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How do you strengthen a relationship with a loved one? For some, it’s spending time with them, telling them how much you believe in them, or looking deeply into their eyes as you gently affirm your love.
These same practices can be used to grow your relationship with your own self as well, according to a blog on The Female CEO. Mirror work is a powerful ritual where you look your own reflection in the eyes and affirm your belief in yourself and in your unlimited potential. Making mirror work a daily practice can help you become more confident.
What is Mirror Work?
Mirror work is a practice where you stand in front of a mirror, face your reflection, and look yourself straight in the eye. Then, you use positive affirmations to create more serenity and love within.
The mirror reflects back your thoughts and feelings and shows you what you inherently resist. This practice boosts self-awareness that can help you change negative thought patterns. Mirror work is an effective way to build self-love and doesn’t require a significant time commitment.
Benefits of Mirror Work
Mirror work can also help you connect deeply with yourself and heal your inner child, mindbodygreen explains. By staring at your reflection, you start to see past your own insecurities and connect with your soul. Moun D’Simone, a meditation instructor, tells mindbodygreen that, “I felt this sense of deeper connection to myself by being in front of a mirror and looking at myself, my face, looking at my body, and just embracing, loving, and uncovering a deeper sense of kindness with myself.”
Mirror work accomplishes this because over time you start to believe what you share with your reflection. It allows you to become your own cheerleader and helps you become less negative and judgmental toward yourself.
Mirror work’s efficacy is backed by a study published in The Journal of Positive Psychology. The study found that saying self-compassion phrases while looking in the mirror boosted soothing emotions and heart rate variability — a marker of parasympathetic nervous system activity.
Getting Started With Mirror Work
To get started with mirror work, spend a few minutes daily affirming yourself in the mirror, a blog on The Female CEO shares. Begin with a breathing exercise and bring a journal to note any feelings or thoughts that come up. Give yourself two to five minutes of observing yourself nonjudgmentally while you hold eye contact with your reflection and use affirmations. Phrases you can try saying out loud include “I believe in myself,” “my potential is unlimited,” and “I choose to be happy and love myself.” Repeat positive affirmations at least ten times and note your reaction to them.
Begin Gradually
Mirror work can feel uncomfortable, so build up this practice over time, mindbodygreen suggests. “Set a timer for one minute and start there — and then a little more,” D’Simone says. “And remember, too, that our innate worth is much more than what we see in the actual reflection, and that's why we stay there looking into our own eyes, to get to the part of us that is innately worthy and loving and full of potential,” she adds. You can also light incense or play music in the background to set the mood as you affirm self-love and self-acceptance.
“Set yourself up with a mirror and say, ‘OK, I'm ready to meet more parts of me. I'm ready to really be more loving and more appreciative and more tender to more parts of me by way of looking at myself instead of rejecting any part of me,’” D’Simone says.
Mirror work is a simple practice, but its impact can be profound. Every moment you spend showing yourself kindness can bring you one step closer to a more grounded, confident, and loving version of you. With patience and consistency, you can build a relationship with yourself that feels strong, steady, and deeply empowering.
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