Kate Winslet was extremely worried about her weight but learned to accept it and turn it in her favour.

Peter Dinklage from the ‘Game of Thrones’ series had to overcome deep-rooted self-doubt about his height to reach the level of fame he has achieved today.

Madonna was teased by boys in her school for her hair, but she embraced it, and it became her signature feature.

Orlando Bloom, known for his memorable roles in ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’, had to learn to work through his dyslexia, which was partly what led him to acting in the first place.

What is it that all these famous people have in common? They all had insecurities. And they all overcame them.

There isn’t a single person alive who doesn’t have some insecurity- it’s just that some are more adept at dealing with them. Or they may just be hiding them.

The fact of the matter is that humans were never meant for perfection, but the human mind, for some reason, expects this of itself. And when we fail to reach this self-imposed lofty bar, which we inevitably do, we begin to worry and feel insecure. We agonize over what people think about us. We worry about looking good enough, seeming funny enough, and being smart enough. Many of us have let our insecurities rule our lives in ways we might not even be conscious of.

Unfortunately, this is exaggerated by the double-edged sword that is social media. Social media platforms have created the addictive need for approval from society by helping people show off their apparently ‘perfect’ bodies, travels, houses, and lives. Funnily enough, it is these powerful platforms that help spread self- love and motivational messages.

Many imperfect humans are happy despite their shortcomings. Surely this means that there is a way to be unaffected by these shortcomings. How have these famous people, and others, overcome their insecurities and learned to be content with who they are?

Overcoming mental insecurities

Self-doubt and a lack of confidence in one or several traits lead to uncertainty and feelings of inadequacy. These often stem from events in the past that have traumatized you, whether it was an overly-critical relative, a disgruntled or abusive partner or even a mean boss.

Negative beliefs about yourself, feelings of low self-worth and depression arise from such emotionally damaging experiences.

Insecurities can cause one to react in one of three ways:

•    Completely avoiding the activity or thing that they are insecure about or withdraw from society and isolate themselves to protect themselves from feeling inadequate. Defensiveness, jealousy and passive aggression are commonplace when interactions occur.

•    Overcompensating for the lack of confidence by being cocky and arrogant. This attitude is also commonly associated with being overly critical and demeaning. This veil of arrogance is used to cover up flaws and insecurities, to prevent the world from realizing how small and insignificant they feel on the inside.

•    Methodically analyzing and examining where the insecurities stem from, approaching them with a positive mindset and mindfully working to overcome them.

Unfortunately, the first two are the more common reactions, while the last and most uncommon reaction is the key to succeeding in life and turning a seemingly discouraging situation into one that makes you a better person. It’s no surprise that using this third approach is the reason many famous people are who they are today.

If your insecurities are overwhelming you, try the following:

•    Work on self-praise and acknowledge your real strengths.

•    Accept yourself: your personality traits, your mind, and your body.

•    Don’t let your inner critic strangle your confidence.

•    Be mindful of your thoughts and put conscious effort into keeping them positive.

•    Remember that it is okay and completely natural to be imperfect and forgive yourself for past mistakes.

Appreciating and accepting yourself, your strengths and flaws included, is a massive step in the right direction when it comes to the mental battle against self-doubt.

Overcoming physical insecurities

Once one has figured out the triggers for their lack of confidence and worked around the mental blockades that come with being insecure, one should focus on any internal self-derogatory monologues; they harbour about their physical attributes.

Overcoming even these begins in mind first. This involves developing deep and unshakable self-love and teaching yourself to be unaffected by what others say or think. Stop comparing yourself to others and realize that it is unrealistic to expect yourself to be perfect.

Next, you can start to employ steps that will make you feel better on the outside, increase confidence in yourself, and take you closer to meeting realistic physical goals.

•    If you feel like you don’t look as good as you would like, take a few makeup classes, get a haircut and pamper yourself with a self- grooming session. And remind yourself that you are beautiful.

•    If you struggle with your weight, sign up for a fitness class and support group. These can help you stay on the wagon, and might even teach you to love the process of getting into shape.

•    If you are over-weight, instead of giving up on yourself, seek weight loss treatments suited to you.  Click pharmacy has a team of medical experts available around the clock for a consultation and offers weight loss pills as well.

•    If you want to gain some weight or become shapelier, decide to take on weight training and hire a coach instead of hating on your body shape.

•    Change the way you dress to flatter your skin tone and body structure for an instant makeover and boost in your mood.

By making conscious decisions to be more loving and accepting towards yourself, and following up those decisions with appropriate action that helps you work through your insecurities, you are not only building a better relationship with yourself, but you are showing everyone around you that you treasure yourself.

The more you respect yourself, the more respect you will inspire from others. And here’s the kicker. When you are more secure in yourself, you won’t even notice what others have to say.

So be a champion and learn to be your own biggest fan. Because if you won’t, then who will?