Hey loves!
Recently, I've been happier than I can remember myself being for a really long time. Honestly, it feels so good because I worked so hard to get here. That said, last night I was having a rough time, and that's just part of being human. For the first time in so long, though, I was able to break free of the negative self-talk and destructive thought patterns, and let myself practice self-care. And you know what? It works. And, I felt SO much better this morning knowing that I am able to nurture myself instead of beat myself up when I'm having bad days. For those of you who are going through a rough time right now, I've been there. Here are some coping strategies that have helped me and some of my friends/fellow recovery warriors through some tough times:
Coping Strategies Anxiety:
- Go for a run, or to a yoga class - anything to get you up and moving. Now, if you are recovering from an eating disorder or exercise addiction please be careful if you choose to exercise, and know that it's not your only option to feel better. The point is to use multiple coping strategies where you can, and pick the one that works best for you at this point in your recovery :)
- Listen to a calming song (for me, this is Amber Run's "5AM")
- Call a friend
- Take a cold shower (sometimes the cold makes it feel like it's easier to breathe)
- Open a window to let in some fresh air
- Light a candle
- Put on a face mask
- Watch puppy videos on YouTube (Or the fainting goats! Those guys are fantastic)
Coping Strategies for When You Hate Your Body:
- Put cream on the parts of your body you think are "flawed". Caring for these parts of you can be really powerful, and slowly train your mind that all of you is enough (it sounds weird, but it really does work, trust me)
- Face mask - literally my favourite feel-good thing is putting on a blueberry face mask because I'm actually not allergic to it (shocker), and it just really makes me feel like I deserved this self-care
- Write a letter to your body (again... sounds weird, but it can also really help you think things through)
If you are really struggling with body image on a particular day, I would tread carefully when it comes to going to the gym or exercising too much. The goal is to nurture self-love, not work towards changing yourself. If exercise makes you feel strong and better about yourself, go for it. But if you start thinking of it in terms of calories burned, "making up for" your last meal, or how it's going to "cancel out" the ice cream you have later, maybe try another coping strategy first. (PS it's 100% okay to eat a pint of Ben and Jerry's after the gym - that was my yesterday! Exercise isn't about making up for anything - it's about making yourself feel happy, healthy, and strong :) ) A couple of friends yesterday made jokes about me eating ice cream after the gym, but I mean the joke's on them because I was eating ice cream so things were looking pretty good from where I was sitting ;)
Coping Strategies for Self-Harm:
Recently, I've struggled with how to help people who reach out to me for support through self-harm. This is something I really don't have much experience finding coping strategies for, so, I've done some research and asked around, and these seem to be the most helpful tips:
- Make a list of things that make you happy
- Phone a supportive friend
- List as many good things about yourself as you can
- Do something nice for someone else
- Squeeze ice
- List the many uses for a random object
- Clean
- Cry
- Put stickers on the parts of your body you want to self-injure
- Draw on yourself with marker
- Painting yourself with tempera paint
- Take a shower
I know that when you are in a bad place, it can be hard to think of anything but how lost you feel. But those feelings do pass, and remember you are never alone. Next time you are feeling stuck, try some of these healthy coping strategies.
