Have you experienced feeling crappy all day because of a bad hair day? Perhaps you’re out of sorts because your clothes don’t seem to match. You should know that there is a connection between feeling good and looking good, as the latter makes you feel confident, brave, powerful, and healthier.
Some may perceive it as shallow if you want to look good with what you’re wearing, that it should be attractive and kempt. But you have to admit that you feel like you’re in a funk if you don’t look and feel confident about yourself.
The truth of the matter is that you will feel better if you’re confident about your overall appearance. Yes, beauty is skin-deep, but self-love is important for your mental health. Read further to know how to look good, feel good, and have self-confidence.
The Connection Between Self-Care and Feeling Good
Self-care regimens like skincare, exercise, and a nutrient-dense diet can help you feel healthier and happier. It will always be a good feeling when you have that exuberant confidence, which you achieve by looking good.
Self-care is not vanity. It’s about finding the balance between inner and outer beauty. That’s why many mental health blogs recommend that taking care or pampering yourself is always a good tip to feel great physically, emotionally, and mentally.
Self-care regimens are extremely important not just to stabilize your day but to make you feel great. Simple things like getting a facial, taking care of your hair done, or exercising can make you confident because when you look good, you also feel good.
Balancing Inner and Outer Beauty
If you want to take care of yourself, find that sense of balance between inner and outer beauty. Along with improving your physical appearance, learn how to find the balance in developing your personality, character, and mind.
Once you find this balance, it will manifest in your physical appearance. You can’t just focus your time and energy on looking attractive all the time. Your self-care routines can help you look stunning and feel wonderful. But no matter how many botox treatments or beauty products you use, no matter how expensive your dress is, they wouldn’t help you to have peace of mind or have better mental health.
Don’t do it because of what other people say. Do it for yourself. Don’t do it because you want to comply with society’s standards. Do it because you want to improve yourself, develop confidence, and take care of yourself.
The Look Good, Feel Good Connection
The look good, feel good connection works both ways. When you look good, you feel good. When you feel good about yourself, it will radiate as your natural beauty. It’s is a two-way street and will always go hand in hand.
No matter how old you are or what your gender preference is, whether you’re single or married, looking pleasing and feeling good will always be for your benefit. This may sound superficial, but studies show that if you’re attractive, you’re more likely to be happy.
As what Daniel Hamermesh, Professor of Economics at the University of Texas at Austin, said, “If you are attractive, you are more likely to be happy in life. Better-looking people are happier.”
How to Look Good and Feel Good
Now that you know the connection between looking good and feeling good, it’s time to take the right steps by following these tips:
1. Exercise
You may have heard this a million times, but being physically active can help you feel good and look pleasing to the eyes. This alone should motivate you to exercise regularly.
How regular is regular? It’s better if you can exercise for at least 30 minutes every day. If not, exercise at least three times a week for a total of 150 minutes.
With exercise, you can lose weight, become leaner, have that natural glow, and produce happy hormones. Any form of physical activity like yoga, walking, jogging, or biking is recommended. Furthermore, exercise improves your blood circulation and overall physical and mental health.
2. Pamper Yourself
Pampering yourself is not about putting on heavy make-up but giving attention and spoiling yourself. This may mean having your nails done, going to the salon for a haircut or blowout, putting on rejuvenating face masks, or sweating out your toxins in the sauna.
Treat yourself to a relaxing hot bath using luxurious or high-quality bath salts for a relaxing and sensual experience. You can also spend a day or afternoon at the spa for a massage or full body treatment.
Pampering yourself doesn’t have to be fancy. Many women feel pampered just by moisturizing their skin every night. Diffusing essential oils is also enough for some to feel pampered.
3. Take Care of Your Hair
Your hair is your crowning glory and having great-looking hair makes you feel like a queen or king. Taking care of your hair does not mean changing your hair color every week. You just have to make sure that it’s healthy, bouncy, and dandruff-free.
Getting the right haircut can make you look better instantly, so choose the right style that will go well with your facial shape and features. Have fun experimenting with the right hairstyle. You can bring a photo of the hairstyle you want your hairdresser or barber to copy if you like.
Nourish your hair by consuming foods high in minerals and by taking supplements like vitamin A, B-complex vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin D, horsetail, and biotin. Use organic shampoo and conditioners for naturally healthy hair. Also, have your hair trimmed if you have split ends.
If you think you need to visit the salon to have a treatment like a hair mask, then do it. Just make sure not to overdo salon treatments and choose the treatment that’s suitable for your hair type.
4. Establish Healthy Sleeping Habits
It’s a given fact that if you don’t get enough sleep, you will just feel crappy all day. Also, it will show on your face. You will look haggard, have puffy eyes, and in the long run, may end up with wrinkles or weight gain. No amount of make-up can cover these up.
Establishing healthy sleeping patterns means sleeping and waking up at the same time every day. If you prioritize your sleep, everything else follows. You’ll be able to concentrate well at work, get rid of food cravings, be in a better mood, and say goodbye to eye bags.
If you can wake up early and take the time to exercise, you’ll feel good and look pleasing all day. Let your body reboot and reset with enough sleep so you can look great all day, every day.
5. Wear What Looks Good, Feels Good, and Is Comfortable
Yes, looking great also means dressing up nicely. Have you experienced wearing track pants and sweatshirts and felt lousy all day? But if you wear your pretty clothes and feel confident that you look good, you just feel positive all day.
You don’t need to buy branded clothes or expensive shoes to feel good about yourself. You don’t want to accumulate credit card debt and cause you to feel depressed, which won’t make you feel good about your life and yourself.
All you need is a sense of style. Repurpose the clothes in your closet, buy affordable clothes if you need new ones, and make sure to wear pieces that you’re comfortable in.
Don’t mind what other people say about your outfit. What’s important is you’re comfortable with your sense of style and that you feel good about yourself. As long as you know how to carry your outfit, no one will ever know you don’t have an expansive wardrobe.
6. Smile Always
Make it a habit to smile all the time. Even if your day is not going well as planned or there’s too much toxicity around you, learn how to smile at everyone you meet, including strangers. Smiling can make you look more attractive and more youthful.
Moreover, people are easily attracted to people who smile because it gives off a positive vibe. By smiling, you’re also conditioning your brain to feel happy and think happy thoughts.
7. Be Grateful
Even though things aren’t going well in your life, don’t sulk in the corner and feel bad about yourself. Instead of wasting time complaining about what you don’t have, be thankful for all your blessings in life.
Celebrate your small wins and appreciate what you have now, not what’s missing. Focus on improving yourself while remaining happy with what you have. Be grateful for your good health and all the supportive people in your life. You will feel good in no time if you practice gratitude.
8. Be Kind to Yourself and Others
How can you be kind to yourself? Turn your pessimistic thoughts into optimistic ones. Negative feelings can only cause you to stress and worry all the time, which in turn can lessen your attractiveness. Treat yourself from time to time, upgrade yourself, don’t overwork, pick up a new hobby, and take care of your mental health.
Whatever treatment you want to receive from other people, do it to others as well. Remember the golden rule: don’t do unto others what you don’t want others to do unto you. Keep in mind that you have to find the balance between inner and outer beauty, and being kind to everyone you meet is a step in the right direction.
Is Something Keeping You from Feeling Good?
If you’ve done all the tips mentioned above but there’s still something holding you back from feeling good, then you might benefit from counseling or therapy.
Remember that feeling good starts within you. Fix what’s inside to radiate happiness and positivity on the outside with the help of your therapist or counselor.