I'm notorious for hogging mirrors. Ask any of my acquaintances and they'll tell you that I stare at my reflection for too long, trying to perfect my outfit and searching for any facial blemish I can cover up with concealer. Determined not to let my preoccupation with my appearance dominate my life, I decided to avoid gazing at any reflective surfaces for an entire day.

 

My day began optimistically. I wasn't tempted to sneak a peak at myself in my bathroom mirror or blank phone screen as I prepared for work. Fearing foundation streaks and jagged eyeliner, I opted for no make-up. I blindly ran a brush through my hair and threw on an outfit I knew was flattering before I headed out into the world.

 

It was liberating at first. Not worrying about how I looked put me in a good mood - or maybe my 20-minute sleep-in was responsible for that. As it turns out, putting on make-up and styling my hair consumes a substantial amount of my time in the morning. 

 

At this point, I began to wonder why I ever bothered to put effort into my appearance in the first place. People at my local shopping centre, including my workmates, didn't seem to notice any difference.

 

However, the bliss only lasted for an hour at most. Panic started to rise when I felt a bump on my cheek and I became convinced a blemish the size of Mount Vesuvius was now dominating my face. A gentle breeze blew my hair around, messing up my part, and trying to fix it felt like trying to do a jigsaw puzzle blindfolded. 

 

Not to mention, avoiding any reflective surface was a challenge. The shopping centre I work at is filled with glass and mirrors, including long metallic walls that cover storefronts. I must have looked particularly odd covering my face and walking quickly away whenever I came close to catching a glimpse of myself.

 

I caved a few hours later and looked into a mirror, fearing I looked like I'd been lost in the woods for days. As it turns out, there was no Mount Vesuvius on my face, my hair was perfectly parted and I miraculously didn't even have any pieces of seaweed stuck to my teeth as a remnant from lunch. 

 

If there's one thing I've learnt, it's that you can definitely live without looking in the mirror, or at the very least, looking at it less.