Being confronted by your own naked body in the mirror can be a bit of a jolt to the system after spending hours on end scrolling through images of flawless Instagram models, but there are actually some pretty simple steps we can all take to start feeling better about our reflection.

'Let's get checking out if a bunch of grown adults know their way around a uterus...'

Stop seeking validation from others

Getting upwards of 50 likes on a selfie might seem like the quickest fix to gaining a bit of confidence, but it can actually be pretty useful to take a step back from the platform and think about how your social-media aesthetic is impacting on your self-esteem.

By all means, keep posting those fire selfies and cute updates but think twice about measuring your self-worth in direct proportion to how ~lit~ people think your Instagram feed is.

Avoid thinking of your body as work-in-progress

Each of us has an image in our head of where we think we should we be in life, and how we think we should *look* while we’re there.

But all the daydreaming in the world won’t result in us metamorphosinginto Bella Hadid by our next birthday, and it’s time to stop fantasising about the things we 'could' do and the people we 'could 'interact with if we suddenly woke up with the body of a Victoria’s Secret model.

Fake it until you make it

Remember that awful sensation you get every Summer when you realise you’re going to have start showing the bottom half of your legs or boil to death in jeans? The more you do the thing, the less you fear it; which is probably why we just about start feeling comfortable in our shorts by the time September rolls around. Sigh.

Think of yourself as a friend

Locked in a spiral of being overly self-critical and can’t seem to think your way out of the situation? Start thinking of yourself as your own best friend, and do your best to shut down every negative comments that pops into your head the way you would if someone was trolling your BFF.

Remind yourself what’s really important

There are 6 billion people on this Earth and we all have a finite amount of time in which to wander around on a floating piece of rock that might be wiped out by a meteor any second. As hard as it can be to fully appreciate, nobody actually thinks twice about your cellulite, wobbly bits, or random patches of excess hair. Perspective.

Surround yourself with positive people

The negative voice in your head will shrink or expand depending on the kind of people you surround yourself with. Ever noticed how much better your feel in yourself after hanging out with a positive group of friends? Don’t be afraid to cut off the people who make it their business to knock your confidence, and stay tight with the ones who lift you up without even trying.

Take care of yourself, but be realistic

There’s nothing wrong with treating yourself to a spa-break, embarking on a fitness regime, or kickstarting a brand new healthy eating lifestyle. Just as there’s nothing wrong with sitting back and deciding to do absolutely none of these things. If treating yourself comes in the form of buying up Lushbath bombs and walking around your houseshare like a naked shimmery goddess, then go ahead and do what needs to be done.

'Words by Lucia Ennis'