Today’s post is a continuation of yesterday’s post about Mirror Work, where you say, “I love you” to yourself each time you pass by a mirror.
In addition to feeling a bit goofy and awkward, this exercise can also bring up feelings of insecurity. Your inner critic may appear and start pointing out all of your physical “flaws.” If this happens, here is a great writing prompt from our Journaling Further Within book to help combat this voice and move on in a positive way:
Is there any part of your physical appearance that you criticize or don’t always feel great about?
If so, think of at least one thing that you like about it and write it down.
By choosing to focus on what we like about our appearance instead of picking out our so-called flaws, we give energy to positivity instead of letting our inner critic control our lives.
You could even take this exercise a step further if you would like.
The next time you are standing in front of a mirror, make sure you have a pen and notebook with you. Look at yourself from top to bottom and write down every single thing that you like about your body. Leave out anything that you don’t. (If there are things that you don’t like, use the exercise above to try to think of one positive aspect for each part you don’t like.)
The great part of this exercise is that you will have proof in writing of how beautiful you are and how wonderful your body is. This way, the next time you are feeling a bit down about how you look, you can take out your notebook for an instant self-esteem boost.
Learning to love ourselves inside and out is a process – one that most of us are still figuring out and discovering. By taking these first steps toward loving your body, you will start your own journey toward self love. And this is truly the key to lasting happiness.
