COVID eating disorder recovery; why now is the time to focus on recovery

covid eating disorder times

COVID Eating Disorder Recovery

 

 

Maybe you’re rolling your eyes. Corona eating disorder environment – good time to recover? Yeah, right.

 

 

Food scarcity, no normal outlets to process feelings or cope, no in-person support, feeling more alone than ever, job uncertainty, school on hold, etc.

 

 

Yes, really.

 

 

Now is the best time to recover. For several reasons.

 

1) FREE or low-cost support is more available than ever.

 

 

I’ve never seen so many virtual support groups.

 

 

I’m leading a group each week and it’s been the most engaged group I’ve ever led (and I’ve facilitated a in-person support group for the past five years.)

 

 

If you haven’t checked it out, go here to learn more. There are other free covid eating disorder groups as well! If you want another option, please email me or know that ERC, Center for Discovery and other treatment centers are offering virtual groups at this time.

 

 

2) It’s convenient.

 

 

You don’t have to lie to your employer to step out for a therapy appointment. (or was I the only one who did that?)

 

 

Nor do you have to ‘get ready’ or commute to therapy or RD appts. You just have to open your computer.

 

 

(Yes, I agree there’s a personal element missing, but can you imagine just ten years ago we wouldn’t have had Zoom or technology to even make virtual meetings happen!). COVID eating disorder environment is odd but at least we can connect.

 

 

3) You have the time.

 

 

It’s that simple. I remember in business school – between my studies, my job, my social life, it felt impossible to make time for recovery!

 

 

(Now, looking back I realize it was an excuse, but…. it still felt hard.)

 

 

But now, with school online and some of you working from home, it’s possible.

 

 

For those of you on the front lines or homeschooling your children – sheeesh – THANK YOU. And this does not apply to you. YOU will have to get even more creative on how to fit recovery in, but focus on 1 and 2 above.

 

 

thank health care workers corona eating disorder

 

4) If you can make progress in COVID eating disorder times, you will be stronger in non-covid times

 

 

I hate when I hear that Corona is an opportunity. Because it’s devastating. Navigating COVID and an eating disorder is HARD. Harder than non-corona eating disorder times.

 

 

And yet, if you can make progress in your recovery during this weird time, then I have no doubt you can make progress when you’re allowed to meet up with friends, go out for coffee, or go to class.

 

 

5) Recovery is the most important thing you’ll ever do.

 

 

If going through Corona eating disorder times has made the ED worse or has made recovery more challenging….

 

 

Then it is exactly your time to focus on recovery. To go ALL IN. If I had a nickel for the number of times I hear people say “it’s not that bad. I’m not even sure I’d call it an eating disorder…”

 

 

Actually I can’t even finish that sentence. I’m possibly turning into a 70yo man since I used an “if I had a nickel” statement. Ugh. Apologies. Back to Covid eating disorder recovery…

 

 

NOW is the time. If things have gotten harder, it means that you need more support. Ask for it!

 

 

Maybe you’re recovering at home or you’re alone or maybe you’re even home…. with your P A R E N T S. Gasp.

 

 

Point is – it is a tough environment to recover in right now. Life is triggering right now. Anxiety is high. Corona eating disorder environment is likely as hard as it gets. So DO IT now when it’s the most triggering it will be. It is the most important work you’ll ever do.

 

 

6) You can make a plan

 

 

If you do want to recover during corona eating disorder times, make a plan for yourself. Put it on paper – make it cute if that’s your thing.

 

 

You don’t neeeeed me or anyone else to make a plan. You can do that right now!

 

 

In fact, I’ve received more emails about recovery options than ever before! Many of you are asking for more COVID eating disorder support. Let’s celebrate that!

 

 

You may have heard of my digital coaching program. I typically only offer this twice per year but given the Corona eating disorder times, I’ve made it available to anyone who wants it!

 

 

If you want to join the 6-month program, hop on over to my digital coaching page. Next, scroll to the bottom of the page and click the ‘buy now’ button. Finally, after you pay, you’ll receive an email about how to access the program!

 

Covid eating disorder recovery

 

Feeling Full After Eating – 3 Tips

sitting with fullness

Sitting With Fullness

 

 

It’s safe to say, eating disorder or not, you’ve likely had that uncomfortable feeling full after eating and sitting with the fullness.

 

 

Whether you just ate Thanksgiving dinner or you’re in recovery from an eating disorder, that feeling of fullness can not only be uncomfortable, but can also be a precursor to something worse.

 

 

It can lead to feelings of self-loathing, shame, more eating disorder behaviors, or perpetuate the binge-restrict cycle.

 

 

For me, as I was navigating how to eat again and how often, I became overwhelmed with feelings of ‘fullness’ that I had never experienced before. I wasn’t sure if they were entirely physical, mental or somewhere in between.

 

 

But, sitting with fullness was one of the hardest parts of breaking the cycle of behaviors.

 

 

I recently came across an essay I wrote while in yoga teacher training on Pema Chodron’s When Things Fall Apart.

 

 

In the report, I wrote on how I was coming to terms with fullness and how to sit with it. Additionally, this is a recurring topic I discuss with clients in my 1:1 coaching program.

 

 

I’d like to share three helpful tips to coping with feelings of fullness.

 

 

Feeling Full After Eating? Sitting with Fullness – 3 Tips

 

 

1) Change your mental state

 

 

What I mean by this is speak some affirmations and truth to your mind. Shift your mindset. Some powerful affirmations I practiced when feeling full after eating:

 

 

“this feeling of fullness is temporary”

“this will pass”

“my body knows what to do”

“trust my body”

 

 

2) Change your physical state

 

 

There are physical positions that aid digestion and ease that feeling of fullness. A quick google search will yield hundreds of poses. However, be cautious with clicking on these when in a vulnerable state.

 

 

Some of my go-to digestive poses are:

 

child’s pose

happy baby

yogi squat

 

digestive yoga for feeling full after eating

 

 

In addition I made a digestive yoga video (admittedly I’m a little embarrassed by it; this was years ago, but hey it really helps).

 

 

3) Sit in the discomfort

 

 

Okay I’m sure you’re reading this and flipping me the middle finger at the same time. I know I would be.

 

 

Really, Lindsay, sit in the discomfort? Thanks, great advice.

 

 

But the discomfort is where you grow after all.

 

 

Sit in the fullness. Cry. Get pissed. Write about your feelings. Punch some pillows. Whatever you have to do when you’re feeling full after eating… but, then revisit key number one above. And tell yourself, this will pass. This feeling of fullness will go away.

 

 

The first time you sit with fullness, it will feel awful. The second time, still pretty awful. But the fifth, sixth, and fortieth time you start sitting with fullness? It’s less painful. You move on. Eventually you won’t even notice it.

 

 

Feeling full after eating isn’t the problem. It’s what we do with it. There are many options to sitting with fullness. Above I’ve only listed three.

 

 

The key is to be kind to yourself. Be gentle to yourself and know that sitting with it really is the best thing for you. The eating disorder will try to convince you to compensate or try to ‘beat you up’ and tell you what a terrible person you are. YOU know better. Go revisit these three tips – try one and let me know how it goes!

 

 

Finally if you want more tips like this, make sure you’re on my two action Tuesday list – where you get tangible actions each Tuesday on how to navigate recovery.