7 Tips to Stop Hating Your Reflection ...

1. Mulan's Message

“When will my reflection show who I am inside?” You all love Mulan’s song, so you shouldn’t have trouble grasping the meaning of the lyrics. Whenever you look in the mirror, remember that it’s only showing you the most superficial parts of yourself. You can’t see your kindness, your strength, or your amazing sense of humor. In order to stop hating your reflection, you have to remember that your mirror barely knows you.

2. Different Faces

Have you ever loved how you looked in one mirror, but loathed what you looked like in another? Different mirrors can produce different effects, and the amount of lighting also comes into play. It’s similar to when photos are taken of you. Ten different people can capture the same moment on camera, but you’ll look better in one photo than the others. It has nothing to do with your appearance; it has everything to do with the angle, lens, and flash of the camera.

3. Positive Energy

Negative thoughts produce negative results. If you’re expecting the worst when you look in a mirror, you’re going to focus more on your flaws than your positive attributes. A girl who hates what she looks like isn’t going to be smiling into a mirror. She’s going to look depressed, because she feels depressed. It’s a never-ending cycle of pessimism.

4. Focused on Flaws

You can list your biggest flaws, because you worry about them constantly. When you look at your reflection, you’re going to look straight at the things you hate. However, the parts of your face and body that you don’t like aren’t going to draw instant attention. You feel like everyone’s going to stare at your imperfections, because that’s what you do when you look at yourself. Most people won’t even notice your supposed flaws unless you point them out.

5. Look Less

Don’t let your reflection hold power over you. You don’t have to throw out every reflective surface in your house. Use your mirror to get ready in the morning, but try to limit the amount of times you glance at it during the day. The less you stare, the more you’ll smile. This way, your confidence depends on how you feel instead of on how you look.

6. Play around

If avoiding mirrors doesn’t help, try the opposite technique. Sit in front of a mirror while you’re on the phone with your best friend. Most of the time you spend looking at yourself is when you have a blank face or a forced smile. By watching yourself as you have an enjoyable conversation, you’ll notice beautiful pieces of yourself you’ve never seen. You might discover something about yourself you never knew existed.

7. Peppy Post-its

When you’re upset, it’s hard to remember little pieces of wisdom that’ll cheer you up. Post-it notes are the perfect way to keep inspirational messages all around you. Write down cheerful quotes and stick them up on your mirror. Whenever you don’t like your reflection, shift your eyes toward the message. It can really help.

What’s your favorite body part and facial feature? Don’t be afraid to brag! There’s nothing wrong with paying yourself a compliment.