Happy Monday, readers!
Today is a special Monday. In honor of Eating Disorder Awareness week, today is Mirrorless Monday. The concept of today is to avoid the mirror. How you look on the outside does not matter, it was what is on the inside. You are unique. You are beautiful. You are you – your hair color, your pant size, and the pimple on the tip of your nose does not matter.
I challenged my residents to participate in today by covering up our large bathroom mirrors and writing reminders to them about beautiful they are on both the inside and outside. More importantly, I reminded them that how they look on the outside does not reflect their self worth.
Today, I have not looked in a mirror. I have promised myself, in honor of the 20 million women and 10 million men in America who suffer from the disease, to honor this day.
I didn’t do my makeup and I let my hair naturally air dry, then put it into a pony tail. I did not do my makeup. I didn’t have to look in the mirror while brushing my teeth or washing my face because of the large paper covering the mirror.
I ask you to take this promise, too. From now on today, do not use a mirror. Do not stop and look at yourself.
Then tomorrow, do not critique yourself. Ignore that zit, ignore the off-white shade of your teeth, and ignore the so-called rolls and flab you see on your stomach, arms, and thighs. Instead focus on what is inside – how much you care about your family, how hard you work in school, and how amazing you are just being you.
I know there are plenty of days I want to stare down everything I see that is wrong in the mirror – did eating those french fries yesterday make me gain weight? Are those blackheads on my nose? Why is that hair so out of place? But instead, I chose to ignore this. I focus on my GPA that I work my butt off for; I focus on my blog and how far it has come in so little time; I focus on how much I love my friends, family, and sorority sisters. I focus on being more than what I see in the mirror. I focus to be happy and confident for who I am.
Just promise yourself, and me, that for one day you avoid these thoughts and avoid looking in a mirror. Honor those who no longer can.
If you or someone you know is suffering from an eating disorder, reach out to the confidential hotline at 1-800-931-2237 to get help.
