The Natalie Trusdale Blog: self-esteem building articles for your growth

If you’re struggling with your body image, Valentine’s Day doesn’t always land like a celebration. Instead of feeling romantic and sweet, for a lot of women, Valentine’s can make body image struggles feel louder, because it brings questions about love, worth, and feeling chosen to the surface. Valentine’s, if we are honest, doesn’t feel like […]

If you’ve ever tried to use a self-love quote and found yourself thinking, “That doesn’t feel true for me,” you’re not alone. Reading “You are enough” when you feel anything but enough can feel like trying to plaster something pretty over something painful. So instead of offering phrases that just sound nice, I want to […]

“Love yourself” is one of the most common pieces of advice we hear. And one of the least helpful. Because when you already feel not good enough, self-critical, or unsure of your worth, being told to “just love yourself” can feel vague at best and shaming at worst, as if there’s yet another thing you’re […]

January has a way of sneaking up on you. One minute you’re finishing leftovers and trying to remember what day it is, and the next your feed is full of “new year, new me.” Detox language dressed up as “wellness.” Quiet little messages that sound motivating on the surface but hit your nervous system like […]

You open your camera roll to delete a few photos, and freeze. There it is: a picture that makes your stomach drop. Your smile looks off. The angle’s unflattering. A familiar thought slides in before you can stop it: I look awful. Suddenly, you’re in a spiral. You check mirrors, change outfits, promise to ‘get […]

Let’s talk about confidence for a minute! In the group chat, you’re the first to cheer. You notice the details other people miss, you write the perfect hype paragraph, you drop the confetti emoji. Then someone praises you and your brain stalls. You minimise, redirect and suddenly feel exposed.  That whiplash has a name: the […]

If you struggle with body confidence or carry even a trace of body shame, accepting compliments can feel more like a trap than a gift. Maybe you’ve noticed it: you receive a kind word about how you look, or how you showed up, and your first instinct is to deflect. You might laugh, but your […]

If body shame could be cured by thinking positive thoughts, most of us would be healed by now. We’ve heard it all:‘Just love yourself.’‘Be grateful.’‘You’re beautiful just the way you are!’ And while those messages are well-meaning, they can also feel… frustrating.Because if you’ve ever stood in front of a mirror, tried repeating affirmations, or […]

You’re getting ready for the day. Maybe it’s a work meeting, a dinner with loved ones, or just a quick trip to the store. You glance in the mirror to check your hair, and suddenly, the spiral starts. Ugh. My stomach looks huge.Why do I look so tired?I should’ve stuck to that workout plan. You […]

You finally sit down.Hot tea in hand, your favorite blanket pulled over your lap, a new book read and waiting, and then it hits. The self-care guilt. That voice. Shouldn’t I be doing something right now?Is this lazy? Am I just being selfish? Sound familiar? If you’re feeling guilty for taking time for yourself, you’re […]