Feeling Confident in Your Own Skin: How to Embrace the Changes in Your Body as You Age

From the time I was little, I remember looking in the mirror and picking out my flaws. My hair was too straight, I had too many freckles, my legs were too skinny. It seems like human nature to pick out all of those things that we don't like about ourselves. I look at my teenage daughter now and I see those same freckles spread out across her nose and I gush over them. Her stick straight hair is just like mine and it's beautiful the way it catches the sun and lays over her shoulders. Those legs I thought were too skinny on me before are now one of my favorite body parts because they've held me up for forty years. There is a little bit of an evolution I've been on the past few decades. I still see the flaws sometimes, don't get me wrong, but I also have come to accept those things as part of me. So how can you feel confident in your own skin? I'm sharing a few ways that I've learned how through the years.

Celebrating You! Feeling Confident in Your Own Skin as You Age

Celebrate your body

Bear with me for a second because this may sound a little cheesy. Your body is pretty incredible. Focus on what it can do instead of pointing out all the things it's not. Think about all of the ground your feet have covered in your lifetime, the miles your legs have walked, the beauty your eyes have seen. Take a second to look at how you've grown and changed and how your thoughts have evolved. It's really pretty amazing to reflect at the life you've lived and how your body has been with you through all of it.

Find what works

Have you ever walked into a dressing room with 10 pairs of jeans and walked out without a single pair fitting just right? In my 30's I started making a mental list of those things that just don't tend to flatter my body shape and taking note of those that do. 
I like flaps on my back jean pockets because they give my butt a little lift. I like skirts that hit above the knee or below the shin but not in the middle because those kinds of dresses make me look shorter than I already am. Earthy colors compliment my warm skin tone. 
Find the types of clothes and colors that compliment your body shape and your skin and give those a try. Work with your body type, don't work against it.

Do something for you

I am not very high maintenance. I get a salon haircut every 5-6 months and I buy drug store cosmetics. I do my own nails and I dye my own hair. Sometimes doing something for you is what you need to recharge. It could be simple. Sometimes I treat myself to overpriced coffee or I'll take the morning off and take a long bath. Don't feel guilty for taking some time for you. 

Realize that we aren't all the same

In this age of social media and constant images coming at us, we can be bombarded into thinking that there is a "perfect" type. There is not. We are all unique. Our bodies come in all shapes and sizes and not a single one of us is the same. Wouldn't that be boring if we were? 

Accept yourself

Don't give your mind the ability to run away with negative thoughts. Start with today. Are you holding on to clothes you are hoping to squeeze into after you lose those last 5 pounds?  Don't battle with the body that you want, accept the one you have. And...

Embrace the changes

My 40-year-old body is for sure not the same as my body was when I was 10, 20 or even 30. Why should we expect it to be? I've got stomach rolls even though I had a tummy tuck to remove lose skin after three pregnancies. Sometimes if I wear a tight top, my back isn't as smooth as I would like it. And speaking of smooth, sometimes we get dimples in places other than our face. 
For the bulk of my 30's I wore a tight tank top like this under every single shirt I wore. It smoothed out some of the bulges my bra straps left. Plus, I'm constantly cold so it helped trap in some body heat. Really I did it because it made me feel more confident in the clothes that I wore.

I'm going to say a word and I think you are going to have an immediate {bad???} gut reaction. 

Especially after everything I've said above, but I'm telling you friends, shapewear can be the key to helping you feel confident in your own skin, especially as you age.
Our bodies change as we get older and we all have those flaws that we are laser focused on, shapewear can help. I just discovered Shapermint's shapewear and I love how body positive this brand is. 
So did you have that gut reaction to the word I thought you might? Why? Is it because you think of that old-school shapewear? Because Shapermint is not that. It's not about hiding your body {which is what we want to do with baggy sweaters and loose dresses isn't it?}, it's about celebrating your curves, embracing the changes in your body and feeling confident in the skin you are in. 

Think of shapewear like an accessory. 

You know how you can slip on a jacket or a necklace and suddenly it makes the whole outfit come together? Shapermint is like that too. Wearing it doesn't mean you don't love your body. It doesn't mean you are insecure or that you're fat, it just gives you the right accessory for the outfit. 
You can feel confident in your skin as you age. In fact, I'd venture to guess that as you age, you'll feel even more confident because you've grown in wisdom through your lifetime. Own it, be you and embrace what makes you unique!
ps: don't miss these lightweight and comfortable Empetua high-waisted shaper panty or the high-waisted shaper shorts. They are some of the best sellers for a reason!
disclaimer: this post is brought to you by Shapermint. All opinions are 100% my own.  I wouldn't tell you about something I didn't love. Promise.