Have you ever seen a woman in love? Like so truly, deeply in love that she just glows? Well I’m here to tell you that you can get that same glow, even if you’re not in a relationship. The secret? The glow comes from within yourself—YOU can turn it on whenever YOU want. How amazing is that?
To glow, you must first be willing to do some work. No one is able to just wake up and feel amazingly beautiful, 365 days of the year, for their whole lives without setting some intentions. That’s just unreasonable!
So enough talk, let’s get down to it!
Start by setting some intentions. A woman glowing is satisfied with where she is at exactly in that moment. She is fully present and can appreciate the wonderful things that surround her in her life. For this step, try and make a list of some things you’re grateful for, big or small, and write them down. This exercise will start training your mind to look for the things that are already in your life that bring a spark to you. After you create this list, it’s time to set up some intentions for how you want to feel in the future, maybe 5 minutes from now, or maybe 5 months. Whenever I do this exercise, I try to imagine some specific words that have meaning to me, like desiring to feel content, happy, glow-y, excited, etc.
Body image plays such a huge role in our self esteem and can help sway you in either the right direction towards self-love, or the opposite depending on how intentional you are. Something I do to help raise my energy is to plan the clothing I wear. While this is only a small part of my daily routine, it can help guide me to feeling a glow when other factors aren’t adding up. Be honest with yourself when you do this and pick clothing that is comfortable and flattering and that you feel beautiful in. Don’t worry if some days it’s sweats and a t-shirt and others a tight dress; it’s all about how you feel in the moment.
Take pride in your appearance and show it off in a way that feels beautiful to you. Maybe that’s by curling your hair, getting it colored at a salon, or styling it naturally. It could mean putting makeup on every morning before class or simply washing and moisturizing your face. Whatever it is that makes you feel the best, try and do it more often.
Find the fun in bringing out the best in others. Ever have an amazing conversation with someone and feel as though you both walk away better than when you started? Imagine if we went into all our interactions with that mindset! Try and set a goal for uplifting one person each day, and see how it goes.
Ask for what you want—it’s often tough to express what we really want because we don’t get to practice playing with the ideas of wanting extravagant things, large or small (especially as college students often working multiple jobs and to pay off student loans). But don’t be discouraged, because the more you talk and think about what you want, the easier it will come to you. Either you’ll get it for yourself or someone else will overhear and surprise you with it! All you need to do is just decide what it is you want – a latte? A hug? A date? Decide what it is and with time it will come to you, maybe not in the way you thought it would, but trust that it’s on its way.
Strut the street like it’s a catwalk. While this may seem a little weird at first, it can have a crazy impact on your confidence. Next time you’re walking with your headphones in to go to class, or while grocery shopping, try and put on a song that makes you feel as goddess-y as possible. Some go-to’s for me? “Pretty Girl Rock” by Keri Hilson, “Fergalicious” by Fergie, or “6 Inch” by Beyoncé. Imagine you’ve been selected to model the clothes you’re in – a hoody? Great, rock it! Sweaty workout clothes? Even better! By choosing to own how you look in that moment, you’re that much closer to finding and maintaining your glow!
Sweat more – your body will produce more endorphins which means more happiness and less stress, who wouldn’t want that? After my best and hardest workouts when I’m not wearing any makeup at all and I’m drenched in sweat is often times when I feel as though I’m glowing the most. And why not? The sweat serves as proof of all the hard work I just accomplished and I feel empowered by the beauty in my strength. Find workouts that make you feel like this and you’re as good as gold. It’s one of the easiest tickets to glow-town that you’ll find! For me I feel the best after hot yoga, a long distance run (or jog), or a swim workout!
Self-care is such a broad term so take time to figure out what it means for you. For me it can mean taking the time to do a facemask, exploring and listening to new music, watching Netflix, eating yummy food, going for a run, or get a manicure. These are just a few go-to things I enjoy doing for myself that help me recharge my battery. Although I consider myself a very social person, I’m actually an introvert, so to feel refreshed I need to take space to be by myself. This time is really important for me to feel connected to myself and regain some energy that may have been put out for school work, my job, or even with friends. After a good self-care session, I always feel more energetic, and overall happier because I’m able to regroup with myself!
So enough talking, let’s get out there and get our glow on! It’s right there underneath the surface just waiting for you to give it a little attention and love, and I promise with the right care, it won’t let you down.
*Cover Image courtesy of: http://consultealespecialista.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/o-WOMAN-OUT…