Is the secret to happiness staring you in the face?
Wellbeing expert LOUISE HAY says talking to your refl ection in the mirror can help boost confi dence and beat stress
IF the only time you look in the mirror is to check your refl ection or apply some make- up then you could be missing a trick. Leading wellbeing expert Louise Hay believes that looking at your refl ection and talking to yourself is the key to a happier life.
Positive affi rmations are a proven way to help boost self- esteem and confi dence but Louise believes that saying them while looking at yourself in the mirror magnifi es their power.
Try the techniques below.
BOOST SELF- ESTEEM
Do you criticise yourself endlessly? If the answer is yes you are not loving yourself as you should.
No matter what the problem, the best way to resolve it is to start loving yourself and learning to appreciate everything about you, inside and out.
However, it is impossible to really love yourself unless you have self- approval and self- acceptance and the easiest way to start is to tell yourself as you are standing in front of a mirror. Let go of your old mindset, the one that berates you and resists change.
MIRROR MAGIC: Stand in front of a mirror and look into your eyes. Take a deep breath and say: “I love and approve of myself.” Keep saying it and repeat the affi rmation as often as you can.
Each time you pass a mirror or see your refl ection repeat this affi rmation.
RELEASE ANGER
When anger is not expressed it is processed inwardly, which can lead to bitterness and resentment.
Talking to your refl ection is a great fi rst step to letting it out and dealing with your feelings.
Think about what you would like to say to the person who has annoyed you and say it to the mirror instead. Then send love to whoever or whatever is the object of your anger.
MIRROR MAGIC: Find a mirror where you won’t be disturbed and look at yourself. Remember the moment you became angry and say out loud exactly what you are so angry about. Be specifi c and say: “I am angry at you because...” and “I am hurt because you...”. You may need to do this exercise more than once before you feel you have got rid of your anger.
BANISH STRESS
Stress is a fearful reaction to change and the unknown. It can hold us back and stop us from achieving our goals.
It is possible to combat stress by getting to the bottom of what it is we are afraid of, be it work, money or health.
Once you have identifi ed the thing that is bothering you the next task is deciding whether you are going to live with the limitations you have placed on yourself or try to overcome them.
Remember these limitations are all in your mind and have nothing to do with reality. By practising positive affi rmations you can replace your negative, constricting thoughts with positive ones to create peace, joy, harmony and a stress- free life.
MIRROR MAGIC: Sit in a chair with your hands on your lap and both feet fl at on the fl oor.
Close your eyes and imagine you are wearing your tension and fear as an overcoat. Imagine undoing the buttons, pulling the coat off your shoulders and letting it fall to the fl oor. Feel any tension fl owing out of your body. Pick up a mirror, look into your eyes and say: “I release all fear. I let go of all tension. I am at peace.” Repeat these affi rmations over and over.
BE GRATEFUL
If you spend much of each day being grateful for all the good in your life it will increase your positivity tenfold.
Be grateful for the lessons you learn, even the painful ones. What you learn from them will change your life for the better.
Mirrors can be a great reminder to take a moment out of your day to be grateful and to think about what means the most to you.
Try to be grateful from the moment you wake up until the moment you go to bed and when you interact with people, tell them how grateful you are for what they’ve done.
MIRROR MAGIC: When you fi rst wake up in the morning go to your bathroom mirror, look into your eyes and say: “I am grateful to feel healthy today. I am grateful for having a job to go to today. I am grateful for the friends I am going to meet today.”
Whenever you pass a mirror, stop and say an affi rmation for something you are grateful for in that moment.
To pre- order a copy of Mirror Work: 21 Days To Heal Your Life by Louise Hay (£ 9.99, Hay House) call the Express Bookshop on 01872 562310 or visit expressbookshop. com