For me, navigating school while suffering from an eating disorder was very hard. No one is watching you, and with a perfection-oriented environment, it’s so easy for your eating disorder to creep in and take over.
But you can quiet the voice and take control. Every time I went back into school, I never was able to finish a semester. It was a bad cycle because I would judge myself more harshly because I couldn’t finish a semester.
One major thing also for me was following my meal plan. When you are in treatment, you are monitored but when you are on your own or busy it’s easy to hide your ED.
My final time in treatment I really worked hard on my recovery because I wanted to finish school. When I reentered school, I was nervous because school was a big trigger for me. I never would have thought that was possible.
Here are some of the things that really helped me and can help you too!
Distractions
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Distractions help you not focus so much on ED and ED’s thoughts. Joining groups and clubs can help and making plans with friends. For example, plan a weekly hang out where you all get together. Being on a schedule also is really good thing when in recovery. It keeps you on track.
Journaling
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Journaling is also a great outlet. When you are busy sometimes the ED thoughts will try to invade journaling helps to get it all on paper and start making connections. Distractions after meals are key, as well. Plan things after you eat whether it be meeting up with a friend, starting a project, studying, going to class, etc.
Meditate
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When you are having really bad anxiety and the eating disorder thoughts seem to be so unbearable, meditation can help. Go somewhere if it’s nice outside or a place that you are alone. Try to breathe deeply, close your eyes, and imagine you are someplace safe and peaceful. You can also schedule a day to pamper yourself: get a massage, facial, or something else relaxing and FOR YOU.
Affirmations
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Make a list of affirmations and take them everywhere you go. I used to think, ‘How is this going to change my thinking?’ It turns out that keeping affirmations and rereading them really does help. When you wake up in the morning, say one positive thing to yourself in the mirror and do the same right before you go to sleep. Whenever you are feeling low, take out one of the affirmations and read them.
To continue reading the rest of the list from our partner, Proud2BMe, you can click here.
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