5 (+1) Ways to Amp Up Your Ego

Those days you just want to stay in bed, with the covers up over your head.

Those days where you feel like small children would run screaming from your general area.

Those days where you hate every article of clothing you own, and, were it not for the significant monetary outlay it took to amass your wardrobe, you would set it all on fire.

Those days where you feel like the most unattractive physical specimen on the planet.

We all have 'em. Even skinnybitches have 'em (from what I've heard anyway; never been a skinnybitch myself). I suspect that its some clever little trick that the patriarchy has managed to instill into all female brains, this tendency to doubt ourselves (even the gorgeous ones among us) but that's a sociopolitical thesis that I don't really think that anyone wants to get into on this little 'ole fashion and beauty blog.
I mean, shit, one might go so far as to say this whole blog is just a reinforcement of those little strings that the patriarchy uses to make us "dance, puppets, dance"!! But whatever, I can't stay high-level and cerebral ALL the time... it makes my eyebrows hurt (shout out to Dr. Seuss...)

Where was I?

Oh yes, the ego, and how to pump it up a bit.

Unless you are an emo kid, no one really likes feeling like shit. And, its all a matter of perspective, right? You see a bad pic of yourself, you have a shitty day, someone says (or comments) something snide, and your confidence is shot. You're no less good-looking than you were 5 minutes ago, so how do you get your mojo back when its been kicked down a peg? So here are a few of the strategies that I have found useful in shoring up my ego on the days that it's taken a couple of hits, or for staving off those days as much as possible.

1. Do things that make you feel like you are taking care of yourself, physically. 

For me, that involves eliminating simple carbs from my diet. Aside from the fact that carbs hate me, and make me feel like someone stuck a bicycle pump into my belly button, when I stay away from carbs, I feel like I am in control, and not at the mercy of my inner fat-kid. Which in turn, for some reason, makes me feel good, and confident.
Please note that tip #1 is NOT me telling you to stick to your diet. For you, it might be simply to stop drinking pop (or soda, I'm not sure what you 'Mericans call it). It could be working out, getting a walk in, taking the stairs in the subway or at work. It could be getting in a solid 8 hours of shut-eye every night, or limiting your internet usage to a mere, oh, I don't know, 7 hours a day. Stuff like that. There is a thing about the way you are treating your body that you don't like. And its something that YOU don't like, not something that anyone else is telling you not to like. Do (or don't do, as the case may be) that thing.

2. Find your "thing" and make it shine.

Washing and doing my hair almost always works to alleviate the self-hates a bit. Its what I think  is my best feature, my golden shining glory, so, I try and get it looking as good as possible. Its the one thing that I figure that I have that other people might be covetous of.
For you, you might think that your eyes are the biggest, doe-y-est, Zoey Deschanel-est eyes of everyone you know. So shadow 'em, line 'em and mascara the shit out of 'em. And then look in the mirror and bat your eyelashes at yourself.

3. Do something just plain fun.

I figure that much of "feeling like shit"-ness about your physical self is connected to your general happiness. So, if you are in a slump, and want to get out of it, call up a friend for a good chat. Hit up a movie you've been wanting to see, blast some music and dance your tuchus off. For goodness sake, do ANYTHING to take your mind off of the self-doubt. Do whatever it takes to turn off that loop in your head telling you that you suck. Smack that snivelling bitch up, and tell her to hit the road.

4. Surf the web.

I don't just mean play Candy Crush until your eyes cross, or read Nightclub Fails (that last one might make you feel worse)... I mean surf the web for inspiration. There are a TON of zaftig role-models to be found. There are bloggers and models that represent. I know for me, just seeing someone else looking like "dayum" that is close to my size/build makes me realise I have great potential. And there are ALL sizes represented. Some "plus-sized models" are barely so, but trust, there are very voluptuous models out there representing all sizes. From hardly-plus models like Whitney Thompson to the Brazilian plus model Mayara Russi, to Tess Munster. Try a search for Plus-sized fashion on Pinterest, and get ready to be struck with inspiration! When I feel like I have no more options, Pinterest gets my fashion-engine humming!

5. Make an effort

I'm not sure if you've heard the reputation that girls from Montreal have. Its been said, that Montreal women are beautiful. And let me tell you why... It's not because there is something in the water, its not because the gene pool is sparkling clean, it's not because of a history of superior French lineage... it's because Montreal women make an effort. Now, I am hardly saying that Montreal women are the only one who make an effort. Please. There are obviously stunning women from all across this great land. And I'm not even saying that ALL women from Montreal make an effort (there are duds littered everywhere too).  But there is an aesthetic, perhaps it's the European influence that still lingers, but there is an appreciation for things that look/are nice. From the food, to the fashion to the nightlife. So, do your hair, do your nails, put AWAY the uggs and the yoga pants, and get out there and strut. It does a body good.

+1 (aka, 6). Remember who you are.

Chances are good you are probably pretty rad.
You probably DO have a great personality, and are funny, fun to be around, interesting, a good listener, a great friend, smart, clever, a problem-solver, a critical thinker, a social activist, charitable, good to your siblings, helpful to your parents and friends, kind to animals and the less-fortunate, and all that. Sure, that's not going to buy you a drink in a nightclub crowded with skinnybitches wearing less than a tattered scarecrow at the end of the summer, but sometimes, you gotta think about what's really important.