Be comfortable in your own skin. It can be a really scary thought! With the Internet at the tip of our fingers it can be really tempting to put the “optimal” you out there, but there is so much more power in being authentic online. Sure, Pinterest images are great to look at and to inspire you, but most people equally enjoy Pinterest fails because that is what we truly relate to.
I built the Quirky Inspired community, so all the quirky peeps of the universe had a place they knew they could get real, authentic advice and stories. That’s why I write how I talk, and share videos with you on bad fibromyalgia days, bad hair days, and bad life days in general. Sure, there are times that my life involves the red carpet, but there are a lot more times when it involves spending the day in bed streaming Netflix all day and eating junk food. (My favorite past time by the way)
It can be so tempting to put the shiny version of you on social media, but I’m telling you it’s a lot more empowering to share the authentic you and to learn how to be comfortable in your own skin! For me, it’s helped me overcome self esteem issues and find true happiness. When I decided to become a blogger, I decided that I wasn’t going to be one version online and one version in person. What you read on the blog is what I am in real life, and I’m proud of that.
Personally, I’ve never understood why people put a perfect version of them online when they will meet people in person. Why the heck would you want to have someone think you are one thing, and then when they meet you in person they are shocked you are so different. Don’t know about you, but if someone doesn’t like my flavor of awesome, I would much rather that they discover that before meeting me in person than rejecting me to my face.
Little by little sharing the real me has made me accept who I am and that rocking my awesome is ok. There are always going to be people out there that appreciate you for who you are and celebrate your quirks. Not everyone has to like everyone. It’s ok to be different, as long as you are being authentic.
It’s been a long journey, but there are many ways you can learn to be comfortable in your own skin and be authentic online. It can be really scary at first, but it’s totally empowering! Trust me, coming from the gal that shared a bikini picture of herself in front of 80,000 people on social media!
6 Ways to Be Authentic Online and Be Comfortable in Your Own Skin
1. Finding Encouragement: Sharing in safe places online, IE body positive groups or inspirational groups, can be a great place to start! Finding others putting themselves out there will make you more likely for you to be authentic online and put yourself out there too. Plus, the positive messages they give you in return will help you feel comfortable in your own skin.
2. Finding Your Tribe of Weirdos: The more you share who you are online, the more you find people that appreciate your brand of weird. Whether it’s the funny memes that you share, or personal stories you put out there, being authentic will help you find people that appreciate you for who you are.
3. Finding Your Voice: After so many years of being afraid to be yourself, being authentic online can help you find your voice. For me, writing and having a blog has done that. there were so many years that I didn’t know who I was anymore, but through writing and art I’ve been able to find my voice.
4. Practice Standing Up For Yourself: Any time you put yourself out there online, there is always a chance of people being negative. Rather than letting that scare you from your truth, it teaches you to stand up for yourself. You learn to pick your battles and even learn to stand up for yourself in person as well. Just remember the negativity says a lot more about the people spewing it than about you.
5. Recognizing You are Human: For some reason, we tend to think of weaknesses as flaws, something to be fixed. You might be shocked at things that you think are weaknesses are common things that other people share too. No one is perfect, and it’s nice when you put yourself out there to find that a lot of your friends might struggle with things you struggle with too. That’s why I share my fibromyalgia diagnosis or my struggle with depression. There’s never a time that I want people to think that my life is always roses. I’ve learned to become comfortable in my own skin despite the blips in my life. That happened when I realized that I am human and not meant to be perfect.
6. Road to Happiness: Learning to accept yourself as you are right now is the first step to finding your happiness. Being authentic all the time, though it is a bumpy road, is honestly the only way to be happy in my book. It can be hectic, scary, and chaotic but slowly but surely you rise from the rubble and learn that you do love yourself and all your “weaknesses” can become some of the things you actually love about yourself the most. Me? I love the fact I can find a dirty inuendo in pretty much every situation 😉
It can be really scary to learn how to be comfortable in your own skin. It can even be tempting to paint a photoshopped version of your life online. Rather than subcoming to those temptations spend the time loving who you are, and taking time each and every day to rock your awesome!
Melissa Lawler says
Amen! I am a firm believer in you be you and I’ll be me. It’s probably the most important lesson that I taught my kids.
Jeanette says
If you ask people what I am like they would definitely tell you I am not shy when it comes to standing up for myself and my friends. You need to be comfortable in your own skin because you are in your own skin your entire life. These are some great tips.
Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle says
Great post! I see too many profile pictures that are obviously 20 years old. I know too many people who try to shine up their lives and only post the BEST possible photos of themselves – from at least 5 years ago. I just feel like I’ve got nothing to prove, and I’m not fooling anyone anyway. I’m going to be me.
Robin (Masshole Mommy) says
Yes, I definitely found my weirdos and we stick together! I think it’s so important to be myself and I try to as much as possible.
Brett Beyer says
I’ve found that if I start writing something else first, it helps me to get into the groove of writing authentically faster. It doesn’t matter if I’m writing in my journal or just popping out a short story, it helps me to be truer with my audience. Good advice.
Shauna says
What a great read, I think it is super-important for us all to be confident in our own skin. It is very helpful to have our own crazy tribe and people to help raise us up instead of tear us down
Dawn Lopez says
This is a very inspiring read! It’s sad that being comfortable with yourself is such a difficult thing to do sometimes. It’s great that there are support and inspirational groups out there to be a part of. Just in case you find it difficult to find your tribe of weirdos. 😉
Roxanne Morrison says
This may be one of the most timely & encouraging things I’ve read in a very long time. I sincerely Thank You!
Nancy at Whispered Inspirations says
What an inspiring post. I love these tips, be authentic is the only way to be.
Amy Desrosiers says
I do think it is so weird when people are totally different in real life VS online. I have had my share of IRL meetings because people were not what they portrayed online.
Liz Mays says
This is great advice! Finding my niche online really helped me find people with similar interests. It’s nice having some support.
Kathy says
This is such a wonderful post. I think it’s extremely important to be comfortable in your own skin. I love the six ways you have written here. Those are great.
Ann Bacciaglia says
I have been getting more comfortable in my skin this past year. I have stopped worrying about what others are going to think and started living for me.
Danielle Harper says
I believe it is so important to be authentic online. I want the followers of my blog to know I am a real human that faces the same challenges each day as them. Love this list.
Crystal says
Well, I love finding your own weirdos! It’s good to have a village. I do try to represent myself as authentically as possible, even with my shortcomings.