THINK BEAUTY
Beauty is not something you put on. Beauty comes from the inside out.
Beauty is not just about having flawless skin, using the right products, getting regular facials. Although these are important things do to on your beauty journey, they’re not the only part! You also need a beautiful mind to truly BE beautiful. These days, it’s harder than ever to FEEL beautiful.
We’re constantly being bombarded by images of unachievable beauty. The portrayal of beauty we see in ads and in the media is an unrealistic ideal – these images have been so heavily airbrushed, Photoshopped and filtered. Even though you may know this on an intellectual level, you may still conscious or unconscious compare yourself to this impossible standard.
To truly be beautiful, you must FEEL beautiful. If you look good on the outside, but you feel crummy on the inside, what good is that? Although you may feel beautiful after a great facial, when wearing a new outfit, after losing some weigh or finding the perfect lipstick color, truly feeling beautiful is something that must be intentionally practiced on a daily basis.
Here are some tips to help you feel beautiful every day no matter what.
SMILE
Smiling has been scientifically proven to release dopamine and serotonin in the brain, chemicals that increase feelings of happiness and lower levels of stress. Smiling makes you feel happy and happy people are always beautiful.
Exercise: When you’re feeling stressed out or unhappy about your appearance, force yourself to smile for 30 seconds or more. Even a fake smile produces the same results as a real smile.
Be grateful for everything you are and everything you have. Tell yourself, “I am so grateful for having…I am so grateful that I am…” Bathe in the beauty of your blessings and it will transform you from the inside out.
Exercise: Tell yourself 3 things you love about yourself that you’re grateful for. They can be the same things every day; All that matters is that you practice being grateful for how perfect and gorgeous you already are.
PRACTICE MINDFULNESS
Mindfulness is simply the practice of paying attention to your thoughts and feelings without judging them. There is no right or wrong way to think or feel, you just need to be aware of what’s going on inside your mind.
Exercise: For 10 minutes each day, take a moment to pay attention to your thoughts. Don’t think about what you need to do in the future or what happened in the past, just stay in the present moment. Focus on your breath, do a body scan, take inventory of how you’re feeling right now.
SAY AFFIRMATIONSThere is power in words, especially the words that you say to yourself. Repeating “beauty affirmations” is an easy way to instantly make you feel more beautiful.
Exercise: Each day in the morning, say a beauty affirmation or two to yourself in the mirror. It can be as simple as saying, “Hello beautiful!” to yourself. Here are a few other affirmations to get you started:
“Every cell in my body is beautiful and that beauty is radiated out.”
“I feel glorious, energetic and attractive.”
“I am beautiful. I am confident. I am the perfect age. I am the perfect size.”
“Everyday, in every way, I am getting more and more beautiful.”
Just like saying positive things to yourself can help you feel more beautiful, saying negative things to yourself will most definitely make you feel bad about yourself. Catch yourself saying mean things to yourself and replace those messages with ones of love and compassion.
Exercise: When you find yourself ruminating on something negative or beating yourself up, literally say out loud or in your head, “STOP!” Replace the negative thoughts with a positive affirmation instead.
FOCUS ON THE GOOD THINGSStop staring at the wrinkle or that blemish. Quit comparing yourself to every other woman you see. Let your “worst” features recede and instead try to focus on your best.
Exercise: Next time you find yourself saying, “I hate ____ about myself,” immediately replace that thought with something that you like about yourself.
See yourself as your loved ones see you. When you’re feeling down or just can’t seem to get yourself to think positively, talk it out with your bestie or a loved one. We are often our harshest critics. No one judges you as harshly as your judge yourself. When you can’t get out of your own way, lean on your support network.
Exercise: Call up a friend or meet them for lunch. Tell them what you’re struggling with and really listen to what they say to lift you up. Your friends and loved ones want the best for you. They’re not going to lead you astray.
Think about your inner beauty. As I’ve been saying all along, beauty is not just about how you look physically. Think about your kindness, your sense of humor, your nurturing spirit… there are so many other parts of you that make you beautiful!
Exercise: Take a moment to think about the other parts of who you are (aside from the physical stuff). What do you love about your personality?
Surround yourself with others who think beauty too. It’s common knowledge that you are who you surround yourself with. If you spend time around negative people, you’ll be more negative. That’s why surrounding yourself with positive people, who always see the beauty in everything, will help you think beauty too!
Exercise: Take inventory of the people in your life. Are there some negative Nancy’s out there? Try to limit the amount of time you spend with them. Are there some super positive people you wish you could be more like? Try spending more time with them. Easy, right?
If there's one takeaway that I want to instill in you, it's that "Beauty is not something you put on. Beauty comes from the inside out." While your outward appearance plays an important role in being beautiful, it's not the only thing that matters. Feeling beautiful and having a beautiful mindset are equally important. Even if you have flawless skin, if you don't feel beautiful or if your mind is filled with negative thoughts, there's no way that you can be truly beautiful. This is what I teach all my clients. Like any good esthetician, I will make your skin look gorgeous, but I can also help you radiant beauty from the inside out by teaching you exercise like meditation and mantras that will transform your mind and soul too.
If this is something you're interested in, schedule a FREE consultation call with me today.