Body confidence or plain old self-confidence in general has been a challenge for women for centuries. And it’s no mystery as to why. For eternity, women have been looked at as small, not capable, and less than.

Although we’ve seemed to prove ‘em wrong and have been making huge strides in the last hundred years, most of us are still hardwired to think of ourselves and our bodies from a “less-than” perspective. And this holds us back in every area of our lives big time!

Luckily, we’re moving into a new age of empowerment for women, and total confidence in body, mind and spirit is part of that movement.

So I’m sharing with to you today, my top 3 simple strategies on how to expedite that process, and how to gain body confidence pronto…

#1 Affirm and Praise Your Body Daily

Hiding out, playing small, and thinking negatively is going to get you nowheres. Shift your thinking around by reciting a positive affirmation daily such as this week’s affirmation, “I move through my life with complete confidence.”

Even if it doesn’t feel remotely true for you to recite this now, the repetition process reprograms the neurotransmitters in your brain to start thinking more positively. So, write it out, say it out loud, meditate on it, and feel the difference.

#2 Prioritize Self-Care

As women we are so wired to nurture and take care of everyone and everything but ourselves; our businesses, careers, families, children, etc.

But the hard truth is that we are the foundation for all of these things, and if we don’t nurture ourselves, all of the things we love will eventually suffer and crumble. And that sure as heck doesn’t make us feel good or confident in ourselves.

My advice? Prioritize yourself just as much as you do these other things and re-learn how to receive–get a massage, a pedicure, meditate, make time for that yoga class, and your body confidence will skyrocket!

#3 Practice Presence

Instead of focusing on what you don’t like about your body and how your arms are flabby and butt is too big, focus on the the things about you and around you that you love. Turn off that cell phone and connect to nature. When you’re out to lunch with a friend, try not to worry about what she might think of you, and really truly listen to and be with her. The more present we can be with others, the less negative focus we put on ourselves, and that is a serious confidence booster…and is super sexy to boot.

Feel free to head over to the Strong Body Love FB page too and share your favorite ways to boost body confidence.

With love and gratitude,