I was on the tube the other day and noticed a girl sitting a few seats away. She was peering intently at her skin in a small mirror picking at a spot on her face. She continued to peer and scratch at the spot, then moved onto another area. She was still engrossed in this activity as I left the train about 10 minutes later.

That used to be me…

As those who read my blog and visit my website will know, I used to suffer from awful acne.

I used to carry a small mirror with me at all times. I would take it out a sneak a look at my skin when I thought no-one was looking. I would have been far too embarrassed to do it in a packed train, but it would have been very much on my mind. If anyone even glanced at me I would be worrying about what my skin looked like, and what the person would have thought.

I used to look in the mirror first thing when I got up in the morning, just before I left the house, immediately when returned home, and countless times in between, just in case my skin had magically healed since the last time I checked. But, no matter what the big companies’ marketing departments say, healing your skin is not a magic quick-fix issue that can be brought about by using the latest wonder-cream.

Spending all of this time focusing on your face is destructive. It’s stressful (and stress always makes a skin complaint worse!), and it’s a constant reminder that you’ve got this acne (or whichever skin complaint you may have) on your face.

The best way to stop focusing on your skin is to simply stop thinking about it so much. I say ‘simply’, but it’s actually a lot harder than it sounds, so here are three steps to help make it a little easier…

Step 1 – Reset you thought patterns

Every time you have a disparaging or negative thought about your skin, or you find you’re thinking about it too much, tell your mind to think of something else.

Tell yourself to be patient, and that you are doing the best you can for your skin. Then change your thoughts to something else, preferably something that makes you feel happy.

I like to think of sitting out in the garden, surrounded by plants and flowers and sweet-smelling herbs, feeling the warm sun on my body.

Step 2 – Look in the mirror less

The little mirror I used to carry around with me had been a gift, and was just beautiful. I loved it. But carrying it with me where ever I went just wasn’t helping, so I gave it away.

If you have any hand-held mirrors, especially the magnifying kind, maybe you should give them away, too. Or at least hide them in the back of a dark cupboard where you can forget about them. If you are finding it really difficult not to check your skin, you could even cover all the mirrors in your house with scarves or binbags.

This may sound like an extreme step to take (and would possibly gain a raised eyebrow from any visitors you may have!), but believe me, it will make a difference. If you really can’t stop thinking about your skin, and can’t leave it alone, then not looking at it is the best thing you can do to clear your mind.

Step 3 – Get a breath of fresh air

As I said earlier, stress can make a skin complaint worse. Being out in nature is one of the best ways to de-stress and improve your well-being. So visit your local park, beach, nature reserve, or whatever is available to you, as often as you can. Even if you arrive in a gloomy mood, I bet you won’t leave feeling the same way!