The mirror: a glossy reflective surface hung in nearly every house in which one’s image can be seen.
For many, the mirror is part of a mindless morning routine, yet for others, it is a source of anxiety and distress. Looking at the image reflected before them, they see not themselves, but an image that is distorted by the inner workings of their mind. They critique, wish away, and dream of change, shaming their body as the bend to the degrading thoughts passing through their heads, leading only to further reductions in self-esteem and increasingly negative thoughts about one’s body.
If you find yourself here, do not be ashamed, many people deeply understand this struggle.
You are not alone.
So, what can we do when we find ourselves struggling to accept the person in the mirror:
Train your brain to quit the negative self-talk: Our brains have INCREDIBLE power and what we think is very influential over what we believe. This is actually called the illusory affect in science. It is the idea that the things we hear in repetition – like our mind’s inner critiques of ourselves – are often perceived as truth over newly introduced ideas, even if the repeated ideas are false. This is why it is important to take our thoughts captive and begin aligning them with the truth of God’s word. In this way, we can start filling our thoughts with positivity, and with time and repetition, we can slowly alter the image in the mirror.
Dress for your body: While it can be hard to remember, clothes were designed to fit your body, you were never meant to fit certain clothes. When we try to force ourselves into something based on size instead of comfort, we often feel uncomfortable and distressed. But, if we dress for comfort and how we feel, looking at the style not the tag, we can find a boost of confidence we might not have expected.
Reflect on all the wonderful things your body does for you: Instead of focusing on your appearance, focus on all the AMAZING things your body is capable of, helping you to appreciate your body for all that it IS rather than all it is not.
When you are struggling reach out to those you trust: Often our minds distort our mirrors, but not the images of those around us. When you are struggling with how you look, reaching out to a trusted friend who will inform you of the truth can be incredibly beneficial on hard days. Their responses can help you combat the false ideas in your mind with the truth of who you are: beautiful!
Dig deeper and determine WHY you struggle with body image: For me, it was a misplaced identity in appearance rather than in Christ, where my identity belongs. By figuring out why I struggled, I could then address the root of the issue, instead of remaining surface level.
Cover your mirror in body positive quotes and verses: This way, every time you look in the mirror and your body dysmorphia fills your head with lies, you have the truth right in front of your face. It is hard to hate your nose when your entire mirror is encircled in post-its of positivity in your beautiful and wonderful creation!
Give yourself time and grace: These things do not resolve themselves overnight, they take both time and dedication to work through with God. You might stumble and fall, but you got this!
I once stood in front of my mirror, and hated it, always passing judgement and encouraging my distorted thoughts. Once a day, I would flitter my gaze across its glossy surface to ensure I was presentable, before avoiding it the remainder of the day. However, as I started filling my mind with truth and discovering my true identity in Christ, I realized it was not a mirror that distorted my figure but my mind that distorted my mirror. And slowly, that distortion faded, and I could clearly see the woman before me. Yes, occasionally her skin breaks out, it might peel and wrinkle, and there are silver streaks in her coffee brown hair. Still, I have grown quite fond of her, because I have done the work to see myself as God does.
Learning to accept and love your body is