This Mindful Moment: Softening the Voice Within

There’s a voice inside that doesn’t always sound like love.

It speaks in sharp edges.

In numbers.

In shoulds.

It tries to keep things in control—but often, it just leaves us tired.

You might know the one.

It tells you what you’re allowed to eat.

What your body should look like.

How good or bad you’ve been that day.

It’s the voice that shows up when you look in the mirror,

Or when you put on a swimsuit,

Or when you’re standing in front of the fridge at night, feeling something you can’t name.

That voice can be loud in the summer.

It can feel like it’s helping.

Like it’s protecting you.

But really… it’s afraid.

Afraid of softness.

Afraid of rest.

Afraid of not being enough.

You’re Not Alone If That Voice Lives in You

At Beyond the Mirror, we sit with a lot of folks who carry that voice.

People who struggle with food—too much, not enough, or thinking about it all the time.

People who feel like they have to earn their worth through control, or shrinking, or staying small.

And here’s something we remind them, gently, again and again:

You were never meant to live at war with yourself.

There’s Another Voice, Too…

It’s quieter.

It doesn’t yell.

It speaks in softness, in warmth, in knowing.

It says:

🌿 You’re already enough.

🌿 You don’t have to fix anything to be lovable.

🌿 Rest is sacred.

🌿 You belong.

You might not hear it clearly yet. That’s okay.

It may take time.

That’s okay too.

But it’s there—underneath all the noise.

And it’s yours.

A Gentle Practice: Listening Differently

This week, if you notice that harsh voice show up—pause for a moment.

You don’t have to fight it.

Just ask:

🌿 What are you trying to protect me from?

🌿 What else might be true right now?

🌿 What would I say to a friend feeling this way?

Let kindness slip in through the cracks.

Let curiosity soften the edges.

You don’t have to change everything overnight.

You just have to begin with one small kindness.

If this feels familiar—if food feels hard, or your body feels like a battleground—you don’t have to walk through it alone.

We offer gentle, compassionate therapy for eating disorders and body image in Fort Collins and across Colorado through virtual sessions. Whether it’s binge eating, restricting, over-exercising, or just feeling exhausted by it all—we’re here to sit with you. To listen. To help you hear the voice of kindness again.

There’s nothing wrong with you.

There never was.

You’re just finding your way back home.