by Allegra Egizi, MS, RDN, LDN
Like many of our clients, you might be struggling with the desire to use eating behaviors as a way to feel productive, grounded, and safe during a very uncertain time. And to be honest, we don’t blame you for entertaining these thoughts!
Given how stressful, isolating, and uneventful life has become during the COVID-19 pandemic, it makes sense if you might have noticed a tendency to fall back into behaviors and old habits that once provided a sense of accomplishment, purpose, and promise. Though we understand how this has happened for you, we’re also here to remind you that there are plenty of other (less harmful) ways to fulfill your needs, even amidst a global pandemic.
Let’s take a look at some of these alternative ways to continue feeling excited, productive, and grounded during COVID-19, completely independent of your eating disorder:
Explore new and old hobbies: Maybe you’ve been wanting to learn how to play an instrument, or perhaps get back into reading, writing, singing, or meditating. Whatever it may be, now is the time to explore some of your passions, both new and old. Not only are hobbies enjoyable, but they’re often a great way to challenge the brain and leave you feeling accomplished. Not sure where to start? Make a list of things that interest or excite you and come up with a few ways that you can incorporate them into your day-to-day, especially as you’re spending more time at home.
Organize your space: One perk of being at home during this time is that it may allow you to tackle certain spaces that you’ve been wanting to organize. Cleaning and organizing your living space can actually be quite relaxing and cathartic, especially once you get into a groove! And organizing doesn’t have to be boring. Turn on your favorite playlist, have your favorite drink nearby, and consider involving the kids or partner to make it an activity for the whole family.
Engage in joyful movement: Though we’d caution against engaging in excessive or “forced” exercise, as this type of movement generally does more harm than good (mentally and physically), we totally understand that you can have the genuine desire to move, and that’s absolutely okay! Just make sure the intention behind the movement is coming from a place of body respect and self-care, rather than a place of dissatisfaction and attempting to change or control your body. If exercising adds MORE stress to your day..consider another form of self-care instead. Rather than choosing an exercise influenced on external factors, like calories burned, heart rate, distance, or pace, we encourage you to choose ones based on internal cues such as how your mind and body feels, and your energy levels.
Establish (flexible) structure: While being too rigid with yourself isn’t healthy, establishing a loose and flexible schedule during this unusual time can help you maintain some normalcy in your life. Fill your schedule with a variety of enjoyable and fulfilling activities throughout the day to keep you occupied, yet relaxed, and remember that even amidst the chaos, your body still needs to be nourished consistently! Having meals and snacks planned loosely throughout your day can help maintain some structure and continue to take care of yourself.
Practice self-care: Although it might feel like you have to “do more” in order to feel productive, taking time to slow down, unwind, and make a bit of time for yourself can be extremely grounding, helping you feel taken care of during this stressful time. And remember that self-care can look different for everyone, whether that be taking a midday nap, listening to music, taking a bath, going for a walk, baking a treat, going to bed early, calling a friend, watching a movie, turning off your phone, or simply taking a few deep breaths. Whatever it may be for you, we encourage you to start incorporating self-care into your daily routine and see how it can positively change the way you think and feel.
We hope that this post gave you a few ideas of ways to continue feeling productive and grounded during a very unfamiliar and chaotic time, and we encourage you to continue exploring more ways that work best for you. Although using eating disorder behaviors may help you feel short-term control, it’s important to consider how far you’ve come, and how these behaviors are serving you in your recovery. Above all, remember that you deserve to have a healthy relationship with food!
Have questions or comments for us? Please don’t hesitate to reach out - we’d love to hear from you.
