Self-care is the conscious act of improving your own mental and emotional health. When in the midst of an eating disorder treatment it can be hard to remember the things that are most important to us. Our values, passions, hobbies are guiding lights during eating disorder therapy, recovery, and treatment. Below are some self-care tips to help with your recovery journey.
Lighting a candle
Sometimes it can be hard to keep up with the world around us. Lighting a candle can help ease any stress we may have in that moment and create mindfulness. Lighting candles are soothing and offer many emotional benefits, especially regarding mindfulness. Mindfulness skills can look like trying to focus on the colors of the candle, the smell of the candle, and the softness of the flame. Try and bring your attention to various aspects of the candle. How do you feel afterwards?
Journaling
Journaling can act as a reflective tool in times of need. It helps ease stress, especially in moments where you may be unable to express your feelings to a support person or express those feelings elsewhere. Journaling can allow for you to write down how you are feeling and help understand the context of the situation. When you complete journaling, discard of the written paper to symbolically let go of that event. However, if it helps for you to keep the journaling prompt because it helps with memory recall by all means keep that journal entry!
Listening to Music
There are so many benefits to music, it’s hard to list them all here. Music improves mood, reduces stress, provides comfort, eases pain, and alleviates anxiety. When feeling like your mind is ‘too loud’ or racing, listening to music can help ease any overwhelming thoughts and feelings. A calming music genre or your favorite song can be particularly helpful when you’re having triggering eating disorder thoughts. Listen to a song to that improves your mood — it can be tempting to turn to sad or angry songs, but if you’re looking for a mood shift that might not be the most helpful! My personal favorite songs that help improve my mood is, “Valerie” by Amy Winehouse or “Walking on Sunshine” By Katrina and the Waves.
Post by: Meagan Mattos, Gemmed Intern