Women have been sexually harassed, publicly shamed, and forbidden to speak their minds throughout history, and unfortunately, this is still an issue in the modern age. But in recent years, there have been a lot of calls for women’s empowerment, highlighting the importance of female presence in society, politics, and other predominantly male domains.
Since women have been silenced for so long, they are still learning how to find their rightful and equal place in the world. The first step is to build empowerment within themselves, and here are ways to do it.
- Find your voice
Standing up for yourself doesn’t come naturally to many women because the centuries of gender indoctrination has thought you to keep your opinion to yourself. Finally, the time has come when society values and wants to hear women’s voices on every matter, even those once considered as only male topics. It may seem weird and uncomfortable to stand up for your beliefs in the beginning, but then you will learn to accept this newfound freedom.
- Be a warrior
Taking control of your life is one of the most empowering things you can do for yourself. There are moments when you will be victimized by someone, but don’t let that define you. Instead, become a warrior and turn it into something constructive. You always have a choice to change the unfavorable situation and the way you respond to the pressure of it all. Empowerment is about learning from your bad experiences and not allowing yourself to be helpless.
- Have time for self-care
Choose to be good to yourself and practice self-care whenever you can or even should. Go to a spa, have a massage, join a meditation group, or just go on a wellness retreat to recharge your batteries and be pampered. Quit bad habits and start living a healthier and more fulfilling life through positive social interactions, improving your diet, and getting enough sleep. Once you experience the blessings of self-care, you will find the physical and mental strength to face any challenge you encounter.
- Surround yourself with people who respect you
You have put up with people who don’t respect you or look down on more than on one occasion in your life, but now it’s time to end it. If you can, stop seeing and spending time with this type of people, and if you can’t — demand they treat you equally. Positive people will always be there for you and help you overcome any obstacles, while negative ones will drain your energy. So don’t waste your time on people who don’t deserve you and surround yourself with individuals who are supportive and fill you up with positive energy.
- Allow yourself to grow professionally
Whether it’s a beauty college in Sydney or an internship at a fashion studio in New York, women all over the world are recognizing the value of investing in their skills and interests. Long gone are stereotypes that women once married have to completely dedicate themselves to their family life and forget their career. Many women are stepping out of conventional expectations and investing in their professional growth. This not only provides them with a new skill set and potentially increased income, but also with confidence and self-awareness.
- Say ‘no’ if you feel like it
Saying ‘no’ can come unnaturally to you, but it’s an important step in standing up for yourself. One of the first things a woman is thought is that the opinions of others about their politeness are the measurement of their worth. In particular, if there is something you don’t want to commit to, just say ‘no’ and prioritize yourself. This doesn’t mean you need to be a self-centered person who only takes care of themselves. If helping others doesn’t feel good, but stressful then you are hurting yourself and your wellbeing.
- Don’t put yourself down
To become empowered, you need to tackle the negative thoughts and replace them with positivity. This is not an easy task since the mind is a powerful thing, but use that fact to your advantage. If your mind can make yourself believe in the bad, then you can also find faith in the good. The moment the negative thought surfaces — stop it and switch to an optimistic one. With patience and effort, this will become second nature to you and allow your positive attitude to empower every aspect of your being.
The bottom line
Learning to love yourself and feel comfortable with it is not something that comes naturally to women. Once upon a time, they were expected to be what society told them to, which mostly meant quiet and complacent. Today, this is changing and women are embracing this long-deserved role by learning how to be empowered. Hopefully, this will not be needed in the future since the whole new generation of women will enjoy empowerment right from birth.