Mirror, Mirror...

...on the wall, who's the most obsessed of all? If you're reading this section, chances are you might be a little too preoccupied with your appearance. Now, wanting to look nice and feel good about yourself is perfectly normal, but are you letting this interfere with school, work, even relationships? Do you avoid going out in public if you don't look "good?" Do you alter your eating habits to control your appearance? If so, you may want to talk to someone about your problem. This is the sort of thing that can seriously affect your health and happiness, so don't be afraid to ask for some help!

One of the most important things in life is for you to like yourself, and this won't happen if the qualifications for self-esteem are based on looks. If you don't think you have a health-threatening obsession, but are still concerned about your fashionation, try some of these tips:

• Make a journal of how you feel about your appearance. Give yourself one reason a day to like who you are. If you need suggestions, ask a friend!
  
• Once a week, keep your daily beauty regimen to a minimum.
  
• Read through some articles by people who suffered from body image disorders and come up with a list of traps and pitfalls to avoid. Tape them on your bathroom mirror.
• Make Friday your "casual day."
• Slowly convert some of your time in front of the mirror into something you really want to do.

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