What if this time of social distancing was an opportunity to make peace with and really reconnect with our body?
With no face to face meetings, gatherings with friends or social events to attend to we can afford to forget one of our worst daily dictators: our mirror. This accessory, however discreet, which cultivates the image instead of focusing on the sensations and which could even sometimes cut us off from our own body. So for a week, let’s flee it intentionally. Let’s take the time to rediscover ourselves “blindly” and reconnect with who we really are.
Walking around home without going in front of your mirror? Without checking in the mirror that these pants fall well or that this shirt does not make you look fat? Not taking a selfie for a week? Even while social distancing it is likely that going without a mirror will be an ordeal for most of us. A difficult but very instructive experience because, whether we intend it or not, we are all used to constantly controlling our image, and this from our earliest childhood. The interest of this challenge? Give yourself a few days off to take a step back from your image, to reconnect with your body and your senses. And to also question, this funny need we have for control of the body.
Detach from the image of our body
Yes we are above all social beings and the anticipation of the gaze of the other is a driving force, no question. But what the mirrors send back to us can also sometimes inhibit us. The image of our body is a mental construct/model. What we discover in the mirror is a function of the judgments we have made about ourselves, of everything we have been told.
No longer lingering over our reflection is a way of detaching ourselves from the image we want to offer to others but also from the way we look at ourselves. This is how by playing on our image, we subscribe, sometimes in spite of ourselves, to a logic of camouflage rather than an approach of good companionship with our body.
Beneficial advantages of your week away from your mirror
New sensations: moving away from your image brings you closer to your body. You are more attentive to the touch on the skin, the sun on your face, the wind in your hair… In other words, you are more interested in the way you feel than in your appearance.
Once you have regained your ability to experience your emotions, you no longer need to verify what you are experiencing in a mirror.
A beneficial break: by freeing yourself from the need to control your appearance, you also free your mind and your thoughts! When the mirror becomes the source of validation of your value, it generally reflects a lack of self-esteem.
Tips for your special week
Prepare yourself and your home: you will have to wash your face without looking at yourself, apply your creams only by touch, avoid the temptation to look at your reflection in the windows, computer screens, mirrors … Put a piece of fabric on all the mirrors of your home.
Train a few days before to adopt the right reflexes: you will see that it takes a little time to adapt to adjust your habits. Our reflection tends to follow us everywhere, it’s time to learn to get rid of it!
Take care of yourself: self-massage, creams, scrubs … Your sensations being increased tenfold, take advantage of it! Pamper yourself, and listen to your body. You will see that well-being goes far beyond your reflection.
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