Mirror in the Fireside Glow: Body Love When You Just Want to Hide

this time of year, when the air gets colder and the layers pile on, it’s easy to slip into hiding.
Not just under sweaters and blankets… but from yourself.

The mirror starts to feel like an enemy again.
The glow of summer fades, the motivation dips, and suddenly you’re wondering if you’ve lost your spark - your “glow-up” energy.

But let me tell you something:
You haven’t lost it.
It’s just resting.

And maybe… you’re being asked to love yourself differently right now.
Not through perfection or comparison.
But through presence.

Because your body? She’s doing her best.
She’s carried you through every season, every heartbreak, every new beginning.
She’s not here to look perfect… she’s here to keep you alive, grounded, and human.

You don’t owe anyone a smaller, smoother, or more polished version of yourself to be worthy of love.
Not even you.

Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is meet yourself in the mirror… messy bun, baggy sweater, tired eyes and all… and still say,
“Hey beautiful. You’re doing great.”

Body love isn’t about always liking what you see.
It’s about choosing to treat yourself with care even when you don’t.

It’s about gratitude.
Gentleness.
And sometimes, forgiveness.

Because somewhere along the way, we learned to judge our bodies before we learned to thank them.
And that’s the habit we’re breaking, right here, right now.

Your Fireside Mirror Moment

Here’s a gentle self-love activity to try this week:

1. Find a quiet space.
   Somewhere you won’t be interrupted or maybe your bathroom mirror, or your reflection in a window at night when the light hits just right.

2. Light a candle or turn on soft light, make it cozy.
   Let that warm glow feel like a little fire within you.

3. Stand (or sit) in front of your reflection.
   Take a slow breath. Then another.

   Instead of rushing to look, start to see.

4. Say out loud or quietly if it feels too vulnerable:
   “Thank you.”

   Thank your legs for holding you up.
   Thank your arms for carrying the weight of your days.
   Thank your belly for housing your emotions, your heart for staying soft, your skin for protecting you.

   Just one word: thank you.

5. End it with one phrase that feels like love.
   You can borrow mine if you need to:
   “I love you. Even when I forget how to.”

That’s it.
No overthinking. No fixing.
Just being with yourself like you would with a friend, gentle, honest, human.

Because body love isn’t found in the mirror’s reflection, it’s found in how you talk to yourself when no one’s watching.

This season, let your reflection be a reminder:
You don’t need to shrink to be worthy.
You don’t need to glow to be beautiful.
You just need to show up for you.

So pull on that big cozy sweater.
Wrap your arms around yourself.
And remember… warmth doesn’t only come from the fire.
It comes from you.