Helping Yourself Feel Good Naked
Get naked. That means take off everything. The only way you are going to be truly comfortable facing down your doubts and concerns about being naked is to face them head-on. It shouldn't be with other people, as the first step is making sure that you are comfortable being naked. Make sure you are somewhere with a mirror that will let you examine your whole body, especially those parts you can't see directly. Gradually increase the amount of time you spend naked as well. You don't need to turn into a nudist right away, just slowly spend more time without your clothes on. You'll probably find that you get more comfortable.
Focus on your positive attributes. To feel good naked, you need to highlight the areas you feel good about. Focusing on the areas you like can help you build self-confidence, and give you the motivation to improve the rest. There are a lot of parts to your body, which means plenty of options to find something positive. Maybe you have nice strong legs, a chiseled back, or you're particularly proud of your “package.” Whatever you decide on, that's a great start to remembering that there are parts of you worth loving. If you are having trouble, don't think about a list of items. Start with one part of you that you think looks good, even if you can see it when you aren't naked. Maybe you have a good smile or strong hands.
Challenge negative thoughts about your body. Certain forms of negative thinking can damage your self-esteem. This will prevent you from accepting your body the way it is, and can even prevent you from doing things to improve it. Recognize if you are thinking this way, and challenge yourself to think differently. There are several common types of negative thinking that can affect the way you look at yourself. All-or-nothing. You probably don't see chiseled abs and perfectly toned muscles when naked. These are all things you can change and improve. Not having them doesn't mean you can't get them. Filtering. Dwelling on negative parts of your body while ignoring those parts you like can make you more insecure about having your clothes off. This is why it is important to find something you like about your body. And there is always something to praise. Negative self-talk. Don't turn your criticism of your negative aspects into a reflection of your self-worth. There is a substantive difference between telling yourself “My gut is too big, I should try to lose some weight,” and “I'm fat because I can't make myself exercise enough.” When you criticize yourself, look for things you can do to improve them as well.
Identify things to improve. It's important to feel confident in your own skin (and nothing but your skin), but that doesn't mean things are perfect. Give yourself some goals to work on, to help keep you focused not just on looking and feeling good, but making sure you stay that way. Set small, simple goals that you can easily track, which will let you clearly see your progress and success. This is especially important for physical goals, like improving your physique or changing the style of your hair, as these are easy to track visually. You should also consider mental goals, like resolving to focus more on the positive aspects of your body. Something simple like giving one positive comment about your body every morning can improve your mood and confidence while naked.
Making Yourself Look Good Naked
Practice good hygiene. Regular maintenance is one of the easiest ways to improve your overall appearance. It may take some effort to get into a regular schedule of good habits, but it will pay off big overall. Bathe regularly. Take a bath or shower regularly to make sure you are getting your hair and body free of dirt, oil, and perspiration. Use soap and warm water, rinse all the lather off before finishing, then pat yourself dry for a clean finish. Get rid of body odor. In addition to keeping clean, especially those areas that get sweaty and dirty like armpits, use deodorant or cologne. Subtle, mild, or no-fragrance deodorants are good for masking your body's less flattering odors. Complement this by using a cologne that subtly enhances your natural scents. You'll only need to dab on small amounts, so no need for sprays that coat you in a cloud of scent.
Take care of other parts of your body. Some parts of you will need more specific care. Your nails and teeth require a little extra work, but can give you a nice boost to looking and feeling good. Trim fingernails and toenails regularly. Trimming them once every week or so should be enough to keep them from getting too long. File after cutting for a smoother finish that looks nicer, and avoids sharp edges that can catch on clothing, or other people. Practice good oral hygiene. Brush teeth twice daily and floss once a day. Consider rinsing with mouthwash as well to improve your breath. If you want further improvements to the appearance of your teeth, discuss whitening or straightening with a dentist.
Take good care of your skin. Clear, healthy looking skin is a very attractive quality. Make sure you know what kind of skin you have to find the best products to take care of any issues that arise. Regular bathing will help remove the dirt and grease that cause blemishes and other imperfections on your skin. Make sure you get into those sweaty areas too. Protect yourself from the sun. The sun can easily damage your skin if you aren't careful, and even if you don't get skin cancer, sunburn is painful and embarrassing to see. Avoid being outside during peak hours (10 am to 2 pm), wear clothing that covers your body, and lather up with sunscreen. For clearer skin, look for a variety of colors in fruits and vegetables. This includes carrots, apricots, spinach, tomatoes, and blueberries. Fatty fish like salmon and mackerel are good, and you can't go wrong adding nuts and seeds to your diet.
Attack body acne. Fight the presence of dirt and pimples across your body, not just your face. Regular bathing to clean your body off is good prevention, as is making sure you do so after working out to clean the sweat off your body. If you already have body acne, use gentle cleansers rather than the tougher astringents used on your face. Change and clean your bed sheets regularly. When you roll around in the sheets, you wind up leaving your own dirt and dead skin. Regular cleaning of your sheets will help prevent you from sleeping in your own filth, which keeps it off of your skin.
Maintain a healthy weight. Every person's body is a little different, and your ideal weight will be in a range determined by your height, health, and activity level. Talk to your doctor about an appropriate weight for your circumstances. Related to your weight is the presence of fat or flab in certain parts of your body. Pinpoint those specific areas that make you uncomfortable. Create a fitness plan that will target those areas. To help control your weight, you will need to keep an eye on your calorie intake. If you are trying to lose weight, don't reduce calories too much. You do need energy to exercise and keep up with your life. If you are trying to lose weight, look for plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. These options will help provide fewer calories, and are healthier options that will give you the energy to stay active.
Build muscle. Having muscle tone and definition aren't the only ways to look good, but they certainly can improve the look of your body. If you want to build muscle, exercise and diet will get you there. Choose the areas you want to improve. Specific exercises can be done to tone any part of the body. For abs, try crunches or other core-intensive workouts. To tone arms, try push-ups, pull-ups and weightlifting. Just like a weight-loss plan, you'll want to choose a workout routine that meets your goals. Just remember to stretch before any exercise. You'll want your diet to include proteins, which help build muscle. Meats like ground beef, chicken, and eggs all pack a good protein punch. If you aren't a big meat-eater, other foods like almonds and cottage cheese are also high in proteins.
Drink plenty of water. You'll want about 13 cups worth every day. Water helps keep your skin clear, will keep you from eating heavily at meals, and keep you hydrated for workouts.
Feeling Good With a Partner
Use confident body language. Without clothes to distract, or send a particular message, the way you carry yourself is vitally important to being comfortable and confident in your own skin. Even if you aren't feeling confident, faking it can help trick yourself into feeling more confident. Have good posture. Stand or sit up straight to make yourself appear taller. Keep your chin up and shoulders relaxed for a confident pose. These are good tips when dressed, too, but even more important when it is harder to hide yourself with clothing. Smile. A friendly face can project confidence in yourself, which is always more attractive to the other person. Look forward and maintain eye contact. This can create a strong connection with your partner. Additionally, it will subconsciously force them to look at your eyes rather than other parts of your body. If you're still a bit nervous about being naked around another person, this can help keep their eyes from wandering too much.
Keep your body hair trim. You may be comfortable letting your body hair grow wild, but your partner may disagree. Long, unkempt body hair can be unpleasant to look at, and another person will probably like touching it even less. Besides, if you want your partner to touch you, it should be skin, not hair, that gets grabbed. Armpit hair. This is a common part of your body for sweat, and trimming it can reduce sweating. It's better not to shave it all off, but keep it trim and don't allow it to grow too wild. Chest hair. If you are an athlete, this can be a reasonable part of your body to keep clean of hair. Shave slowly, and use an electric razor to get rid of any remaining stubble. You may also consider waxing. Otherwise, an electric trimmer can help you maintain a masculine look (if that's what you are going for). Back hair is generally considered less attractive. If you don't like having it, this is a good part of your body to have waxed, as it can hurt less. Plus, it's hard to shave a part of your body you can't easily see. Genital hair. Like your chest and armpits, it is unusual for a man to be perfectly clean down there, unless you are an athlete looking for an aerodynamic edge. Use an electric razor to keep your hair trim and tame. This will cut down on sweat and odors, and can make you look bigger.
Make the room more comfortable. Your comfort isn't just about confidence. A little effort on the environment will make both of you more comfortable without clothes, and can really help to set the mood. Get the room temperature right. There are a number of factors that go into determining the most comfortable temperature, which is usually matter of personal preference. If you are naked, though, you may want the room temperature to be slightly higher than usual, since you won't be wearing any clothing. Colder temperatures reduce blood flow, causing parts to retract into your body for warmth, which makes them smaller. Keep the lights dim. If you and your partner still aren't completely comfortable naked with one another, low lighting can help hide a few things. Plus, it can create a more romantic atmosphere, if that's what you are going for. If you are really daring, and not worried about setting off the fire alarm, consider candles instead of your lamps. Deodorize your room. You've focused on your body odor, but you don't want your room to smell too. Keeping the room clean and avoiding clutter is always a good way to reduce odors. A quick spray with some basic fragrance should be enough to cover any unusual smells, especially on short notice.
Laugh. There will always be some insecurity when you have your clothes off, which is probably also true for anyone with you. Lighten the mood with a joke, or try to find something humorous in your situation. Laughing will make you both feel more comfortable, and laughing together helps create a greater connection between the two of you.
Let your partner touch you. This doesn't need to be while you are naked. Feeling someone else's hands touching you can remind you that you aren't just the image you see in the mirror. Someone else touching you helps you feel attractive, like someone worth touching. If you are in a relationship, let your significant other touch you. It doesn't need to be erotic. A nice shoulder rub or a hug will let you know your partner finds you attractive. If you are single, or don't have anyone that you would let touch you, getting a massage is a great way to find an outside pair of hands. Plus, you'll probably feel more relaxed afterwards.
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