We are what we learn. If we learn to undervalue ourselves throughout our existence, we can never achieve what we want. Fortunately, there are psychological techniques that can help us overcome this stage.
Among them is the mirror technique, which consists of a very simple therapeutic practice, but which requires discipline and a lot of sincerity from the individual who develops it.
This technique guarantees, after a while, relatively significant changes, which will drive you every day to be a better person. It should be noted that the mirror technique is developed in 21 days according to the writer Louise Hay in her book “The Power of the Mirror”.
In the following article, we give you all the information about this technique, and how to practice it on your own initiative to get all the benefits of it.
What is the mirror technique?
The mirror technique is a therapeutic tool used by psychology in children, young people and adults, with the intention of improvingself-esteemusing observation and judgment of oneself.
In this sense, the mirror technique was created by Dr. Fernando Bianco Colmenares in 1975, and is a technique that tries to promote the construction of a healthyself-concept through self-contemplation, introspection and cognitive substitution.
Similarly, the mirror technique is based on exercises to work with body images or “body imagery”, and has been used for decades in psychotherapy to work different aspects of the “I”. In other words, it is a technique for communicating with oneself.
Objectives of the mirror technique
The objectives to be achieved of this technique are more focused on achieving the attitudinal overcoming of our behavior, through the modification of the negative psychological aspects that we carry inside. Here are the following:
Strengthen self-esteem
This technique increases acceptance, respect and appreciation of oneself, being key for the energy to rise and serve as a point of attraction for all desires to arrive. Frequently used in the treatment of body dissatisfactions.
In a Research paper regarding the mirror technique and self-esteem, it was concluded that “exposure to the mirror is an effective strategy in the treatment of body image disturbances, both in the population with eating disorders and in healthy women with high body dissatisfaction.
Promote self-awareness
The inequalities of life, on many occasions, are forged from ourselves. We are used to valuing the rest of the people around us, but we are afraid of valuing ourselves.
This technique allows us to know ourselves, understanding what we have, what we are and what we can do. It allows us to recognize what we are made of and what we are capable of undertaking.
Improve self-concept
The self-concept is the real appreciation of oneself. On occasions, and sometimes unconsciously, we value ourselves very negatively, either because we couldn’t achieve something at a certain time or because a situation exceeded our resolution capacity.
This technique allows us to place ourselves on a positive plane and that the negative things that have happened to us serve to feed our experience and our knowledge, and that from a moment on, we will know how to face it, improving our perception of ourselves every day.
Provide a healthy emotional approach
The mirror technique is elaborated to act on ouremotions, essentially the negative ones, working in such a way that over time we replace them with positive ones.
Perhaps a first impression of us is that “I am not capable of this”, but that we will progressively transform it into “I have at my disposal the necessary tools to solve the problems that come my way”.
In the occupational field , Research shows that the mirror technique “allows to achieve objectives related to the improvement of occupational performance in significant activities, related to the different areas of occupation defined within the framework for the practice of occupational therapy: domain and process.
How is the mirror technique performed?
To start this technique it is important to realize the reality that surrounds us, to be honest with ourselves, since there is always the fear of evaluating ourselves honestly. We give you a guide below:
introspection questions
personal recognition
With positive language and verbalizing (main gestures), make an assessment of your person using, for example, the following questions: What good things does that person have?, What do you like most about that person?, What do you see in the mirror? Would you change something about the person in the mirror?
positive approach
Speak to yourself with positive language, with motivating words and phrases, always looking into the eyes of the image in the mirror. Flood your expressions with longings and aspirations. Build your future like this. Speak confidently and decisively.
Benefits of the mirror technique
The benefits offered by this technique are directed towards one’s own attitude, towards emotions, beyond the benefits that may occur at the organism level. Here we mention the most relevant:
Reduces depression and anxiety
As it is a technique aimed at suppressing negative emotions, when you are practicing it, you charge your consciousness with positive energy, reducing the psychological effects of negativity that cause depression and anxiety .
Helps solve relationship problems
Undoubtedly, having a negative approach to ourselves greatly influences the formation of our self-esteem. The perception of our environment is also negative, it seems that everything and everyone is against us.
When there is a relationship as a couple, who else suffers the consequences of this negative environment is undoubtedly the couple.
By releasing the negative charge that we carry within us, through the application of this technique, it allows us to visualize a different and favorable reality towards ourselves and towards others, including our partner.
Helps treat eating disorders
Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are eating disorders in the individual. OneStudy indicated that mirror exposure helped reduce negative thoughts and a progressive increase in positive thoughts throughout treatment in women suffering from bulimia nervosa.
This is precisely what the mirror technique wants to achieve, the progressive increase in positive thoughts and with it the improvement of people’s own perception.
Improves the behavior of children and adolescents
In the case of children and adolescents with ADHD (attention hyperactivity disorder) , they are fully aware that they have difficulties but do not know how to solve them, generating a decrease in their self-esteem.
Academic problems, difficulties in completing tasks and the high level of frustration that this causes have to do with the relationship between ADHD and self-esteem.
Thanks to this therapy, the observation of the self-esteem of the patients is facilitated, so that they understand the concept they have of themselves.
Among the objectives are, develop a healthy self-concept, teach to love and value yourself. With this, it is achieved that they have a different image of themselves and therefore raise their self-esteem.
In children it is very important, since they are in the early stages of learning, experiences that will shape their future behavior.
Promotes respect and self-worth
This technique, performed correctly, promotes self-respect, through increased self- Confidencetag. Self-judgment is valued, allowing a broader vision of the reality that surrounds him, manifesting a totally empowered personality.
University Professional in the area of Human Resources, Postgraduate in Occupational Health and Hygiene of the Work Environment, 14 years of experience in the area of health. Interested in topics of Psychology, Occupational Health, and General Medicine.