Managing Stress While Struggling with an Eating Disorder

We are definitely in the midst of a high stress time in our lives. Add struggling with an eating disorder to  the mix and it can feel almost impossible. We’ve provided five simple ways for you to continue to practice recovery and stress management in challenging times.

1. Work with your treatment team to come up with concrete coping tools. Discuss with them some situations that might arise or what you are worried about when connecting with family and friends. Then, find ways to cope during these situations! Whether it’s walking away for a mindful breathing moment or sitting down with someone to talk about the way you’re feeling, there are endless ways to regroup your thoughts and feelings during a trying moment. Talk to your treatment team about what is best for you!
2. Figure out healthy boundaries for yourself and how to set them. You can get help to determine where your personal boundaries lie for each person you’re nervous about encountering and how to set them! Setting these boundaries might not always be talking directly with a friend or family member about what makes you uncomfortable, but could be ways to diffuse a conversation that makes you feel like they are crossing that boundary for you. Your treatment team can help you find the appropriate boundaries to set and how to set them!
3. Continue to practice mindfulness in your everyday routine. Mindfulness is a wonderful coping skill that can be used in all kinds of situations! If you’re in an overwhelming environment, making use of a mindful moment can bring you back to yourself. Taking an hour one day to explore nature might be another way to decompress during a stressful period. Take some time to think about which mindful moments are important to you and how to keep up with them throughout the holiday season!
4. Stay true to yourself. The BLS motto is to ‘Be Well, Be Real, Be You.’ This is an important part of our treatment programs! Staying true to who you are, your dislikes and likes, your passions and hobbies is a crucial part of recovery. Remembering who you are, especially during the holiday season, can be a wonderful guiding force for managing stressful situations. 
5. Practice self-love. Easily the most important one to remember! If you’re unable to practice the other four tips, practice self-love! This includes doing things that are good for your treatment and recovery, things that will decrease your stress levels, and ways to decompress! This practice rolls all of these other coping mechanisms into one. If you would like some examples for ways to practice self-love, talk to your treatment team about what would be appropriate for you! 

For more information and resources, you can take a look at our website (www.blscounseling.net) or give our office a call (850.765.6769)! You can also follow us on Instagram (@betterlivingsolutionstally) and FaceBook (@BLSTally) for daily posts and resources!

The Better Living Solutions Team would like to wish you a happy and healthy holiday! We will close early on Christmas Eve (1:30p) and New Year’s Eve (4:30p) and will be closed all day on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Feel free to reach out to us on any day if you are in need of support. And don’t forget to Be Well, Be Real, and Be You!