Ten Ways to be More Body-Proud

No. 1: Shake your booty
For instant body confidence, get set to sweat. According to psychologist Carol Vogel, from the Cairnmillar Institute in Victoria, "Physical exercise releases endorphins — and that feels good. Dancing also increases the regularity of your breathing and heartbeat, which can have a calming effect on the mind." Turning up the stereo and dancing around the living room is a good start or try dance lessons.

No. 2: Wear clothes you like
Sick of squeezing yourself into tiny hipsters and boob tubes? Then don't. Slavishly following the latest fashions, even if they don't suit you, will only make you feel like crap. The trick is to wear what you feel comfortable in. The way clothes are styled in magazines is for inspiration only, so take the parts you love, then add your own individual style.

No. 3: Get naked more often
Want to feel more comfortable in your own skin? Spend more time in the buff. How your clothes fit often determines whether you feel fat or thin, so without that gauge it's easier to feel sexy and free. Before getting dressed, look at your reflection in the mirror, silence the negative thoughts in your head and smile.

No. 4: Take a bubble bath
According to Vogel, the way the bubbles swirl around your body will help you feel more sensuous and alive. Taking time for yourself, no matter what that involves, will do wonders for your self-esteem. Have a facial. Spend time reading. Get a massage. Doing things you enjoy will only make you feel more positive.

No. 5: See yourself as others do
Do you honestly think your friends are obsessed with your thighs? As Vogel explains, "The people you love and care about in your life know that there is so much more to you than the shape of your body. This is about choosing to value yourself as a complete person, so focus on your strengths."

No. 6: Be realistic
Take a look around you — it won't take long to realise that most women have cellulite, pot bellies and not-so-perfect thighs. "If you choose to distort your view of the world with a constant diet of celebrities and models, then it will be more difficult to feel good about your own body," says Vogel. "Feed yourself an appreciation of the bodies, minds and charms of real women who are out there in the world."

No. 7: Light some candles
Candlelight is flattering and seductive, so keep some handy or have dimmer switches installed. "I have a dimmer light in my bedroom so I look browner when I'm trying on clothes," admits Jessica, 23.

No. 8: Distract yourself
Have catch-ups with friends that don't always involve food or getting dressed up. If you always meet in nightclubs and get anxious about what to wear or in restaurants where you worry about how much you'll eat, go for walks, have coffee or do a course together instead.

No. 9: Get into art
Feel like you'll never live up to society's idea of perfection? Try a life-drawing class to help you appreciate the female form or visit a museum to check out paintings of nude women from the Renaissance period. You'll soon see that what constitutes beauty is determined by time and culture.

No. 10: Think positive thoughts
"If you catch yourself thinking negatively about your body, recognise the thoughts as irrational and distorted," Vogel advises. "It might help to write the thoughts down, then write rational alternatives next to them. Pin up your list of rational, positive affirmations where you can see it and read it aloud every day."