street and thinking “do i walk weird? Do they think I walk weird? Why do I walk weird? ". Basically it's our own minds making up scenarios that will eventually prevent us from living a normal life due to fear of interacting with others.

Excessive scrolling:

Social media has become a great place for keeping up with the news, discovering new places, or even new hacks and hobbies. However it has also become a dark place of comparison, anxiety and insecurity. scroll, watch and compare. If you are struggling with self confidence, anxiety or depression, cutting down your scroll time may be a helpful first step. 

What you wear and colour theory

How you dress is often a representation of how you feel. For example: when you're sick you may gravitate to oversized clothes for a more comfy feel, or maybe you wear darker colours on days where you don't feel your happiest. There's a reason why a person who wears dark colours almost everyday may look to buy very colourful clothing before a vacation. Fashion is a science. Many studies show that bright colours such as yellow and green often represent joy or calmness while colours like black and gray can often represent low emotions like sadness. There are many ways colour theory is presented in modern day life, for example its fairly common for people to gravitate white when designing or decorating their homes as the colour white can often look more “clean”. For activewear, it can be as simple as throwing away the baggy shirts and ragged shorts and getting yourself a matching set that fits your body in ways you can feel more confident and perform better in the gym.

How exercise can improve your confidence

 Many studies state that regular exercise can benefit many parts of your daily living including depression and other mental health struggles. It can also give you a sense of motivation. When you exercise your body releases endorphins which positively impact your mood. Exercise is a great medicine if you are struggling with sleeping at night, depression or confidence. Of course, naturally when you exercise regularly you will also begin seeing physical results which could also improve your self image. If you trade one negative hobby in your day for exercise its almost guaranteed to improve your self esteem.

How fashion can help self image 

The magic question is of course ‘how could fashion help my confidence and how I perceive myself?’ Well here's the answer, wearing clothing that represents who you are, or makes you feel comfortable, or fits your style can absolutely help your mental health and self image. Clothing is essential in our lives and can even be a big part of our personalities. You can change styles based on your mood, age, and even religion. It's an important part of your self expression. 

Tips to stay confident: 

• Exercise 
• Discovering new styles in fashion and exploring fashion creativity
• Hobbies
• Put the phone down

 Conclusion:

Not only is exercising, fashion and cutting down the doom scrolling going to help your self esteem, but it's also extremely important to acknowledge the “red flags”. If you have any of the signs listed above I recommend you do a deep dive into why you have these feelings and look into positive alternatives. Always remember to be kind to yourself, it's your first time living.

resources

https://socialmediavictims.org/mental-health/self-esteem/

https://www.verywellmind.com/color-psychology-2795824 

https://londonimageinstitute.com/how-to-empower-yourself-with-color-psychology/ 

https://www.verywellmind.com/signs-of-low-self-esteem-5185978 

https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/what-is-a-people-pleaser 

https://www.helpguide.org/wellness/fitness/the-mental-health-benefits-of-exercise 

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/social-anxiety-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20353561 

chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.scienceijsar.com/sites/default/files/article-pdf/IJSAR-2812.pdf 

https://www.dw.com/en/how-fashion-impacts-our-mental-wellbeing/a-50562794