Let's talk body confidence

Self-esteem is something of a touchy subject with me. I am the first to admit that I have

 very little of the stuff and lately I feel like I've been struggling with body confidence

 more than ever. I'm not writing about this to for a confidence boost or to gain attention, 

I am writing about this because I feel it is incredibly important.

When my confidence is at its lowest I regularly turn down invitations to see friends and choose

 instead sit within the comfort of my own home. I've come to realise recently that there is more

 to life than worrying about my appearance and I should be grabbing every opportunity to live

 life and spend time with my friends.

Self esteem is such a massive issue for both men and women and it is really important that people

 realise their true worth instead of undervaluing themselves all the time. After doing a bit of 

research I stumbled across the Dove Self Esteem Project. It is mostly aimed at young, teenage

 girls but I found the information on media and celebrity culture particularly interesting as I feel 

this is a huge problem within society. My job role means I am constantly working within

 the media and I become pretty influenced by this. As a result of spending hours

 trawling through social media pages I find myself constantly comparing my looks, job

 and wardrobe to girls I don't even know.

After avoiding social situations for a couple of weeks I got so upset that I decided enough

 is enough. I'm now focusing on enjoying myself and experiencing life, and I'm finding that

 great things are coming my way as a result. Hell, I just bagged myself a great marketing

 internship and if that isn't enough to give me a confidence boost I don't know what is.

If only one person reads this and is inspired to feel good about themselves then I will be

 glad I wrote it. You are beautiful!

How running taught me to challenge myself

On Sunday I took part in, and completed, the Liverpool Spring 10K race. This is something I never thought I would be able to do as my fitness levels used to be terrible. There once was a time where I couldn't 

even run on the treadmill for 2 minutes without getting ridiculously out of breath, and feeling like

 I had to stop. I would never thought a year ago that I would be able to run non-stop for a whole

 hour like I did on Sunday. I especially did not expect to enjoy the race quite like I did!

As a result I have found myself wanting to apply for another race in a few months time,

 despite the huge blisters on my feet from Sunday.

So far my running journey has taught me a lot about how to challenge myself and achieve

 my goals. I find running really mentally tough, but in the long run (no pun intended) I always

 end up with a clear, anxiety free mind. Realising that I can push myself to run further than ever

 before has only encouraged me to try and apply this success to other areas of my life. 

Understanding that your mind gives up before your legs do is key to accomplishing your goals

 when out on a run. I find motivational quotes really inspiring before I go out to run

 (or hit the gym) and Pinterest is particularly good for this. I have created a health & fitness

 inspiration board on Pinterest and always check back to this when I need a little lift.

So, what are you waiting for? Get those trainers on and go run!

 Even if it is just for five minutes, you will thank me later.