Can confidence cure?
Sophia Loren once said ‘Nothing makes a woman more beautiful than the belief that she is beautiful’.
Truer words have seldom been spoken and it’s no secret that how you feel about yourself can directly influence your mood, health and what others think of you too. After all, how often have you thought someone that wasn’t “classically” good looking was beautiful just because of the confidence they projected, the way they felt about themselves and made everyone around them feel because of it?
Of course, some people find it easier than others to accept their looks and have a healthy body image, others tend to suffer from insecurities and perceive themselves as unattractive, focusing on their flaws as opposed to their attractive qualities and it’s not difficult to see why...
We live in a world where magazine models with photoshopped faces and bodies rule the way we think and feel about ourselves, “I will never have those legs, that face, a nose like that or hair that long,” are things many of us find ourselves saying.
The beauty industry is one that thrives on the insecurities that make us want to look like someone else, selling us a multitude of products, treatments and solutions to help us in our constant efforts to improve our outward appearance.
Today, pretty much any look we desire is within our reach, depending of course on how far we are willing to go… Freckles can be tattooed, hair can be clipped in, blemishes can be aggressively removed, wrinkles can be filled, lips can be plumped and breasts can be bumped up a size or three depending on one’s preference. There is not much we cannot change about ourselves on the outside.
But could the measures some are willing to take to feel beautiful be worth it? This is a great source of debate.
Regardless of which side of the debate you fall on, studies show that the body responds directly to the way you feel, think and act. The connection between the mind and body is unparalleled. While it may seem shallow and vain to some, feeling beautiful can make one feel happier.
Feeling better about yourself, your life and even your looks can result in your body reacting in a positive way, feeling stronger, healthier and even looking better.
When you feel good about yourself, you might want to go to the gym and get in a great workout, see a friend for lunch, be nice to a stranger – all of this contributes to living a happier life. When you look in the mirror and love what you see, your body’s energy will shift to that of a positive one.
Likewise, having a poor self-image can result in stress, anxiety and depression, which are known to lead to a number of health issues ranging from headaches, muscle tension and sexual issues to bowel issues, stomach ulcers and high blood pressure. When your emotional health is poor, it takes a toll on your body’s immune system, and this adversely affects your health and well-being. So, no matter how you define beauty, whether it’s outward appearance, what comes from the inside, or a combination of both, it is important to feel beautiful, if not always, at least most of the time.
Whether that involves special pampering, a new hairstyle, spa treatments, pulling out every trick in your beauty bag or a more natural form of self-love through acceptance of your own original image and being kind to yourself by being mindful of finding things to like, we say “do you”. Do what makes you feel beautiful, do what makes you feel happy and your health will benefit.
In this section, we bring you the latest beauty tips, tricks and trends to help you do just that!
