Your 'bikini body' is 8 simple tricks away, and none of them involve a physical change

• For many, the prospect of wearing a bathing suit in the summer can make their confidence plummet. One study even found it could increase feelings of anxiety and depression.
• While you can't change societal pressures overnight, you can change your mindset and approach to bikini-wearing. 
• Investing in a swimsuit you feel comfortable in, dancing to an upbeat song, and following body-positive social media accounts can help build confidence.
• Visit INSIDER's homepage for more.

When the weather begins to warm up, plenty of women dread what inevitably comes next: An onslaught of advertisements and social media posts imploring them to get their "bikini bodies" ready for summer.

Rather than motivational, these messages can be discouraging — at best. In fact, a 2012 study from Flinders University in Australia found that women reported more feelings of anxiety and depression when they had to picture themselves wearing a swimsuit. They didn't feel the same way when they imagined themselves wearing jeans. 

Although unrealistic societal expectations about bodies play a role in these negative emotions, individuals can boost their confidence without changing their bodies at all. These tricks, like going to the gym just once or following positive social media accounts, can make all the difference when you're getting ready to take on summer fun.

Here are eight tricks for boosting your bathing suit confidence without losing any weight.

Wear what makes you feel good.

It sounds obvious, but the swimsuit you choose can have a huge impact on how you feel once you hit the sand or pool.

Today, swimsuit shoppers have a wider variety of styles to choose from than in the past, so don't be shy trying on lots of options before choosing the one (or two or three) you feel good wearing.

And if you don't feel comfortable in a swimsuit, it's okay to choose other attire.

"Wear something you feel good in – it doesn't matter if it's completely covered up, a cute sundress or a thong bikini," Body Positive Fitness Alliance-affiliated coach Kimberly Weiss told US News & World Report. "If you feel good, you will look good."

Fill your Instagram feed with people who look like you.

Before the age of social media, people only saw images of perfectly toned bikini models in advertisements or magazine spreads. But now, anyone can share their bikini bodies online, and social media users have the chance to fill their feeds however they please.

Use that to your advantage and follow influencers who look like you, or who simply make you feel good as you are. Mindy Kaling, for example, recently shared pictures of her rocking bikinis in Hawaii, where doing so is standard, regardless of body type. "Wear a bikini if you want to wear a bikini," she encouraged followers. 

And while you're curating your social feeds, unfollow any accounts that make you feel like you have to look or act a certain way to be worthy of wearing a bathing suit.

Listen — and dance along to — an upbeat tune.

Music has the power to make us cry or transport us back to a specific memory in time. It also has the power to make you feel confidence you may otherwise have not.

In fact, an August 2014 study found that songs like Queen's "We Will Rock You" made listeners feel more powerful than before they rocked out.

Pinpoint what that song (or songs!) is for you, and play it whenever you need a boost.

Sign up for your favorite exercise class.

A single sweat session isn't going to transform your body, but it does have the power to make you feel great about all the things your body can physically do, like run, lift weight, or hold a pose like down dog.

Exercise can also boost your endorphins, hormones that create a happy and content feeling when released.

Think about all the things you'd miss out on without your trusty bikini in tow.

If body-positive affirmations aren't helping your confidence, consider all of the fun you'd miss if you didn't suit up.

If you chose to forgo your bathing suit, for example, you might miss out on swimming in the ocean with your best friends while on vacation, or playing in the pool with your grandchildren.

Model and influencer Iskra Lawrence seems to have taken this lesson to heart. She told "Who What Wear" that her decision to rock a bikini came from "not letting my body hold me back from enjoying myself and living life to its fullest — especially at the beach — which is one of my favorite places to have fun and relax."

So the next time your lack of confidence prevents you from getting into your swimsuit, use a little self-induced fear of missing out (FOMO for short) to push you out of your comfort zone.

Surround yourself with supportive loved ones.

When you're making plans to hang poolside or on the beach, it's probably because you're going to spend quality time with people you care about. If it's not, you should consider changing your plans.

"Go to the pool or beach with people you like – not people who make you feel bad about your body," Weiss told US News & World Report.

Surrounding yourself with people who focus on having fun and making great memories will help you get out of your head and stop focusing your body.

Treat yourself before stepping out.

Confidence isn't all about appearances, but that doesn't mean treating yourself to a haircut, manicure, or massage can't help you feel great in, and out, of your suit. 

Little acts like these are considered self-care and are ways of saying "I love you" to yourself.

"Take care of yourself. Yes, we are going on about this, but the more care you take of yourself, the better you'll feel about yourself, and the more good you'll want to do in the world," Nadia Narain and Katia Narain Phillips, authors of "Self-Care For The Real World," wrote.

Say "screw it," and go live your life.

If one (or any combination) of these tricks just aren't working out, don't despair. Everyone has off days where they simply don't feel good about their bodies, and that's OK.

When that happens, the best thing you can do is acknowledge your insecurities, remind yourself they don't define you, say "screw it," and put the bathing suit on anyway.

"Sometimes it's not about having the perfect mindset or the perfect mental dialogue, it's just about pushing forward. About teaching yourself that you deserve to move forward despite whatever doubts you have," body-positive writer and influencer Olivia Muenter wrote in a recent Instagram post.

The next time you feel blah about your bathing suit body, take that advice and just get out there. Chances are you won't regret it.

• Read more:
• A fitness Instagram star with over a million followers had the best response to a man who said her small breasts made her look like a 'young boy'
• 33 Instagram accounts to follow in 2019 that will actually make you feel good about your body
• 18 celebrities who have spoken out against photo editing

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