No Shirt, No Problem: Men’s Confidence at the Pool

Men’s confidence isn’t holding up to big advertising any more than women’s. The world can be a hard place for those of us who haven’t been blessed with amazing abs. That said, we still want to hit the pool, have a good time, and enjoy the same comforts as the supernaturally beautiful. Don’t hide under a t-shirt while enjoying the last weeks of summer. Tackle actual ways to boost men’s confidence, and you’ll be surprised at the results

Looking away is free

The first thing to remember about hitting the pool is that no one is making you look at anyone. We all have judgmental thoughts rattling around in our heads. They don’t make us a bad person (we’re a product of our environments and not perfect, surprise!) but they don’t help you feel confident and free. If you see something or someone that you’d rather not, don’t let your own instinctive negative thoughts trigger your paranoia about what someone else is saying about you. Just turn your eyes and your thoughts away. Isn’t it a great day?

Wear something you like

People are going to look at you. People are going to remember you. Unfortunately, one of the biggest things that people remember is men’s confidence. If you’re feeling out of your element, people will pick up on it even though they didn’t set out to judge you. So get ahead of the game by giving them something else to remember. Show off your bartending skills, tell some great jokes, or really through yourself into water polo. They’ll remember what you did, not what you looked like doing it.

Confidence is a certain amount of “fake it ‘til you make it” no matter what the subject. The look can make the man because it raises your opinion of yourself. So wear something that you like! Pick swim trunks in your favorite color. If you don’t love trunks, rock a speedo. Do whatever makes you feel like the best version of yourself. Your confidence will shine through and win the day.

Give compliments

Give attention to get attention. The best way to keep the atmosphere around you positive is to be a positive force yourself. Get the ball rolling with a sincere compliment. It can be a little awkward until you’ve nailed it. A pro-tip: don’t go straight for how a guy looks. Whether you like what you see or not, that can set an odd tone and also focuses on what you don’t necessarily want to focus on: looks. Instead, tell him that joke was funny or the belly-flop he did from the high dive took some real courage.

Men’s confidence isn’t made of steel. In a world where everything is, increasingly, all about looks, be the change you want to see. Compliment that guys rocking their personalities at the pool. Wear something that you like, and let your confidence be what people remember about you. Most of all, don’t dwell on your negative thoughts about others. Everyone has them in passing, but thinking too much about them can make you hyper aware of what everyone else may be thinking.