Have you ever walked by a mirror and been disappointed with the reflection? So much that the disappointment follows you for the rest of the day and affects your overall mood.

Have you ever seen a photo of yourself and wanted to change what you looked like? Such as, wanting to shrink your arms or get rid of the cellulite visible on your thighs? Potentially deleting the photo solely because you hated your reflection in the photo.

Have you ever been scared to wear a bikini or be in less clothing because you’re scared of what people will think of you or what you will think of yourself when you see a reflection of yourself?

Regardless of the situation you may relate with, I see you, and I have felt that too.

A couple years ago, I went on a trip with my family to a tropical location for what was supposed to be a relaxing week away from the hectic life of school. Instead, the trip was relaxing for everyone but myself. I spent weeks fearing the day I would have to be in a bathing suit and see my reflection. I was in the midst of pouring my energy into my orthorexia recovery and healing my over-exercising disorder. So, although I was in the thick of healing, I was still struggling. Since I was eating more and working out less, I was terrified of what my body would look like in a bathing suit. I feared sitting outside and allowing people to see my body, let alone my body in a bathing suit. On this trip, I spent most of my time avoiding any situation where I would have to show my body in a bathing suit. So instead of enjoying the rich sunshine and soaking up Vitamin D, I hid reading on a couch.

When I look back on it now, I am truly sad my mind was so detrimental to my happiness. I spent a week in sheer anxiety when in reality, I was supposed to be the most relaxed I had ever been. Instead of making memories with my family that I would carry for the rest of my life, I hid from any enjoyable situation for myself because I was so unhappy with my image.

Here is the thing, what your body looks like does not define how you should enjoy your life. Just because you may not love the image you see in the mirror or in your photo, does not mean you should hate your body and strive to change it. 

Our bodies do SO much for us on a daily basis. They literally SUSTAIN life. Why should we dislike something that works endlessly to keep us alive?

We can look in the mirror and not love the reflection. Dare I say that is kind of a normal thought? But just because we don’t love the reflection, does not mean we shouldn’t appreciate our body. 

Next time you look in the mirror, instead of picking apart the reflection, try to comment on more than just the image. Such as, “Wow, you look strong today”, or “Thank you for being brave”, even “You are smart and confident”. 

The same goes for if you are commenting on someone else! Instead of commenting on their body size or appearance, give them a comment that is a reflection of their personality. I once heard of the 5 minute-rule. If someone can’t “fix” your comment in 5 minutes in regards to their appearance, don’t make the comment. Acceptable comments include, “you have something in your teeth, hair, a smudge on your face, or your shirt is on backwards”. But if you are going to make a comment that has to do with someone’s body size (i.e. weight loss or weight gain), acne, or appearance that cannot be changed 5 minutes, do not make the comment at all.

Our bodies should be appreciated and shown compassion. Just because you may not look like the Instagram model that keeps showing up on your feed, doesn’t mean you are less of human. Our bodies are all beautiful because they fight on a daily basis to keep us alive. And for the reason, let’s try and channel our energy into loving the process of living instead of tearing apart the reflection in the mirror.

You are worthy of being in a bathing suit. You are worthy of feeling confident in your skin. You are worthy of being unapologetically, you. Don’t ever forget that.