We all understand the importance of looking good before we step out of the house. But do you understand that even though you’re looking fabulous on the outside but can feel crappy on the inside? That’s why we stress how important it is to be F.L.Y. Which means to First Love Yourself. Self-Love means so very much and can take you so far in life. But with so much social media and news it can be rather difficult to maintain a sense of self-worth.
]]>We all understand the importance of looking good before we step out of the house. But do you understand that even though you’re looking fabulous on the outside but can feel crappy on the inside? That’s why we stress how important it is to be F.L.Y. Which means to First Love Yourself. Self-Love means so very much and can take you so far in life. But with so much social media and news it can be rather difficult to maintain a sense of self-worth.
Here are 10 Ways to Boost Your Self-Esteem:
1.) Stop Comparing Yourself to Others
Have you ever found yourself scrolling through social media whether it be Instagram or Tiktok and compared your appearance to someone online? Or your bank account to others? Don’t be shy? You can say yes. We all have at least one point or another. But we must remind ourselves that this isn’t healthy and doesn’t help our confidence. We must remember to be grateful for what we have and things we’ve accomplished in life. Remember not everything you see on social media is real.
If you want to stop comparing yourself to others, feel free to keep a gratitude journal to jot down everything that you are thankful and grateful for. You might even realize that you have more than you think you do. Wealth isn’t always measured by material possessions.
2.) Watch Who You Surround Yourself With
Ever heard the saying, “You are the five people you surround yourself with?” Think about the people that you are friends with. Do they uplift you or criticize you? When you’re engaging in conversations do you feel good about it or are you left feeling drained? Do they judge you or accept you for who you are? The people you surround yourself with can really do a number on our self-esteem so be sure to evaluate your relationships surrounding the people you are constantly surrounded by.
3.) Take Care of Your Body
Can’t stress this enough. You only have one body and one life. Take extra care of it. So that means watching what you eat. It may mean eating more salads and vegetables than donuts and cupcakes. Although they taste good, they aren’t exactly all that healthy for you on a regular basis. In moderation, everyone!
Be sure to exercise! Whether you’re hitting the gym or running around the block. Exercise does a body good. As you are shedding pounds and keeping that heart pumping.
Meditation is another good thing you can do. By taking time to take your mind of the stressors of the day. Keeping your mind sound and clear.
Lastly, make sure you are getting sufficient enough hours of sleep each night. A good night’s sleep always does a body good. Remember, of days where you didn’t get enough sleep. Didn’t you feel sluggish the rest of the day? So, be sure to get enough sleep each night.
4.) Be Kind to Yourself
Life isn’t always going to be peaches and cream. There will be downfalls. You’ll make mistakes. You’ll forget something really important. It happens its life and you’re human. Not a machine. So, instead of getting down on yourself, realize that it is okay to not be on your A game or be on 100 all of the time. It’s not realistic. Practice being kind to yourself. What you tell yourself is what you’re brain and heart will remember. Be sure to tell it nice things.
5.) Practice Positive Self-Talk
Just like it’s important to be kind to yourself it’s just as vital to practice talking kindly to yourself. If you catch yourself saying, negative expressions to yourself change that immediately. I know all about negative self-talk. It will keep you from doing so many things you want to do in life. Because the voice in your head will stop you. Instead of you saying such things as, “I can’t run that marathon. I’m not fit enough.” Change that to, “I’m going to train for this marathon and have fun.” Simple words and phrases make so much difference. They say life and death is in the power of the tongue. Meaning…be kind to yourself. Speak kindly to yourself.
6.) Face Your Fears
Imagine having to give a speech in school or at work. Thinking to yourself how afraid you are. How stupid you might sound. What if I drop my note cards? What if stumble over my words and everyone will laugh at me? But get this! What if you give your speech and you rock it! You kill it! You get an A or you get the validation from your boss. What I mean is…face your fears! What’s the worse that can happen? Trust me, if you delay things, you really want to do because you’re afraid. You’ll only regret it later. A good way to boost your confidence is to conquer your goals!
7.) Do Things You’re Passionate About
When you do things that make you happy it releases endorphins in the brain. It also boosts your self-confidence and self-esteem. Life gets easier when you’re spending time doing something that brings you joy. Whether that’s a hobby, a sport or just an activity that brings you joy. Life is truly what you make it. So take time to make it the best it can be. Who knows you may also be able to make some money from it. That’s a win-win situation!
8.) Know When to Say NO!
Just like doing things you enjoy boost your self-confidence. Doing things that don’t will dampen your confidence. Perhaps you realize when you do things that don’t exactly make you happy frustrates you. It’s also just as equally important to put up boundaries in life. This is a barrier that puts you in control of your life.
When someone suggests you do something that goes against your values feel free to say NO! No is a complete sentence. You don’t want to be stuck doing tasks to please others simply because you want to make the other person happy. But then guess what, you’re not happy. Because secretly deep down you wish would’ve said NO.
9.) Don’t Be a People Pleaser
Just expanding on the 8th tip. Speaking up and having clear boundaries is not only a good thing to do. It shows and teaches others that you have self-respect. But if you simply do things because you want to be liked or are afraid to upset others. You may find yourself being a people pleaser. Being kind to others is all well and good. But when it comes to the detriment of your well-being then it’s time to re-think some things. People who have good intentions for you won’t mind you putting up boundaries and saying no. Only those with unclear or bad intentions will be turned off by you speaking up. In that case, you don’t want those types of people to be apart of your life anyway.
10.) Set Realistic Goals
When it comes to going after your goals. You want to be realistic and clear about them. For example, if your goal is to open a successful restaurant. You have to take time to write down your goals. Now you may not be the next Benihana’s but…! If you take time to write down your goals and break them into small steps to achieve your goals. You’ll be one step closer to achieving that goal. Say, you’ve got your culinary certificate, next thing you’ll want to do is learn about is building permits, and how to get the capital to lease or own the building. So on and so forth. Although, there are a lot of steps to take but if you break them down into smaller steps. It won’t seem so overwhelming.
What did you think about this list? Do you agree? Do you have anything to add to this list? What ways are you boosting your self-esteem and confidence?
]]>I'm taking you on a behind the scenes look on how I pack orders for my customers! I truly do appreciate all of you who support this small business! Each customer receives a small hand written note from me! Janae! Always remember to be FLY!! And as always first love yourself!
]]>Hi Janae , so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I am an author of 5 books. I started doing Jane’s Closet as a way to widen my brand. I also wanted to promote an urban streetwear brand that motivated people to love themselves. Love their culture especially the black culture. I believe self-pride and confidence is more important than how you look on the outside. Self-esteem is very important it basically is a catalyst on how you conduct your life. I design the clothes with the intent of bringing confidence and a sense of pride or fun to the apparel. That’s the brand of what Janae’s Closet is primarily focused on.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It certainly has not been an easy road. But nothing in life ever is. The struggles I’ve faced is just trying to spread the word and getting the name out. Fashion is such an over populated industry so sometimes it’s very hard to stand out from amongst the crowd. But I’m hoping that Janae’s Closet can become one of those streetwear apparel lines that stands out and can make a bold statement. I really want our people mainly African Americans to know that there is a clothing line that just doesn’t want to make you look good. But make you feel good. Which is why we stand for FLY Urban Apparel. The fly stands for First Love Yourself. Because loving yourself first is a major component of how you operate in this world.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am an author of 5 books. I’ve been in book publishing for almost ten years! My tenth year will be 2022! I can’t believe it. I am proud of every single one of my books. I told myself that I would publish one book by the time I reached 30 years of age. I’ve published 3 by that age and now I am working on book #6. To me, that is quite the accomplishment. I would say what sets me apart is my ability to let my creativity speak boldly. I am learning to be more confident with my talents. I am not afraid to touch on certain topics that some may find taboo within our community such as, mental health, HIV/AIDS/child sexual abuse , domestic violence and many others. These things happen in our world and I want to shed light to those issues so that it may impact or change someone else’s life in a positive way.
Janae’s Closet has only been in operation for a year so I have a lot to learn and we have a lot of growing to do! I look forward to seeing how my fashion line grows over the years!
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Community, and self-pride matters most to me. Having pride within yourself and your community can take you a long way. Having that same community of supporters can take you so far. Which is why Janae’s Closet’s brand is so strong on having pride within self and growing that within our community.
Contact Info: