It is widely understood that looks are not everything. This is frequently contradicted in widespread media, and sometimes it is tricky to feel at ease with yourself in a superficial world. As people become ever more obsessed with beauty and looking good, it can feel like everywhere you go there is pressure to be the most attractive or the most stylish person in the room. The media teaches us that only the beautiful will succeed and that everyone should be in awe of external flawlessness. Relearning how to see yourself as beautiful after the bombardment of contradictory and unhelpful opinions found in magazines and on television is a struggle at first, so here are some simple yet surprisingly effective ways you can transform your life and feel more attractive.

One: Rethink Your Definition of ‘Attractive’

Just because one person likes a particular food doesn’t mean it is everybody’s favorite. The reason that every aspect of culture is so diverse and varied is because humans have such a broad spectrum of taste. Their range of appreciation does not fall neatly into categories that everyone can agree upon. This is important to remember when you feel less than delighted to be who you are.

The media is on a constant mission to align society into making purchasing decisions, and it has been going on for so long now that these extremely narrow bands of appeal are considered the unanimous favorites – leaving out vast quantities of unexplored and under-appreciated alternatives. Don’t be fooled by the loud voice of movies and television that insist their opinions of beauty are fixed and universal. Being attractive is as easy as finding yourself attractive.

It is far healthier to focus on believing this about yourself than desperately forcing yourself to fit into the unimaginative and narrow mold that society has manufactured. Of course, it isn’t as if you can flip a switch and suddenly feel better about yourself, but with a clear mind and a strong ambition, you can make a good start.

Two: Stay Healthy

While you undertake this mental and psychological journey of realizing that ‘attractive’ is a word with far more connotations than the media would have you believe, it is a great idea to keep your body in the best physical condition. This has nothing to do with size or shape – as mentioned before, humans are such varied creatures. Expecting people to achieve singular forms is ridiculous, and you should avoid the misconception that it is at all necessary.

Instead, make sure you eat healthily and find a way of exercising that keeps you happy and fit. It has been proven that exercise has a positive impact on your mental health which is an excellent start to feeling more attractive. When you notice how much hard work you put in to being healthy, you’ll begin to see that it is far more important than mere good looks. Try to avoid bad habits that can lead to illness such as heavy drinking. To feel better about yourself, it helps to feel good physically.

Three: Start Something New

Apart from a healthy diet and good exercise, finding habits that improve your life are a brilliant way of making you feel more attractive. It is often said that enthusiasm about a certain topic or hobby is extremely endearing, so keep an eye out for activities or interests that you want to shout about. Whether you want to start horse riding or find solace in vaping (for the latter, read more here!), finding the right hobby can become a good habit for handling stress and feelings of inadequacy as well as introducing you to new people with shared interests.

Whether you consider yourself to be an extrovert or introvert, most people appreciate having friends to bolster their confidence in times of need. Feeling attractive is about how you imagine others might perceive you, physically and as a person, so surround yourself with friends that care about you. They can teach you how to love yourself, and positive reinforcement of your happiness is much healthier than letting yourself feel low because you don’t look the way you want to.

Soon you’ll realize that you must be attractive since you have found yourself good friends. It isn’t all about appearances. Your personality is a much better indicator of how attractive you are, so make a habit of showing it off.

Four: Find Your Style

Although the focus has mainly been about how to concentrate on your beliefs and ideas around attractiveness, here is an easy way to make yourself feel more attractive quickly. Find clothes that you are comfortable in and that complement your body in whichever way you think is best.

The key here is to stay true to yourself and remain ignorant of what you fear about the opinions of others. Attempting to style yourself to suit the tastes of everyone who might see you in a given day is not only impossible but also incredibly unhealthy and stressful. You can guarantee that one person will find you attractive if you tailor your style to suit your own opinion. It doesn’t matter what body type you have, if your clothes fit properly and make you feel more confident, you will immediately start to feel much more attractive.

Five: Treat Yourself

Of course, showing kindness to others is one of the best things in life anyone could do and should always be a priority when going about your daily life. However, this can sometimes override the need to show kindness to yourself as well. It is much easier to criticize your own actions or appearance than other people’s because you have higher expectations for yourself.

Try to shrug off these internal criticisms as they serve no purpose. Do whatever it takes to make yourself feel good, so long as you don’t impede anyone else’s happiness. Having the courage to do as you please and flaunt yourself with confidence is the most attractive thing anyone can do.