The Ultimate Self-Love Body Image Trick

Hello angels:)

I wrote this article almost 2 years ago, when the blog was barely a foetus, and my writing was, at best, mediocre. This is not to say that I'm a bonafide writing virtuoso, but I wanted to rewrite this piece in a more eloquent and clear matter. 

This trick may seem trivial, and perhaps it is for you, but it is one I use every single day, without fail, and truthfully, I believe it to be one of the most important steps in my recovery. Take from it what you will, try it out, and let me know what you think:)

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Once upon a time, I was afraid of mirrors. 
Okay, perhaps that's slightly misleading, because I wasn't afraid of the mirrors themselves. 
I was afraid of what they reflected. 

I would wake up in the morning and I would hate my reflection. 
I would go to school, catch a glimpse of myself in a car window or locker room mirror, and I would hate my reflection. 
I would go back home, do homework or extra-curricular activities, and avoid a mirror at all costs, because I knew very well what I would see. 
I knew that at the end of the day, as I got ready for bed, I would have to look at my reflection. 
And I would fucking hate it. 

Let me tell you something: hating yourself in downright exhausting, it truly is. 

It's hard enough being a teenager, going to school with morons and potheads, studying seemingly useless equations, dealing with crazy hormones inside your body and brain; trust me I know. 
So cut yourself some slack, make your life just a little bit easier, and try this trick out.

1. Go up to a mirror, preferably in the morning, or before heading out the door. 

2. Find 3 things you like about your reflection. I don't care what they are, how crazy specific or bizarre they may seem. You are not doing this for anyone but yourself. Look, I know that for some, this will be hard at first, but keep working at it, every day, several times a day if you must. 21 consecutive days of anything forms a habit, so stay strong. 

And if you can find attributes that might not be considered "typically beautiful" by most people, but that you find unique and special, bonus points for you. You go, Glen Coco. 

3. As you go through the day, and inevitably stumble upon your reflection, know where to look and stay focused on those 3 attributes. 

Why it works: Our eyes aren't actually the ones «seeing things»; they only capture the information and send it to our brain, and that tricky little bastard can do whatever it wants with those images. 

Start looking for the good, instead of singling out your 10394855 flaws (child, don't lie, we all do it sometimes), and your reflection will change right before your eyes. 
By choosing what your brain focuses on before that bitchy, whiny voice comes in and tells you what part of your body you hate that day, you blur out the flaws and let the good shine through.

You will find with time how much you have to be thankful for, how many wonderful parts of your being are worthy of love and admiration. 

I can only hope that with time and effort, when you pass by a mirror on a long hard day, you can finally smile. 

Have a wonderful day my loves,
xoxo

Gabby

This Voice Inside My Head

Hello my loves!

I wrote a piece for the lovely blog Derriere Le Mirroir, which you can find here: http://www.derrierelemiroir.ca/on-blogue/cette-voix-dans-ma-tte-par-gabrielle-vachon/ , so I translated it for you:) Obviously it varies in little ways, typical bilingual problems, but I hope you enjoy the english version just the same.

This voice inside my head

There is a voice inside my head

Mine is different from yours, but we all have it just as well.

She points out all the wrongs on your body

Like the lack of space between your thighs

Or the enormous space between your eyes.

She asks why your clavicle isn’t prominent

Or why your stomach is so prominent

She builds a fort with your fixations

to keep you prisoner of your nonsense.

She fuels the fire of your obsessions with a dash of gasoline

So that when you look at your reflection, it’s all smoke and mirrors.

It feeds you your daily dose of humility,

so that you never recover from your poisonous lies.

There is a voice inside my head,

Stronger or weaker than yours, she speaks without end.

She fills your brain with images of pure fiction,

they deform your vision of your own body.

She whispers you insults from the time you get up in the morning to the time you go back to sleep,

They make your ears bleed and your heart weep.

And when someone compliments you, you don’t believe it for a second

This voice inside your head has become your reason.

But don’t forget that this voice is just in your head.

And it’s not a mountain of pills that will make her go quiet again.

You have to take down her prison, one fixation at a time,

So that you can finally be free of her shackles.

You have to put out your obsessions’ fire with a waterfall of truth,

So that your reflection can be clear of its smoky illusions.

You have to accept a dose of humility, but in moderation,

so that your brain can empty itself of her toxicity.

Close your eyes to what she wants you to see,

And open them to see beauty that transcends perfection.

Block your ears, shut out that tiring voice

And accept the kind words of your loved ones instead.

There was a voice inside my head,

But I made mine go quiet; will you let yours spread? 

xoxo

Gabby