It is our guilty pleasure; we hate looking into them, but we feel compelled to anyway. In this world where edited and perfected reflections stare at us from every direction, our mirrors shouldn’t be something to be afraid of looking into. Our mirrors are real and unbiased, unlike us humans, yet our reflections are incredibly beautiful and imperfect. Rather than ripping us apart, our reflections should make us stronger. We are scared of our mirrors. We are so scared of what we see. What we should really be afraid of is how powerful that girl is beneath it. Because the truth is, we are all powerful enough to bust through glass. Glass is delicate, but women are incredibly strong. Our reflections should make us feel nothing short of powerful. So let us change the way we look at our reflections. Let us be kind to the girl staring back at us, and let us make her stronger. What can happen if we deliberately choose to think differently and speak differently? What if we erase the imperfections staring us down with positivity? Here are some things to practice next time the glass gets in the way of your world:
1. Do not approach the mirror with negative expectations.
Stand in front of the mirror knowing that you are going to LOVE what you see. If you have negative thoughts, they will undoubtedly reflect back at you. In fact, they will stick out like a sore thumb. Go in with positive thoughts, and your eyes will only find the positive.
2. Reshape your negative thoughts and transform them into something positive.
Okay, so we all have problem areas that we have made up and labeled. Maybe its your “thicker” thighs, or love handles, or acne. Next time you look at this problem area, try to transform these negative thoughts into positive, self-affirming ones. For example, instead of saying, “I hate my thick thighs,” say something along the lines of, “My thick thighs are strong, and enable me to do things I love, like run and play sports.” Or replace something negative with some positive quality. For example, “My kindness outshines my acne.”
3. Write self-love notes on your mirror with Expo marker or post-it notes.
You can write all sorts of things. Cover your mirror in these self-embracing notes. They’ll remind you each time you stray from positive thoughts. You can also leave these notes on your friends’ mirrors.
4. Self-talk for 5-10 minutes. Stare at your reflection and just talk.
This is the easiest technique. Look into the mirror and talk to yourself. This sounds very weird at first, but hey, if it works, try it right? Tell yourself all of the kind, thoughtful things that you deserve to hear each and every moment. Preach confidence. Minimize that critical, self-deteriorating voice, and replace it with a confident, self-loving fan club.
5. Change the size/shape of your mirror.
You should love your mirror almost as much as you love yourself. Smaller, bigger, round, square, etc. For example, if you love your face and not your body, replace that vertical mirror with a circular one. If you love vibrant colors, ditch the boring white mirror for a neon colored one.
6. Smile.
Look at your smile. Inhale confidence, and exhale happiness. Focus on your smile. Now take that smile with you for the rest of your day. Smiling gives you the opportunity to acknowledge all of the power, beauty, and greatness staring back at you. That smile can’t be taken away, not even from a silly piece of glass.
7. Ditch the mirror.
If the mirror is causing you too much self-loathing and misery, ditch it. Throw it from a moving vehicle, smash it with a sledge hammer, donate it to your boyfriend’s ex, paint it black. Say bye bye reflection, hello real me.
Love your reflection, because it’s you, and you are amazing. Just remember, it’s not the whole you.
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