After hearing about two women who gave up makeup for an entire two months, I'm still not quite sure if I'm up for the challenge. I am fairly confident that I'd be fine when I started, until the time came when I had to leave the house. At that point, I'm sure I'd run into the bathroom to stare at myself in the mirror to see just how awful I look without anything on my face.
But I wonder if I'd feel differently about the idea if there were no mirrors in my house? If I couldn't see myself, then I'd have nothing to criticize, right?
Today I read about a woman named Kjerstin Gruys, who went an entire year without looking in the mirror in the hopes of achieving a more positive image of herself. She didn't even sneak a peek before her own wedding! And I think she may have caught on to something amazing. Because living without mirrors sounds incredibly refreshing to me.
There are days where I absolutely hate having mirrors in every bathroom in the house. Because every time I pass one, I feel the need to check myself out and make sure my appearance is ok, and that seems so vain and ridiculous. And I'll also admit that the reflection I see has a major effect on my self esteem for sure.
If I'm having a great hair day and I'm very put-together, I feel confident and ready to take over the world. But if I look at myself first thing in the morning without a stitch of makeup on and total bedhead, I immediately start to take jabs at myself -- all because of what I see in that damn mirror.
And don't even get me started on the horrible things I say about myself right before I step in the shower. There have been days when I've even threatened to break the stupid piece of glass in the bathroom because it makes me hate the way I look. Isn't it amazing how something as basic as a mirror can cause so much self loathing?
We are always our own worst critics, and I really have a good gut feeling that my confidence would go up quite a bit if I didn't let my reflection dictate the state of my mood on any given day. Hmm. I'm thinking at least attempting to avoid the mirror whenever possible is a pretty awesome idea. It certainly can't hurt.
Do you let what you see in the mirror have an effect on your self confidence?
Image via ChalonHandmade/Flickr
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Comments 11
i refuse to have a scale in my home, knowing my weight will upset me no matter how i feel about i look in the mirror. However, how i feel about myself has nothing to do with my weight if i do not know it....That one little number can screw me up six was til sunday no matter how fit i am.
It seems really sad when, as a soiciety, we have to resort to something as desperate as getting rid of mirrors to gain self confidence. While it's awesome to rebel and say 'screw your mirror I'm amazing!', it just speaks volumes about how obessed people are with how they look. And by that I mean nitpicking yourself, not general grooming and apprpriate dress.
I will have to practice mascara application without a mirror first. I have blond lashes so without mascara I look like I don't have lashes at all.
I stopped looking at myself in the mirror when I was a teen and sick of my acne. Now, it's just habit not to do so. Then again, I don't wear make-up and my usual hairstyle is a simple ponytail, so I don't really have a use for a mirror.
But it doesn't hurt me to look in it. I use it to see if I have food on my face, or my hair needs a brush. I don't critique myself often. I'm not perfect but I'm content with my looks, and I'm not going to tear myself down just because my very toned thighs, have some fat and streachmarks in ONE tiny spot.
Its not worth it. Be easier on yourself