Dear reflection,

I don't like you. I don't like what you're showing me. I don't like the double chin, the puffy eyes, the way my eyes crinkle in the corners when I smile. I don't like how my cheeks turn this horrible shade of pink when I'm embarrassed. Your hair is frizzy and messy. I hate how you cut it. I really can't stand how you can't see my eyelashes unless I coat them with layers of mascara. I hate how your body could be really nice and attractive, but it isn't. You are not pretty like the other girls. You shouldn't like what you see.

The small note above is a piece of a journal entry I wrote to myself after glancing at myself in the mirror and being unhappy with what reflected back to me.

Body positivity is something that every young adult woman struggles with in her daily life. Bombarded with celebrity images of what we should consider as "beautiful", women often feel they fall short of these expectations, and, as a result, don't like what they see when they look into the mirror. Sadly, the journal entry above is an all-to-common thought many women have about themselves. This negative image that women get of themselves holds so much power that it has the potential to be detrimental to the emotional and physical health of them. How?

Did you know that depression and anxiety are some of the most common mental disorders in America, rates being astonishingly high among women? In fact, one in eight women will develop clinical depression in their lifetime. (mentalhealthamerica.org) While the underlying factors for the development of depression varies among each woman and her life, the most common reason for women getting depression is feelings of worthlessness and not being good enough.

Another crippling mental disorder that affects women daily is eating disorders. 10% of college-aged women are suffering from a clinical or near-clinical eating disorder. (mirasol.net) Most women develop eating disorders because they have a skewed image of how they should look. They feel like they don't measure up to the standard of what makes a girl "beautiful". They carry this heavy burden on themselves, while hurting their bodies more than they can imagine or even realize.

What I stated is not just statistics. These are real women suffering with real disorders. They are our mothers, grandmothers, sisters, cousins, best friends, girlfriends, classmates, and coworkers. This issue of hating what we look like isn't begging for attention or fishing for compliments. It's a real epidemic amongst young adult women everywhere.

Now that this has been brought closer to home, how can we help everyone that hates their reflection feel a little bit more love in their life? The lack of body positivity across women and girls everywhere is a gigantic issue that cannot be solved overnight; it's entirely too much ground to cover. But we can start by implementing more positivity into our lives in hopes of radiating good vibes to those around us. Replace "I don't like" or "I hate" with "I like" or "I love" when talking about yourself. Give yourself credit for the things you accomplish and for the things you do right. Build up the women in your life.

Another way to make yourself feel comfortable in your own skin is to treat your body right. Drink lots and lots of water every day, and your skin and hair will thank you. Load up on fruits and veggies, and skip desserts. Go for a walk before sunset and talk with a friend or listen to music. Read your favorite books on your front porch swing. Take a bubble bath every once in a while. Spend some time doing a face mask or painting your nails. When your body is happy on the inside, it reflects to the outside.

Being a girl in this day and age is really, really hard. Especially when you aren't a size two and built like a Victoria's Secret angel. But loving yourself and being a positive light can go a long way in making every woman feel exactly what they are: wonderfully and beautifully made.