It’s Women’s Month with March 8 as International Women’s Day, and this year we want you to celebrate it by never uttering the following sentence ever again: “I’m a Mom now—I can’t do that.” Oh, yes, you can, whatever it is. Now they don’t have to be grand gestures straightaway. Here are a few doable suggestions that won’t eat into your schedule or require you to go skydiving agad. But doing a few of them (or all!) starts you on the road to claiming your inner queen bee.
#1 Do your best Wonder Woman pose every morning. Don’t laugh. Studies have shown that power posing raises your testosterone levels, which increases confidence. If you wish to be technical about it, here’s social psychologist Amy Cuddy’s suggestion: Stand with your feet hip-length apart, raise your arms above your head, spreading them out and pointing upwards, and hold this pose for two minutes. Can you feel it?
#2 Ask the universal question: “So?” Life coach Martha Beck gave this wonderful advice every time you feel the glare of an (imagined) embarrassing spotlight. People will stare if I dine solo. So? People will see my thighs if I wear shorts. So? I can’t wear that bright color—people will look. So? Remember, people pay more attention to themselves, not you.
#3 Put together a “mom power”anthem playlist. When you have really bad days (or a scary presentation), begin your day with music that makes you feel beautiful (hello, Christina Aguilerra), gives you a dose of encouragement (Stronger by Kelly Clarkson comes to mind), or just gets your head bopping every time you hear it (playing Geronimo by Sheppard on a loop will do it, we promise).
#4 Wear high heels. It corrects your posture almost immediately. Feeling taller, you’re already projecting a picture of confidence, and people will perceive you that way.
#5 Be comfortable with that awkward feeling. Dining solo makes you feel like there’s a spotlight on you? People are not really looking—it’s just in your head. New job? Introduce yourself first when you find yourself in a room with your new colleagues. Most of the time, people are just as shy as you to make the first move.
#6 Fit a dress you never imagined you could wear. Because, you know, it may actually look good on you. And when it does, remember that giddy feeling as you look at the mirror. Now if you feel like a whale in it, you can finally quit the endless wondering and move on to something more fab.
#7 Say yes to anything for a day. Someone you met a month ago at a work event sends you a Facebook friend request. Accept! Your barista suggests an add-on to your coffee, and you have no clue what it is. Let him drizzle! Relish the positive vibes you’ve done something out of the ordinary.
#8 Write a fan letter to someone you admire for his work/talent. And by letter we mean commenting on her Facebook page or tagging her on your Instagram post. These are brave things to do for someone who is afraid to put herself out there. Hopefully, you find the courage to do it with someone in your physical proximity.
#9 Break a sweat. Exercise or any kind of physical activity that gets you perspiring enhances the mood, and fills you with happy hormones (called endorphins). If you stick with it, you’ll stand straighter, get an extra skip to your step, and feel good in your body.
#10 Type your most confident moment down on your phone. Read it any time you need an encouragement or a reminder that when you handled yourself with aplomb. If you can’t think of one, then gather inspirational quotes that give you strength and raise your spirit. Here’s one of our favorites: “You do not self-destruct when your fears come to pass.”
This article originally appeared in FemaleNetwork.com.
Minor edits have been made by SmartParenting.com editors. Photo from Pixabay.
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