I believe the only way to play against better opponents is keep playing and getting higher game after game. I would also tell you that before getting to your actual ELO, you'll find a lot of people who are better than their rating, wich wil dificult your way through games. Good Luck!
Why isn't my rating as high as it should be?

Yeah, that's what I've been doing. I found that taking a slight break after a losing streak from chess really helped me become better. But now I can't find any good opponents!

Oh and in my personal experience, i actually started a new account to start again fron a higher level cuz i was too lazy to go from 450 to 1200. Yeah, my case also happens quite a lot.

If u can keep playing games like a zombie one day youll reach your level hahahh i dont reccomend doing what i did cuz i lost my rank and public experience but its what takes to be lazy
I play at a 1050 level, but for some weird reason, I'm still stuck at 850. If you look at my previous games, you'll see that I win almost all of them. For some reason, I've just become better at chess lately, and I want to face stronger opponents. Help!