125 | Stressed About Summer Clothes? Here’s How to Reclaim Your Confidence Today

This episode is part of the Summer Confidence Mini Series, created especially for Christian moms who want to let go of insecurity and step into bold, God-centered confidence this season. Whether you’re just starting or catching up, you’re in the right place for practical mindset shifts, biblical encouragement, and heartfelt hope.

Hey Mama!

Staring at your closet wondering why nothing feels quite right this summer? You’re not alone! In this powerful kick-off to the Summer Confidence Mini Series, we’re tackling body image, confidence, and the internal dialogue that shows up when you’re just trying to get dressed for the day.

If you’ve ever said “I have nothing to wear” while picking apart your reflection in the mirror, this episode will help you stop the spiral and start dressing with intention. We're talking about more than just clothes—this is about identity, presence, and honoring your body as a gift from God.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to shift from hiding in your clothes to dressing with confidence and purpose
• Why your inner dialogue about your body matters—and how to replace lies with truth
• A fun and practical challenge to help you feel put-together without waiting for a “special occasion”

Let’s reclaim joy and confidence this summer—not by chasing a perfect body, but by showing up rooted in God’s truth. 

✨ Take the summer confidence challenge and share your outfit inside the free online community—linked in the show notes! ✨

Explore more from the Summer Confidence Mini Series:

• 124 | Feeling A Little Off This Summer? How To Beat Mom Guilt

More FREE Resources:

FREE Community: https://bit.ly/buildingconfidenceforchristianmoms

Become a Restored Mind Insider: https://restoredmindllc.myflodesk.com/insider

Email: Hello@restoredmindllc.com

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Leave A Review On Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-restored-mind-faith-building-self-doubt/id1654768629


I'm excited to connect with you! Remember, you can do hard things!
"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me"- Philippians 4:13

Transcript

0:00

It is summer and you're hot. You're standing in front of the mirror trying to decide between shorts or a dress, but the shorts from last season don't fit quite right and the straps on your dress, well, they make your arms look quote unquote weird, at least by what you're seeing in the mirror. So you let out a sigh, and before you know it, the thought creeps in. I have nothing to wear, which is something we've all said in the past. If you feel like I just described your summer morning, mama, you are not alone. Welcome to the summer confidence miniseries where we're talking honestly about body image identity, and how to show up this season without wishing for fall to. Hurry up and save us. Let's dive in..Hey mama. Are you tired of the constant mom guilt and wondering if you're really enough? You know God has called you for more, but peace feels like it's just out of reach. I'm Caroline Thao, host of the Restore Mind, and I'm so glad you're here. This is your safe space to trade, overwhelmed for confidence, guilt for grace, and step into the freedom God has for you. Ready? Let's do this. I got a question you've been dying to ask or just want to say how much you love the show? Well, now you can because now you can text me directly, which is incredibly awesome and is super easy. There are no forms, no accounts. Absolutely no fuss. Just click the link in the show notes and send me a quick note like you're texting a friend. The truth is, I love hearing from you and your messages help shape future episodes. So whether you have a question, Or just a little encouragement that you wanna leave with me, I want to hear it. And each week I'll pick one text to read on air. So yours just might show up in a future episode and a disclaimer that I really feel like I need to share with you, so there are no confusion. When you send me a text message, I will not be able to reply to you directly. So if you are sending a message that needs a response or you would like a response, please send that over to hello@restoredmindllc.com. That's HELLO at restored mind. llc.com and don't worry if you missed it. I'm also going to link the email in the show notes as well. I'll be honest with you, sometimes I don't always like my body. I know it's kind of interesting, right? Because I don't really talk about physical appearance on this podcast. As a matter of fact, I focus a lot on faith, on mindset, and even on. Growing internally so that you can be the best mom that you've always imagined yourself to be. So it might come off a little bit new that I am talking about physical bodies today, but I thought it was the perfect way to start off this summer confidence miniseries because we do see ourselves every day in the mirror and we get dressed every day so, I thought why not talk about it? It is part of our life. And while I love a good comfy lounge wear set, or even a cute workout outfit, and if you know me in real life, you know that I am almost always in workout clothes, which there's nothing wrong with that, but lately I've been wanting to dress up a little bit more so what I did was pull out some shorts And what do you know? They did not fit me the same for many reasons, Because over the past year or two, my body has changed, and even though I work out pretty consistently still, my body has changed. There's been some muscle growth. Some weight gain and overall my measurements are not the same. And to be honest with you, I didn't love that my measurements were getting bigger. I started spiraling out of control with my own thoughts, asking about all the things I should have done. And wondering why I didn't do those things, and that didn't help because as I was staring at myself in the mirror and just picking myself apart, I started also blaming myself for all the things that happened that I couldn't change. And, you know, life happens. So along with not wanting to show up some days and making decisions that probably didn't align best with my goals on top of life happening itself, it's a lot, but these are just real raw moments in the life that we live. And so one moment I wanted to get dressed up and feel a little bit more pulled together. And the next, I was back in gym shorts, which there's nothing wrong with that, but I coupled it with I have nothing to wear, and that made me stop and ask myself a hard question, what are my clothes saying about how I feel about myself right now? Maybe you've had a moment like that too, where you just feel stuck when you're trying to get dressed and feel put together for the day, because the truth is sometimes we get dressed based on fear, judgment, or frustration, not from confidence, and we throw something on just to quote unquote get by or to hide instead of choosing what helps us feel present and comfortable in our own skin. So let's start there, because even getting dressed can be an act of showing up with intention. I've been guilty of this, but since we're talking honestly about confidence, I have to admit that there have been times where I pick outfits, not because I loved it, but because I'm trying to hide a part of my body that I don't particularly like in that moment or the season. And yes, it does make sense that if I am wearing a pair of shorts or a dress that's a little bit tighter on me and not my correct size for the season my body is in, it'll further highlight the bits that I'm not particularly fond of, and it doesn't always make me feel great, but I'll tell myself that it's passable. So when I get a compliment from my husband, it's not met with gratitude, my body language, my tone of voice, they all suggest that I halfway believe him and that I'm being dismissive to a compliment that he's giving me, which might make him think that what he's saying doesn't matter. And the truth is that's not what I want to portray because I do appreciate the compliment. I am just struggling to receive it when I'm not feeling great in my own skin, which is a true testament to how you feel internally actually bleeds into how you act outwardly and how you are speaking to yourself as well. So when you are close that don't necessarily feel like you, you can actually shrink back emotionally instead of being present and feeling like you're put together, you become distracted, maybe even uncomfortable, and. Overly critical of yourself, and this actually makes it harder for you to enjoy the moments with your family and can even lead to you secretly comparing yourself to other mamas. When I put on those pair of shorts that I knew didn't fit right, but I was just trying to get by, I could not wait to get back home so that I could change into something more comfortable and less restrictive. And. It took away some of the most awesome moments that I could have had with my kids. It was such a horrible decision that I made. So here's a couple of reminders that I wanna share with you, and that is for you to root your confidence in God, which is far greater than you rooting your confidence in your physical appearance Now. Let me pause here because when you root your confidence in God, it doesn't mean that you won't ever feel insecure. There's gonna be days where like me, you just simply do not like what you see in the mirror. But when you take a moment to remember God and remind yourself that you are wonderfully made, it's going to. First help you pause, and then it's going to rewire your mindset in that moment. Change the dialogue of what you're saying to yourself so that you can honor your body in the best way. That is also going to honor God. It's showing respect for your body and your creator. Because if you are constantly bashing on yourself, don't you think that would break God's heart that you are not seeing the true beauty that is within you? And the second reminder I want to leave you with might catch you off guard because you might not be thinking about your husband in the middle of these hard body image moments, especially when you're standing in front of the mirror picking yourself apart or pulled out all of your clothes trying to figure out. What to wear because you think you have nothing to wear And in your own head, you're trying to figure it out. Maybe you're even keeping those thoughts private. But here's why I bring him up. It's because sometimes we forget that we don't have to carry those thoughts alone. Now, you might not think that you have to invite your husband into that struggle, but trust me, he already sees you and the reminder that I have for you is that your husband still finds you beautiful. Not because of your body, but because of how you love and care and nurture for the family that you two have created together. So he sees the love and the heart that you pour into your family, and that reminder isn't. To dismiss your feelings by the way, it's meant to ground you in truth that you are still loved, you are still seen and still beautiful, even on days when you don't feel like it. And the third reminder that I wanna share with you today that also has a challenge with it, is that you don't have to save your quote unquote, nicer outfits for a special day. So I challenge you to pull out that beautiful sun dress. Or maybe your summer linen pants and create an outfit with it for a grocery run. I used to joke around that if I ever have an American wedding, which by the way, little known fact, I ended up having a traditional Hmong wedding and never actually an American wedding. Which is one that I dreamt of having since I was a little girl. I mean, I had multiple weddings as a little girl because I used to sketch out my wedding dresses and. While it is a joke that I would wear my wedding dress to vacuum and cook and clean and do all the things.'cause let's face it, they're so expensive. The idea is that I'm not gonna save my nice outfit for something as special as. A wedding, right? So while realistically we are not walking around in our wedding dress, we probably have something in our closet right now that we often save for maybe a special date night or a special brunch with our girlfriends. Why not pull that out and wear it while you're going for a simple grocery run? It's gonna be so much fun and it's going to help you feel put together in that moment. As I'm speaking about this to you right now, I am getting so excited'cause I'm gonna do this mini challenge alongside you. So this week we are not going to save our quote unquote nice pieces of clothes for a special day, we're going to wear it like we would as if today is a special day. Because it truly is, and we're going to be intentionally present with our family. So if you decide to take on this challenge, come share your outfit pictures with me in my free online community. The link is gonna be posted in the show notes for you, mama, and I can't wait to see you there. So as you're doing this, ask yourself, are my clothes helping me to show up with intention or make me want to hide? Don't be afraid to let go of pieces that make you want to hide. Opt for something that makes you feel comfortable. As a matter of fact, as I was talking about my shorts earlier, I've realized that once I try to put them on and force myself. To wear them. Well, I later realized that there was a pair of shorts that I had that was actually too big for me about a summer or two ago, and now it fits me perfectly in this season. So that has since become my new favorite pair of summer shorts. So if those shorts or dresses or whatever it is from a couple of summers ago, if they're not fitting right, remember that you do not have to force yourself to wear it. I 100% do not recommend. I am guilty of this and trust me, you're probably be uncomfortable the rest of the time that you're trying to spend time with your family and you're actually going to want to wish that you've put something else on. And finally pick something that supports what you prioritize the most when it comes to your outfits. So for me, it's all about comfort it what's working with my body. So if last summer's clothes are not fitting right. Grab something else. And that has been one of my biggest lessons, which probably sounds like a no brainer, but as I am someone who is such a visionary when I had an outfit in mind, I tend to just focus on that and not anything else. So if you're anything like me, take a moment and take a step back and think about what's in your closet right now that could potentially work with what you envisioned, or if you're able to pivot in that moment, it's gonna be incredibly. Helpful. Which leads me to my next point, because if you've ever stood in front of the mirror, second guessing what to wear or what you see. That's where we're gonna be talking about next because what you say in the mirror matters. Your internal dialogue about your body, especially while getting dressed has power, it can either build you up or reinforce lies that only bring frustrations and insecurities. And here's the thing, there is a big difference between being honest with yourself and believing a lie. Honesty sounds like this. It's recognizing that maybe what you're putting on doesn't feel like you anymore because your style has changed. And if you are working towards a goal, it's recognizing and saying to yourself that you are still working on yourself. So you need to give yourself space and time to see the change that you are working on. But lies sound more like this. It says that you're never going to look good in anything no matter what milestones you meet, or that you're never going to get the confidence that you once had back. And the bottom line is one invites growth while the other invites shame. You want to be mindful of what you're saying to yourself. That doesn't mean that you're ignoring the reality of what you see or pretending that everything is perfect because that's not going to help you out either. But it does mean that you are going to refuse to speak to yourself. In a way that tears you down, there's a difference between honesty and harshness. For example, towards the end of spring, I noticed that my clothes were fitting tighter. And the scale had crept up. And honestly, my first instinct was to panic. In fact, I would've gone straight into desperation mode if I was myself, maybe even three years ago. So I would've cut out foods that I enjoyed. I would've overcorrected with intense workouts just to try to quote unquote, fix it fast. But this time with the habits and the mindful awareness that I've developed over the years, I slowed down and looked at what had shifted over the past few weeks and asked myself with gentle care and honest questions like, what's changed? What do I need and what would it look like to take care of myself right now without going into punishment mode? These questions, helped me ground myself without panicking. And slow me down so that I would not spiral into panic mode. Because the truth is you can still be honest with yourself, but you don't have to be your own worst critic. Through the reflection, I've realized that within the past six to eight weeks, I had been more stressed. I have not been sleeping well, and I've consumed more sugar like sweet treats than I typically would, so of course that makes sense. On top of that, I didn't meet all of my workout goals that I had set myself up for the last few weeks, and so while I showed up, it wasn't as consistent as it used to be, and this is just being honest with myself Now if I coupled that with words like, I'm a failure or I'm lazy, or I'm not trying hard enough, that's when you become your own worst critic. When your self-talk is filled with criticism, it doesn't just steal your joy in the moment. It slowly trains your mind to look for only the flaws in everything. And it's crazy to think that it starts with how your body looks. As you look at it in the mirror, but before you know it, you're questioning whether you're doing enough. As a mom, are you setting the best example for your kids? You're starting to think, maybe my husband doesn't love me anymore because he's not attracted to me, and so you start to distance yourself in your marriage or maybe you're wondering if you're failing in your faith because you don't feel as close to God as you once did. It's so wild how one little thought in front of the mirror can open up the door to so much doubt When you become your own worst critic and when you start to train your mind to look at only the flaws, so we can change that, right? I challenge you today to think about what you're saying to yourself in the quiet moments when you say something like, I hate how I look, I want you to first apologize to yourself and then replace that statement that you just made with kindness or motivation. So I don't like how I look right now, but this is what I'm going to do. And then you take action on that. Okay? And then take a deep breath and bring your thoughts to God with gratitude giving thanks for your body that is able. So if you're saying, I don't like how I look in this dress, I can't stand my body the way that it looks. Take a moment, pause and thank God that your body is still able to move, that you can still spend time with your family, that you can still pick your kids up, that you can still hold your kids and make memories with them this summer. Your body is incredible. It changes with time and during seasons. Your clothes are there to cover you up, mama. So do not let it dictate how you speak to yourself. So as we are nearing the end of this episode, I want to just take a quick moment to recap everything that we talked about, because we took a look at a very important question, and that is, what are my clothes saying about how I feel? It's a powerful question because it helps you reflect, are you dressing from a place of confidence and comfort, or from a place of hiding and frustration? And it also. Highlights how you are speaking to yourself in the moment. Remember, you don't have to save your quote unquote nice clothes for a special day. You can show up today with intention just as you are. And don't forget the challenge, we're going to bring out our nice clothes and wear it for a simple grocery run or wherever it is you're going. But the idea is that we are no longer going to be stressing about what doesn't fit, and we're gonna focus on what does fit. If you do take this challenge on. I would love for you to share it with me in my free online community. The link is going to be in the show notes for you. What you say to yourself absolutely matters. Your inner dialogue has power. You can be honest without being harsh. So don't let your words tear you down. You can start speaking life over your body instead of criticism. And when you do that, you. Open the door to peace, presence, and joy, and if nothing else sticks out to you from this episode, I hope that this does'cause I really want you to hear me when I say it. It is that you do not need a perfect body. Or even the perfect outfit to enjoy this summer. You just need a heart anchored in God's truth and the willingness to show up with intention. And that's exactly what we're going to keep building together in this miniseries. It's time to let go of mom, guilt's mama and start being the mom that you want to be. I know it's hard, but you can do hard things. Thank you so much for hanging out with me today. I had such a wonderful time. I cannot wait to meet you again next Wednesday. Right here on this podcast. Mamma. I hope that as you are inspired and uplifted, that you would show up at all the spaces and places ready to serve with a joyful heart. And yes, with confidence. Please take a moment to leave a review on apple podcasts. It would bring me so much joy hearing from you If you want to connect even more, join the insider's list. I would love to continue helping you as you journey on the link to join the insider's list is going to be posted in the show notes.. All right, my friend, this is where we part ways. I hope you have a wonderful day. Go in peace.