Writers’ Club Winner: You Got This, The Mantra To Total Body Confidence

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A little while ago we held a competition for new people to join our Writers’ Club. The winners have been picked and we’re really excited to see them produce new content on Connect, on subjects that matter to them. Over the next few weeks we’ll be sharing their winning pitch ideas so you can get to know them a little better. 

This article is by Larissa, who chose to write about body confidence and how to feel totally great in your own skin!

“Total Body Confidence” is a term I like to use a lot. I believe it means to be completely and utterly okay with who you are. You walk with a purpose, even if you don’t know what that purpose is yet. You thank and praise your body for carrying you to beautiful places, and you embrace confidence and all the struggles that come with it. So, to help you become body confident, I've brought together the best parts of my experiences and advice to inspire you on your journey.

Style is for everybody!

I think what sparked me to discover Total Body Confidence was the need to have clothes that I loved to wear. As a plus-sized girl, I went through a few years of my life wearing extremely baggy shirts and jumpers that I used to hide my body. And although there’s nothing wrong with wearing baggy outfits, and they are in fact making a comeback, I wasn’t wearing them for the right reasons.

I wanted to wear clothes that expressed my personality, so I chose to start wearing outfits that pushed my limits, for example bodycon dresses or skirts. I eventually came to the realisation that it’s not actually a problem if people saw the parts of myself I didn’t like. To me that’s intrinsic to Total Body Confidence, the ability to push yourself to wear the clothes you want to.

You Got This!

Here’s where my mantra comes in, telling yourself “You Got This!” is the kind of motivation you need sometimes. When it comes to body positivity, it’s always going to be unfamiliar and cringey to talk about yourself in a positive light or use affirmations. But I promise you, it does work. I started with third-person, which I understand might be even weirder for some of you.

However, talking about myself in the third-person and using language I would use to describe someone I thought was beautiful meant that I could direct it inwards and subconsciously internalise the fact that I am attractive. Telling myself that “You Got This” and I could go out and wear what I wanted and look my best, even if it was out of my comfort zone, gave me the confidence to take my first steps into the world on my journey to Total Body Confidence.

Look in the mirror!

People who lack confidence tend to avoid mirrors like the plague, but plucking up the courage to look at your body in the mirror may cause you to actually realise that you are good-looking. You may find that there are things about your body that you like, but even if you don’t find anything you like, pretending you like something can trick your mind into actually liking it. When I was younger, I genuinely used to close my eyes and walk past mirrors; this was not ideal as I live in a big city, so reflective windows can come in abundance in some places! Now though, I aim to walk past armed with an affirmation and consciously think body positive thoughts. It’s worked wonders for my Total Body Confidence.

Although this focuses on the physical aspect of who you are, it’s also important to remember that you are more than your body and you have a fabulous mind too. This brings up the new movement, body neutrality, which was born out of the body positivity movement. It focuses on not loving nor hating your body, but actually just having respect for it and accepting that it carries you from place to place and houses a beautiful mind and soul.

Whether you are in the start of your journey to self love and Total Body Confidence, halfway there, or just looking for someone else’s experiences, there’s always something you can do to go even further. Try creating a Body Positive space on Pinterest full of affirmations and style-icons with your body type, maybe switch out your usual hairstyle for something a little different, or just start small with looking in the mirror. Making the choice to become body positive changed my life, because now I can wear what I want to, feel like I fit in and there's barely any insecurities when I look in the mirror. Something I always like to think about when I fall back into body insecurities is; Christmas lights and flowers are both beautiful, even though they look completely different. So as you take your next steps into this journey make sure to remember, You Got This!