The act of grooming—even something as simple as putting on deodorant—helps you feel both more confident in your appearance and more attractive, says Jorien van Paasschen, PhD, of Bangor University in the UK. She sites similar studies showing that dabbing on a little perfume has a similar effect.
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Try these other simple tricks to feel better about your body—fast:
Listen to your heart.
Women asked to listen carefully for the sound of their own heartbeat felt better about their bodies, found a study published in PLOSOne. It's common for women to think of their bodies as "objects," which can lead to negative self-assessments, the study authors says. But listening for your heartbeat seems to counteract this self-objectification, and so improves body image, they suggest.
Be touched.
Women receiving a massage reported feeling better about their bodies than women who did not, according to a study published in the journal Body Image. Simply being touched has been shown to release pleasurable body chemicals called endorphins, which could account for the body image benefits. Consider this yet another reason to insist on a morning hug from your partner.
Sit up straight.
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Body posture affects how confident you feel about yourself. Slouch, and you can't help but feel schlumpy, suggests a study from Italy. But sitting up straight or assuming standing "power poses" (think Wonder Woman, or legs apart and hands on hips) is enough to supercharge your self-confidence almost instantly, research shows. (Beat your slouching habit for good with these 6 quick posture fixes.)
Move it.
Regardless of how your body changes, you'll feel a lot better about the way you look if you work out, shows a recent study from the University of Florida (and mounds of past research). You know the drill; exercise comes with a happy rush of endorphins, among other blissful benefits. No time to exercise? Check out these 25 little ways to squeeze in 10 minutes of movement.
