It’s amazing how putting on a new face, or a new outfit can make us feel confident inside and out. I went from my working women outfits of skirts and dresses to my mummy uniform of Breton tops and pumps almost overnight. Something of me got lost in a sea of stripes and pumps. It took me a while to find myself again and feel confident.

New here? I write about how to feel confident and stepping into your power. Here’s some more blog posts that might help you:

• 3 Ways to feel confident and overcome social anxiety!

• I was bullied at school and how I survived

• How to say NO! How to stop playing nice and get what you want

• 10 Ways to Overcome Loneliness When You Work From Home

• Being an Entrepreneur is Lonely

• How to Handle a Bully at Work 

• Comparing yourself to others

• How to Say NO!

FEEL CONFIDENT ABOUT YOUR SELF

So much of who we are, and our identity and confidence is wrapped up in how we feel. How we dress. I spent the whole of last summer thinking “I hate these clothes but I won’t buy anything new until I stop breastfeeding.” Oh, how I wish I’d burned them in a big bonfire, and gone out and bought some new clothes. I felt like I was trapped in babydom until I stopped wearing the uniform. I’m not saying that I didn’t love being mum to my little one. I just wanted to feel more like ME again.

WHY A PERSONAL SHOPPER HAD SUCH A BIG IMPACT ON “ME”

Going to a big shop with a personal shopper was fabulous. It is a time efficient way to find a new wardrobe that fitted my new working mummy life. I had two hours of shopping on steroids with the help of someone who was savvy and understanding. My personal shopper had a brilliant knack of connecting mummy me with the woman that I longed to be. Because I didn’t necessarily have the time to think about. A leather skirt that I could wipe down baby goop was certainly not something I imagined wearing. But it ticked the mummy box. It looked stylish and can be put together for meetings and I feel confident in it.

Wearing new clothes can help us create a new identity and feel confident. And connect with the old self we left behind in the labour-suite. It was so empowering to create a new me, and a new wardrobe and really feel confident.

I went to an event with No7 the other night, and had the same feeling again – this time with makeup. If you’ve been wearing the same old slap for a while because it’s quick, and works well. Having someone create a new look, and literally new face can really give you the confidence boost you need to feel confident. Especially when you’re going back to work, or just wanting to reassert yourself in the workplace to feel confident.

Make-up can really help if you feel vulnerable about your appearance. If you have a skin condition such as acne or rosacea, it makes you not feel confident. As we get older, wearing that bit of foundation can make you feel more comfortable and feel confident. It makes you feel confident in your own skin and ready to face the world. And when little one isn’t sleeping well, how this reflects on our skin! To add, treat yourself to some really nourishing night cream. A great corrector and concealer can also easily hide those bags!

BE KIND TO YOUR SELF

Practice saying in front of the mirror: “I love and accept myself.”… “I love my thighs (insert body part that you struggle with)”. If you say it often enough, you start to believe what you are saying and you feel confident. Rather than focusing your internal dialogue of beating yourself up and not feel confident.

When you feel truly confident on the inside, you will also feel more confident on the outside. It might sound woo-woo, but it really helped me learn to love my body and feel confident. And in the process, I’ve gradually slimmed down from a size 16 in 2000 to a size 8. I didn’t follow any crazy diets. I re-educated myself about food. When I loved me, I didn’t have to fill that void with a plate of pasta, some harribos or a vat of red wine. I learned to love me and my body – wrinkles, rosacea, curves, and cellulite alike. I look back on me 20 years ago and wish that I had my body now, and my confidence. But I wouldn’t have had the journey that I’ve been on and learn how to feel confident. 

Confidence is definitely more than skin deep. But spending a little time on you, and the way you FEEL about how you look will help you to feel stronger. You feel confident and more prepared, and definitely more confident wherever you are.