"Beauty is a state of mind"

YouTube is my port of call in times of boredom, confusion and inspiration. YouTube has a hold over me which honestly makes me question how BORING the world must have been without it. YouTube is almost perfect in my eyes; there is just one flaw that causes me to get a little antsy – the adverts.

YouTube thought they were so smart by providing us with the option to “Skip the Ad” after 5 excruciating seconds of the compulsory viewing of an advert for Shift K3y’s new song Touch (I’m not a fan of this song, if you could not already tell). So you can imagine my dismay when an advert popped up when I was attempting catch up on my daily dose of vlogs. Shockingly, I decided against skipping this one specific ad.

It was an advert for “Dove Patches”.  Now without giving too much away, it showed a scientific study involving a revolutionary patch which has the ability to make women feel more beautiful.

In all honesty, this advert brought a little joy into my life. After about 4 minutes of enjoying this fuzzy feeling inside, it hit me. Realistically, how many people have the opportunity to experience this whole patch scenario for that confidence boost they so desperately crave? My conclusion is that very few people actually would. So I have taken it upon myself to be your “patch” for the day! No need to thank me friends, I’m here to help. Here are 5 of my favourite tips on feeling better about yourself when you don’t have a Dove patch at your disposal:

*

DON’T COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS // I know that there was nothing I can do to make me look and dance like Beyoncé, write poetry like Maya Angelou, sing like Lianne La Havas or make people laugh the way Miranda Hart does. As hard as it sounds, you just have to accept yourself and learn to love your flaws. Just remember no one perfect.

DO NOT RELY UPON ANYONE FOR VALIDATION // I came out of a relationship 2 years ago that left me feeling really deflated and self-conscious. Let’s just say when someone you trust says hurtful things to you, it tends to stick. However, I had to remind myself that no one has the right to make anyone feel down about who they are. Cut those negative people out of your life. Don’t seek compliments from people as a way to make you feel better.  Don’t base your attractiveness on how many people of the opposite sex you’re able to pull on a night out (or the same sex – we don’t judge here on MindBodyMode, DO YOU BOO). Remember, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. Think positively and confidently and it will radiate. You will see a change in your life soon enough, I promise.

IF YOU DON’T LIKE IT, CHANGE IT // Simple! If you feel like you’re a bit podgy in places you shouldn’t be, adopt a healthy lifestyle. If you don’t like your smile, get braces. If you’re stuck in a style rut, save up some money, take a friend with a sense of style that you adore to your nearest shopping centre and buy yourself some new clothes. Sometimes, reinventing yourself makes you feel so much better. It gives you something to look forward to and also provides a good distraction from your woes.

IT’S WHAT IS ON THE INSIDE THAT COUNTS // For me, one thing I tend to do when I’m down is enhance myself internally. This includes improving my diet and doing some exercise (let me be honest, this rarely happens), learning something new, spending time with people I love dearly, making new friends, creating new memories, taking risks and having new experiences. Have a “you” day – watch The Notebook, eat some good food and pamper yourself. These all enhance what is on the inside essentially making you and others focus less on what is on the outside. Remember, looks do fade.

FINALLY, BE GRATEFUL // You have food, water, shelter, friends, family and an education. You are able to walk, talk, blink and breathe. You’re alive to experience the little and big things that happen every single day. Be grateful. Life is way too short to dwell on the bad stuff. Take every single day as a new beginning.

Hope you enjoyed this extremely deep post. Trust me, it struck a few nerves watching that advert and writing about it.

DISCLAIMER: I am no expert when it comes to things like this and it is important to remember that people will act differently in this situation. However, trust me when I say this, I have my inner demons that I deal with every day so I do know a thing or two.

Check out the advert here:

Mimi x