It’s Monday againnnnnn.
But I’m okay with that because today is also my other day off! ? What should I do? (Besides go to my doctor’s appointment…) Isn’t it funny how you always have a week dedicated to various appointments when you’re home for a bit?!
But first, let’s talk about mirrors.
I know they’re pretty arbitrary items in our lives, but they can sometimes bring up fear and/or distortion to certain people. I used to be one of those people. Yesterday I went for a little morning walk and caught up with a favorite podcast of mine, Happiness Hour. As it turns out, the most recent episode featured one of my top 5 favorite bloggers: Georgie, of In It 4 The Long Run. If you’ve ever read Georgie’s blog, you know she’s all about helping other women find their health, joy, and purpose for “the long run”. While the episode touched on all sorts of topics like Georgie’s recovery from an eating disorder, her love for creativity, and finding her true happiness with blogging, she talked about something that I can totally relate to, and maybe you guys can too.
How many times a day do you look at yourself in the mirror?
Too many to count? Never thought about it? Or hell, maybe you rarely look at yourself in the mirror and I applaud you for that. But I DO know that females have a harder time looking in the mirror without judging their bodies. It all goes back to the preachings of our society and our obsessions with the “perfect body.” Anyway, I started to think about how many times I personally look at myself in the mirror now versus how many times I used to. It’s such a dancer’s habit too, we look at ourselves in the mirror ALL DAY LONG.
3 years ago…
The mirror was an addiction. The mirror was my “checkpoint.”
If I turned to the side and saw that my stomach looked flat, I felt good about myself. If I turned to the side and saw a hint of bloating or discomfort, I felt like crap. The same went for certain outfits I tried on. If my body “looked good” in it, I felt good. If I didn’t think I “looked good”, I would allow myself to believe I didn’t feel good. That’s what happens when your heart is telling you one thing but you decide to listen to your head instead.
The Good
Sure, mirrors can be helpful for a few reasons. Obviously, it’s good to look at yourself every once and awhile to make sure you don’t have stains on your clothes. Or it’s also helpful for applying makeup and making sure you don’t have bedhead. ? It’s always good to look yourself in the eye and say, “damn, I look good today.” Sometimes honestly looking at yourself in the mirror to appreciate your body for what it is can be a great thing. There’s also another side though…
The Bad
When you find yourself constantly looking at yourself in the mirror to identify body “flaws”, then it becomes a problem. That’s what negative body thoughts do. Instead of relying on how we LOOK externally, we should rely on how we FEEL internally.
Also, it’s kind of impossible to know EXACTLY what you look like based on a reflection. Every single mirror you look at makes you look different. Lighting, mirror shapes, etc. They’re not all the same! Don’t believe me? Check out this experiment.
The Ugly
Imagine looking in the mirror and seeing something that isn’t really there, or nonexistent. This is the everyday occurrence for someone struggling with an eating disorder. A common symptom causes you to see a very different image in the mirror than what the glass reflects. That’s the lie that ED (eating disorder(s)) will tell you. ED is behind the reflection of your mirror, and ED feasts on insecurity and shame. ED tries to tell you that you’re not beautiful because your body “doesn’t fit” into any of the strict, ill-fitting molds of society.
I have a secret to share with you, though: ED is completely and utterly wrong.
Dear you, make peace with the mirror and watch your reflection change.
Don’t take mirrors seriously. Your true reflection is in the heart.
Mulan was right about this one….your reflection will NEVER show who you are inside. Because what’s on the inside is more important than what’s on the outside.
The book “Mirror, Mirror Off The Wall” was also mentioned in the Happiness Hour podcast with Georgie and I’m so intrigued by it. After overcoming an eating disorder, book author Kjerstin Gruys decided to refocus her attention on herself by not looking at her body in the mirror for the year prior to her wedding. Instead, she relied on her friends and her fiancé to help her gauge both her appearance and outlook on life. Interesting…
Who wants to read it with me?? ?
Well that’s all from my end then!
I hope you guys have a marvelous Monday and BE WELL! <3
Now tell me…
- Do you judge your body in the mirror often?
- Podcast recommendations?
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