If we look in the mirror for the faults, we are likely to find them.

https://reddit.com/link/1lvppbp/video/b03wqpid1wbf1/player

This study confirms that when participants look at themselves in the mirror and make negative statements about their bodies, body satisfaction and positive emotions decrease and negative emotions increase. This phenomenon was not observed in the group where participants who looked at themselves in the mirror spoke positively about their bodies.

It is very tempting to conclude that the issue here is not the mirror itself but the meaning we give to the image we see. If we look in the mirror for the faults, we are likely to find them.

I would like to add another long-established phenomenon: the more we are exposed to information, the more acceptable it becomes. Even if we don't say anything positive to ourselves but refrain from self-criticism, we will develop a calmer attitude towards our bodies. We will no longer be driven to engage in activities that are detrimental to our health. And no, it doesn't mean that we will stop trying to improve our health - these two concepts are not related.

#spoonfulofreason #psychology #eating

Study: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0257303

Tanck, J. A., Hartmann, A. S., Svaldi, J., & Vocks, S. (2021). Effects of full-body mirror exposure on eating pathology, body image and emotional states: Comparison between positive and negative verbalization. PLOS ONE, 16(9), e0257303. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0257303

My name is Monika. I am a health and nutrition psychologist. I help people with daily and challenging questions about behaviour, thinking, and emotions. I write, give lectures, and provide psychological counselling. You can book my session here: https://calendly.com/saukstasproto/psichologine-konsultacija