Alicia Mccarvell shares how she went from 'hiding' in 'baggy clothes' to feeling confident

Alicia Mccarvell is sharing her advice for self-confidence.

On Saturday, the Canadian self-love advocate and influencer shared an Instagram reel reenacting a conversation in which she was questioned for being confident in her size. Alongside the clip, she shared a message revealing the steps she took to become confident in herself.

"For the longest time, I struggled to find my confidence because I felt like confidence was solely linked to how close my body was to fitting into the world's beauty standards," she penned in the caption. "For me confidence comes from a few different places."

Mccarvell said she was able to begin building her confidence by first separating personal identity from physical appearance. "I found confidence in knowing what I add to this world and to my relationships," she added.

The Halifax-based influencer also began following content creators with a body type similar to hers.

"The lens in which we see others, are not the same as the lens we see ourselves. You need to give it time," Mccarvell stated. "Continuing to follow people who look like you, and whose bodies you resonate with will allow those lenses to overlap eventually."

Mccarvell said she used to hide her body in "baggy clothes" and "layers of makeup" as a "way of hiding." Wearing clothes that make her feel good has been a key element in building her confidence.

Finally, Mccarvell added exercising helped her feel good about her body. "Learning how to lift heavy things and find joy in movement has given me so much confidence. When you learn what your body is capable of, it's hard to not to be confident in it," she shared.

Fans met Mccarvell’s message with praise and thanked her for sharing the important reminder.

"What a boring world this would be if all the flowers were the same shape, colour and size," someone said.

“I needed this inspiration,” a fan wrote.

“Thank you for continuing to show us how to accept that we are beautiful how we are,” someone chimed in.

“Love your content and the way you make everyone feel valued! It has certainly made me look at myself differently,” penned another.

In April, Mccarvell shared a video mulling over outfit choices, paired with a note about dressing how she wants, not in what's "flattering" for her body type by societal beauty standards.

"I am trying really hard to move away from making decisions for my clothing based on how flat my stomach looks, or how outlined my belly is or if you can see my belly button," she wrote. "I'm now trying to choose the things that make me feel confident, sexy and happy."

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