Mirror Work: Learning to See Yourself Again
The other day, my sister and I found ourselves sharing a real laugh, the kind of laugh that comes from vulnerability as we talked about how weird and uncomfortable mirror work can be. Like, why is it so hard to just look at yourself? Why does making eye contact with your own reflection feel like you’re staring into someone else’s eyes? If you’ve ever stood in front of the mirror and couldn’t even look yourself in the eyes… You know this isn’t just about self-love. It’s about self-recognition. You stand there, makeup off, no filters, no distractions and for a second, you catch your own eyes… Then, comes the urge to look away. To straighten something. Fix something. Avoid something. I used to think this was just insecurity, but it goes deeper. For many of us, it’s childhood trauma whispering, “Don’t look too long, there’s pain in those eyes.” Looking into your own eyes feels like staring into a stranger sometimes. You start thinking: “Why do I look like that?” or “I don’t eve...