Have you found yourself lost and unable to express yourself after the pandemic? Have you lost your sense of confidence and want to get it back? The pandemic has had many negative effects on adults and teenagers alike, but a few emotional unmet needs, such as a lack of self-expression and confidence can seriously affect your mental health and self-perception. Here are a few tips on how to express yourself and re-gain your confidence in order to become happier.

#1 - Wear items that you like and think express your personality.

Some ways to express your personality include wearing customized masks, makeup, clothing, or even accessories that you think express who you are. Dress up every once in a while and use this as a method to internally validate who you are and what you like.

#2 - Don’t be afraid to talk to new people or make new friends.

The first step to gaining confidence is the ability to communicate with others and make new friends. Everyone has become less social due to the isolation in the pandemic, so everyone is a little awkward. Step out of your comfort zone at work or school every now and then and you might see a change in your confidence.

#3 - Practice positive affirmations every morning. 

The most important aspect of self-expression and self-confidence is loving yourself, even if you don’t like everything. Every morning, try to tell yourself one positive thing about yourself or your environment and you will see a shift in your mindset. Some examples include “I am good enough for myself” or “I will make today a good day.”

#4 - Set one short-term and one long-term goal that you think would help improve your mental health or well-being. 

In order to maintain a routine and healthy mindset, set two goals that cause you to look forward to something. These goals can be to improve something about yourself or simply things you wish to achieve, like learning a new language or cooking a new recipe. Creating one short-term goal and one long-term goal will give you some sort of direction for the future.

#5 - Don’t worry about what others think just focus on yourself.

The most important thing to remember when you are trying to be the best version of yourself is that the only opinion that should matter to you is yours (in most cases). In reality, nobody really cares what you wear or what your hobbies are, as long as they are things that make you happy you should continue. To develop a strong mindset think about things that will make you a better or happier person. In the end, we’re all surviving this pandemic together.

Making sure you take care of yourself and find ways to express yourself is super important right now. Self-expression and confidence can have a huge impact on your mental health, so make sure you do things that will make you happier.