How To Boost Your Confidence
Some workdays can leave you feeling depleted
It can happen to the best of us and sometimes that rise and grind even wears down on our confidence. My friend Saundra Wilson is a self-care and confidence pro which is why I’m so excited for her to contribute to today’s blog. She is a digital marketer, online magazine founder and self-love expert. Saundra shares how to boost your confidence and her best self-love tips below!
Self-Love Q&A with Saundra
1. FIRST OFF – TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF. I WANT TO INTRODUCE THE SAUNDRA I KNOW TO MY AUDIENCE!
My name is Saundra Wilson and I’m affectionately known as Saung. I’m a social media manager, writer, dancer, frozen mango enthusiast and the founder of Glisten Mag. I was born and raised in Sacramento, California (shout out to all my Cali girls!) and moved to Arizona nearly 6 years ago to attend Arizona State University.
I’m a passionate, free-spirited creative and believe one of my life’s missions is to create a safe space around me for people to breathe, be encouraged and be themselves. I believe everyone is beautifully and wonderfully made and I want to help people see the beauty and light in themselves as I’m on the journey to see, celebrate and appreciate the beauty and light in myself and others.
2. WERE YOU ALWAYS INTO SELF-CARE? HOW DID THIS PASSION START?
I haven’t always been into self-care believe it or not! It really became a passion and priority for me when I realized how much I struggled with self-care, self-esteem and confidence in my late teens. I’ve always struggled with being really hard on myself and developed a habit of being hyper critical of myself as a young girl, trying to find a way to please my parents and feeling like I was always failing. I decided I’d had enough during a trip to Prague.
I was studying abroad there during my sophomore year of college and had done something I found really embarrassing on a tram ride back from some nightclubs. The next morning, I was so mortified and frustrated with myself and ended up staying in my dorm room for 2 days! That’s when I realized I’d had enough of treating myself the way I’d been treating myself. On that second day of doing nothing in my dorm room, I decided I was going to radically replace all of my negative feelings about myself with positive ones and commit to a life of self-love.
It wasn’t an overnight change, but slowly but surely, I started reacting differently to things.
Now, when I get frustrated with myself, I choose to do something radically kind for myself – like call one of my best friends, take a long bath, or indulge in a night of reality TV. It’s a day-by-day journey. But, I can honestly say that I feel so free since having chosen to love and be patient with myself as I am. I have days when it’s harder than others, but I want other women to experience the same joy, freedom and love that comes with deeply appreciating, loving and being kind to ourselves. We are so worthy of it!
3. ANY ADVICE FOR A GIRL RUNNING LOW ON CONFIDENCE? ANYTHING SHE CAN DO TO FEEL LIKE HER BEST SELF?
Yahssssssss! I think that we all have days where we’re running low on confidence. The Lord knows I do! I think a great place to start is to remind yourself that you are worthy, you are loved and there is nobody else like you in this world. This is true whether you feel cute or busted. Whether you crushed it at work or whether you fell short. Whether you feel like your makeup is on point or whether you’re feeling like your makeup is slightly clown-like. That is a fundamental truth. I’d recommend reminding yourself of that whenever you start to doubt or feel down on yourself.
Next, I think it’s important to do something that makes you feel fabulous!
For me, that’s dancing. I’ll put on some of my favorite tunes and start twerking up a storm by myself in my apartment. For others, that may be taking a hike, taking a shower and doing your makeup, or writing a short story. Doing things you love is soothing to the soul and is so important for us on on our confidence journeys. These are great places to start and set a solid foundation for positive feelings and positive self-talk. I’m also a proponent of surrounding yourself with people who love you. We’re all going to feel down or weak. Some days we’re going to struggle to see the beauty and good in ourselves. But, having solid gal pals (and menfolks) in your life to remind you of who you are when you’re feeling down is so important.
Lastly, I think that feeling good in and outside your body is key! Sis, hit that yoga class or take some time to put on an outfit that makes your feel beautiful. Know that these things aren’t what makes you beautiful and worthy because that is an unchangeable fact, but, they do celebrate that fact.
4. ANY ADVICE FOR NEW WORKING GIRLS DEALING WITH THE TRANSITION OF BEING A STUDENT TO FULL TIME WORK MODE? HOW DID YOU DEAL WITH IT?
Oh my gawshhhhhhhh yahsssss! Let me tell you, the transition from being a student to working full time is tough. You go from suddenly being free to come and go as you please during college to having to be somewhere five days or more out of the week. It can be challenging, but can also be super rewarding. Be patient with yourself. There will be days where you struggle to find your place in a new space and there will be so much that you don’t know. In some ways, you’re starting from scratch again in a new space with new people. See it as on opportunity for growth and a launching pad for the you that you dream of being. Also, be sure to have a tub of Vaseline with you always for when your lips start to feel dry 🙂
Also, remember that it’s okay to take breaks! I struggle to work on a computer all day sometimes. So, I take lunchtime walks, do lunchtime phone calls, and take bathroom breaks just about every hour. That helps me stay grounded and get through the sometimes long days.
5. WHAT ARE SOME EASY SELF-CARE TIPS A BUSY GIRL CAN PRACTICE THROUGHOUT THE WEEK?
There are so many ways to practice self-care throughout your week! Here are a few of my favorites:
1. Get outside for at least 15 minutes a day. Literally, being in the outdoors is proven to energize us, relieve anxiety, and help ground us. Take that lunchtime walk sis and watch how much better you feel when you get back into the office.
2. Take a shower or a bath every day. This seems super simple, but the truth is, I don’t always do it! When, I do, I feel so much more at peace and more equipped to handle whatever the day brings my way.
3. Enjoy your skin care routine! Believe it or not, the minutes you take to get ready in the morning can be moments of self-care for you! Enjoy the way that facial wash smells and if you wear makeup, put that makeup on with care and pride. Enjoying your primping routine is a great way to start of the day with self-care.
6. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO TAKE A STEP BACK AND FOCUS ON YOURSELF FOR A BIT?
Ya’ll, sometimes life is crazy!! It’s important to take a step back and focus on yourself for a bit because I believe we give from overflowing cups. How can you give to others and give your best self to work, significant others, friends and more if your cup isn’t full to give from?
Taking the time to give ourselves what we need allows us to operate from a place of abundance and peace, which helps us to thrive in giving to all of the other areas of our lives.
It may seem selfish to take time for yourself and focus on yourself. But really, it’s something that feeds us and gives us the ability to shine and sustain all of the many things we juggle.
7. TELL US ABOUT GLISTEN – WHEN DID YOU START IT, WHY, WHAT ITS MISSION IS, ETC.
Glisten is an online magazine dedicated to inspiring, equipping and encouraging women to glow up. On Glisten, we talk about everything from navigating friendships, to taking care of ourselves, to confidence, to dating, to so many other topics we as women can connect to. I started it in 2018 as a passion project to share some of my own journey in self-confidence, self-esteem, and self-love in a way that, I pray, other women can relate to and be encouraged by.
I’ve always loved to write, have always been blessed with strong friendships with amazing women, and have always enjoyed keeping it real with people. I wanted to create Glisten as a safe space for women to see content that’s relevant to them and walk away encouraged. So many times when I’m on the internet, I feel drained when I finally turn off the computer whether from sad news, the comparison trap, or otherwise. I want Glisten to be different – to be an online destination where people can walk away feeling energized and feeling the positive vibes.
8. ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO ADD?
Always remember, you are worth it. I think as women, it’s so easy to doubt our worth, our ideas, our abilities, and so many other things. Sis, you are worth EVERYTHING. Let’s run together, so we can all live our best lives.
A HUGE thank you to Saundra! Make sure to follow Saundra on social.