The Glow-Up Guide to Confidence and Self-Care

As the new year starts, many people want to become more confident in themselves and treat their minds and bodies better. Here is a quick guide and a few tips to help you achieve your self-care goals this year.

Cut Out Bad Habits

The first thing you need to do is cut out bad habits and replace them with ones that benefit you. For instance, if you smoke, opt for nicotine-free vape pods; if you eat too much takeaway, give yourself more time to cook every day.

The benefits of cutting out bad habits are very clear, and doing this step alone may be enough to give you all the confidence you need.

Create a Morning Routine

Routines in general are great, but a morning routine will not only fill you with confidence before you step out the door, but there are plenty of self-care tips you can add to it too. Don’t forget that your morning routine should be tailored to you and your needs.

However, there are a few things that should be standard. Making a healthy breakfast, hydrating, doing some stretches or a quick yoga routine, showering, and skincare, etc, should all be part of your routine.

Look After Your Skin

Nothing will boost your confidence more than having great skin. No matter your skin type, more often than not, it won’t be that difficult to get it looking young and glowing. Because of this, it is important to have a reliable and effective skincare routine.

While this will require some trial and error, and what works for one person won’t work for another, taking the time to find something that works for you will do nothing but benefit you.

Dedicated Self-Care Time

Each and every day should include some time for yourself for self-care. In this day and age, when stress is at an all-time high, and we are busier than ever, finding time for yourself is a must.

This can be almost anything, whether it be reading a chapter of a book, meditating, or simply sitting in silence with a cup of coffee. The only rule should be that you shouldn’t include your phone, TV, etc, and you do this for at least 30 minutes. 

Stress Relief

Stress is one of the worst things to hold onto as it affects your mood, skin, diet, mental health, and everything in between. Because of this, it is important to find a healthy way to relieve any and all stress you may be feeling.

This can be done by journaling, taking a walk, exercising, watching a movie, or doing something else you enjoy. Whatever it may be, as long as it is a healthy way to deal with stress, and it actually reduces your stress, then that is what you do.

Disconnect from Technology

One of the main problems many of us face nowadays is spending so much of our free time glued to our devices. While this isn’t the worst thing, the problem is that we don’t leave ourselves enough time to do things that improve our lives, make us feel better, or do something that is simply enjoyable and fun.

Because of this, make a concerted effort to disconnect from your devices regularly and do something you love. Many of us have hobbies we haven’t looked at for months, or haven’t had a pleasant walk in ages: whatever it may be, do it.

Move Your Body Every Day

Standard exercise isn’t for everybody, but we all understand that regular physical exercise is important. If hitting the gym isn’t for you, find another activity you enjoy that gets your body moving and your heart pumping.

Start hiking, join a pickleball or padel club, or head down to the beach for a morning swim. Physical activity makes you feel better, helps you live longer, and is arguably one of the best ways to deal with stress.

Fuel Your Body Correctly

A healthy diet is another thing that will improve everything from your mood to your skin. While there is no need to make extreme changes and eat like the healthiest person on earth, a few small additions and modifications can make a much bigger difference than you think.

For instance, swapping out regular soda for diet, meal prepping to avoid having to buy takeout, drinking more water, and many other small but effective changes will yield near instant results.

Set Self-Care Goals

Finally, make a list of some self-care goals and challenges. Like many changes, we start off strong, but it is easy to fall back into old habits. When you have a list of goals and challenges, you have something to work towards.

For instance, set a goal to get 8 hours of sleep every night for a month, or give yourself 30 days to try out a new hobby. Whatever it may be, when you set yourself a goal, you automatically give yourself that extra motivation to stick with it instead of deciding it isn’t for you before fully experiencing it.