Holiday confidence - how to feel good about going away!

1. Feeling fat? Remember that those airbrushed images you see in magazines really are just that, airbrushed. We can all look great without the cellulite, a bit of shading around the hips and a few inches off our belly. It’s worth remembering that those images are put out there as some sort of brand, promoting a celebrity or a product, it is not real life, it’s sales. Unless you are trying to launch your own brand of sun cream, give yourself a break and enjoy being the human you are!

2. Allow yourself to look your best. Make the most of what you’ve got. If we aren’t feeling too confident about ourselves, the last thing we want to do is go into a shop and try on shorts and swimming gear. Neon lights and sales assistants trying to pop their head round the curtain fill even the best of us with a feeling of dread.

Then again, putting it off and ending up with the same stuff you’ve been wearing every summer for a decade probably won’t make us feel great either. We need a plan!

Be helpful to yourself and look around at people, maybe in the media or in catalogues etc. who have a similar look or shape to you, who you think look great. See how they have done it so well or rather, the expert stylist who put it together in the first place. Then make a list, even print off some pics or take them on your phone. Go around the shops or buy online (check the size guides). Try the stuff on once you get home, when you feel happy and relaxed. Be kind to yourself and you’ll be looking great in no time.

3. The small things matter. What makes you feel confident and special? Whether it's getting a good haircut, a manicure or treating yourself to an airport lounge pass, think of the things that are going to allow yourself to feel stylish and confident. Think of yourself as your own best friend and do for yourself what you’d like to be done for them. And remember to let yourself enjoy it!

4. Don’t panic! One of the biggest causes of disputes on holiday is because people become stressed by all the things they need to do before they go away. Instead of feeling relaxed, they feel frazzled and irritated once there. The key is to prepare but - here’s the trick - only give yourself the time you need and be clear about what exactly needs to be done. Over preparing can just make us dizzy with too much scope to change our mind or get in a whirr. 

Write a list and put timings next to it. Categorise the list into easy things and more time consuming things. Come up with a realistic plan for the week before you go away, stick to your plan, adapting it if things change. Make sure that when you are more pushed for time, you give yourself a quick win and allow yourself to feel you have achieved something. At the end of your plan, give yourself one extra hour, then there will be no need to get stressed at all.

5. Be nice to yourself! We all have a voice in our head; commenting on things, telling us off, figuring out what to do next. Ensure that you keep yours in check. Only helpful thoughts allowed! Notice if you are saying unhelpful things to yourself such as ‘what an idiot’, ‘you are running behind’ and ‘I’m never going to get this done’, accept that you are trying to tell yourself something and reframe it into the positive - think of the result that your voice is wanting to achieve. Be mindful of what you are saying and change it into something useful. If you are feeling anxious, instruct yourself to give yourself a minute to stop, breath, calm down and plan your next action. It can help prevent things escalating in your mind and make it far easier to deal with those around you.

If you follow these steps when you are heading off on your holidays, you will be feeling cool as a cucumber and be glowing with confidence when you are there. Bon voyage!