How loving your body will impact your performance at work
It’s a sad truth that as women, we tend to pin our self-worth on appearance, and more often than not, body shape and weight plays a big part in that. In fact, a recent survey by Glamour found that on average, women have 13 negative thoughts about their body a day. Not only is this detrimental to our mentalities but it can affect the way we behave in our day-today lives; not least in the work place.
I have this ideal vision of myself at work: confident, ballsy, respected and impeccably dressed. I see myself in an outfit that has an excellent cut and style, is office-appropriate, and tailored perfectly to my body. The reality, on the other hand, can be quite different. When we’re not happy with our bodies we opt for the ‘safe’ option, thinking that hiding ourselves under baggy, shapeless clothing will make us look and feel better, when in actual fact it does the opposite.
That vision of a strong, powerful woman climbing the career ladder two steps at a time slowly diminishes and you find yourself sitting at your desk feeling a bit, well, bleurgh. Have you ever sat in a meeting and not spoken up about that great idea you have, or found your motivation lacking, because you’re not happy with your appearance? Yup, me too.
Some may call it trivial but I think the way you dress and the way you feel about yourself has a huge part to play in your confidence in the workplace. Here at the YCB HQ, we can all agree that when we’re dressed to impress we’re ready to conquer the world; we find we’re more creative, up for a challenge and want to make things happen. When we’re not dressed particularly well, all good feelings about ourselves can easily go out of the window.
It seems we’re not alone. Research has found that many women call in sick because they have ‘fat days’. This is not a good way to progress in our careers, and quite frankly, not a good way to live our lives.
So what’s the answer? We need to learn to love our bodies – easier said than done though, right? We can start by choosing stylish clothes that fit well and will accentuate our figures. You know how good you feel in your favourite LBD that hugs you in all the right places? Imagine feeling that way in work every day.
Unfortunately this can be hard to come by on the high street, but this is where global online fashion store Navabi comes in. With a whole host of high-quality clothing and accessories from an extensive range of designers, Navabi stocks the perfect range of sophisticated, trend-led pieces tailored for women with curves. Flattering clothes that may you look and feel like a million dollars? If that’s not a confidence boost, I don’t know what is.
The love doesn’t have to stop with ourselves; let’s not forget how a good work environment can affect your performance at work as well. Chances are other women (and men, for that matter) in your office will lack body confidence so encourage those in your team with a compliment every now and then. If ever I’m feeling a bit down and someone pays me a compliment, it can be such a huge lift and really make a difference to my day. So why not give those in your team a bit of a boost whilst building your own self confidence? You never know, there may come a day when we all really do love our bodies.
