How often do you drop the towel after a shower and actually take a moment to admire your own body?

If you’re like most people, probably not often, maybe never. And why is that? Because many of us have been conditioned to believe that self-admiration is vain, even arrogant. But here’s the truth: there is nothing self-indulgent about pausing to appreciate the body that carries you through life, day in and day out. That’s not vanity, it’s reverence. And you deserve to feel proud of the skin you’re in.

Feeling confident naked doesn’t always come naturally; that’s a given with the way we have been made to feel about our bodies. In a world that constantly tells us to cover up, slim down, and smooth out, standing fully exposed, physically and emotionally, can feel terrifying.

But here’s the truth. Your naked body is not a problem to be fixed; it’s something to be proud of. I often think about lying on my deathbed (morbid, I know, but trust me for a moment), thinking if I’m going to regret the hours I spent thinking about hating my body rather than enjoying it. Don’t let that be your regret, cause I know it’s not going to be a part of my story.

Whether you’re undressing for yourself or someone else, confidence isn’t about having a ‘perfect’ body; it’s about reclaiming your relationship with it. So if you’re ready to turn the lights on, shed the self-doubt, and strut into your sensual power, here are five ways to feel more confident in your birthday suit:

1. Get Naked for You

Before stripping down for anyone else, get used to being naked with yourself. Try lounging nude in bed with a cup of tea, dancing around after a shower, or doing your skincare routine in the mirror without clothing. The more often you see your body as it is, not just in passing or with judgment, the more normal, neutral, and even loving it becomes.

Try this: Spend 5 minutes each day just being in your body without clothes. Breathe, stretch, move. Let yourself exist without needing to look a certain way.

2. Speak Kindly to Your Body

The inner critic is loud when we’re naked, and trust me when I say it’s human nature to jump to negative thoughts before positive ones; we’re wired for survival, not self-love. But don’t worry, the brain is adaptable thanks to neuroplasticity. You DO have the ability to retrain your inner voice to be softer, kinder, and more supportive. Here is how…

• Instead of tearing yourself down, practise speaking to your body like you would a friend.
• Thank it for carrying you. Praise it for its strength, softness, resilience, and pleasure.
• When negative thoughts come in, say “My thoughts are not my reality, I am safe, I am beautiful.”

3. Curate Your Feed, Not Your Body

You can’t feel good about your body if your social media is full of impossible ideals and bodies that don’t represent you and your shape. Ditch the comparison trap by filling your feed with bodies of all sizes, colours, abilities, and genders. Seeing real, unfiltered, diverse bodies can help normalise your own. Remember “you become what you consume,” so consume content that inspires you rather than tries to change you.

Try this: Follow a few body-positive creators and spend some time celebrating all the beauty that doesn’t fit the mainstream mould.

4. Dress It Up (Even When You’re Undressed)

Sometimes, confidence needs a little help, which can be in the form of silky robes, gorgeous lingerie, body oil, perfume, or music that your body can’t resist moving to. These small rituals can help turn “ugh, I have to be naked” into “I get to be naked.” Whatever your thing is, embrace it, use it, this is YOUR moment to shine!

Try this: When you find that one thing that brings you comfort in being powerful in your birthday suit, remember it the next time you feel down about yourself. Continue to return to it if it brings you safety and joy in the small moments of need.

5. Reconnect with Sensation, Not Just Aesthetics

Confidence grows when we stop focusing on our bodies as something that should be flawless and start embracing them for what they are. Instead of obsessing over how you look, focus on how you feel. When did you last take a moment to breathe, caress, or hold yourself with compassion and love? Let’s move from avoidance to feeling, starting with something simple, like acknowledging the soft sheets beneath your skin and the sensation of your own fingertips on your thighs. Sensation brings you back to the present and reconnects you with your power.

Try this: Use a body brush, give yourself a slow oil massage, or explore solo touch as a way to reconnect with sensation, not performance.

Go Be Free!

Being confident in your birthday suit isn’t about being fearless; it’s about being free. Free from shame, free from unrealistic expectations, and free to enjoy the body you’re in.

Whether you’re basking in the sun naked, exploring pleasure, or simply learning to accept your reflection, remember: you were never meant to shrink to fit someone else’s standard of sexy. You are sexy just as you are!

So go on. Strip off the doubt, and strip down you sexy beast.

April Maria

Author

April Maria is a qualified sex educator, sex and relationships coach and training psychosexual and relationships therapist. For the last four years, April has been working in the field of sex education, sex tech and pleasure, endometriosis awareness and helping others when it comes to sexual wellness, intimacy, dating and relationships.