Three habits to START for more confidence in 2020

Part two of my new habits for 2020 is all about what to start doing to help you feel like your best self in 2020. As with habits to stop, they do take mindfulness and practice in order to become ingrained and see some shifts. Bringing consciousness to starting each one of these each time they come up to start seeing some changes in how you feel.

1)      Start prioritising your self-care.

One of my biggest shifts in 2019 came when I stopped seeing the things I needed to do in order to keep myself balanced (which for me is often meditation) not as something to squeeze into my day when I could, but as an essential task that I tackle first when my day begins. Because it helps me focus and work better, I now see it as the first task I undertake when my working day starts. What works for you might be different but prioritising what you need in order to take care of yourself and function in the best way first, instead of squeezing it in whenever you can, can make a big difference in keeping committed to this kind of habit.

2)      Start being kind to yourself.

This isn’t new news but please start being kinder to yourself. You deserve it, I promise! We all know we would never allow someone to speak to our best friend they way we speak to ourselves. Start calling yourself out on it and shifting what you say. If you hear that mean voice coming in with an unwanted comment, remind yourself about something brilliant instead. Say five nice things to yourself every day. Start the day by looking in the mirror and giving yourself a loving pep talk. Give yourself a big hug. Compliment your smile. Be your own best friend and cheerleader.

3)      Start improving your social media feed.

To help move away from comparison and the ongoing negativity that can come from a social media feed that’s full of perfect bodies, Photoshop and filtered faces, think about how you can change what you see daily. If you’re regularly seeing celebrities who have teams of dietitians, trainers, make-up artists, hairdressers and airbrushers on standby and you feel a bit shit looking at it, stop following them. These are unrealistic notions of beauty that rely on having significant money and privilege to uphold. These people are often also possibly likely to all look the same. Instead, start following people who are shaking up the world and our ideas of beauty and value. Seeing a feed that’s full of a diverse range of faces and bodies is an incredibly valuable reminder that there are loads of different ways to look. Some people I highly recommend following are: @bodyposipanda, @iweigh, @confidencecorner, @lizzobeeating @vaggagle @themirnavator