Finding Balance: Resuming Routines After Holiday Disruptions in Eating Disorder Recovery
Following the holiday season, especially after the new year, there’s often a rush to quickly readjust. This typically entails sudden shifts in eating patterns, exercise routines, and other aspects of life. However, these rapid changes might overwhelm individuals in the process of recovering from disordered eating.
We understand how tough it is to stay hopeful and motivated, especially amidst the high stress and pressure during this time when everyone’s crafting their New Year’s plans. It’s crucial to acknowledge that every journey is different, and comparing ourselves steals away happiness. No matter how your holiday went, be kind to yourself and recognize that even small steps forward are meaningful progress. Maybe you incorporated some breathing exercises when feeling overwhelmed or worked on establishing boundaries with family members. These actions show progress in the right direction.
During this season of the New Year, these are some things we want you to keep in mind:
There’s No Rush
- There’s truly no need to hurry to ‘get back on track,’ even if others, including friends, family, or social media, suggest otherwise. It’s the truth! Regardless of what or how much you ate, you have the freedom to take your time returning to your usual routine. While it’s essential to reintroduce your typical eating and exercise patterns, consider easing into them gradually and gently, rather than making abrupt changes.
Set Body-Positive Goals
- Setting goals is important—they give you a target to work towards. Rather than getting caught up in strict diets or intense workouts that might not fit your lifestyle, consider New Year’s resolutions centered around taking care of yourself. Think about things that will help you feel better both physically and mentally such as implementing joyful movement, reframing negative thoughts, improving your sleep habits, learning new skills, and others. These types of goals can empower you throughout the year and bring positive changes to your life.
If you want more information about this, we’d recommend reading this blog: A New Year, A New Approach: Body-Positive Goals for a Sustainable New Year
Practice Self-Compassion
- This journey involves ups and downs, setbacks, and achievements. Regardless of the challenges faced in the past few weeks, it’s crucial to be kind to yourself. These experiences help us understand ourselves better—our triggers, joys, areas for improvement, and how much progress we’ve made. The phrase “You live and you learn” comes to mind when talking about this, since it reflects that regardless of the outcome of a situation there are always lessons that will help with personal growth. If there have been challenges or successes lately, take a moment to show yourself compassion and consider the lessons you can take from those experiences. This new year is a great opportunity to offer yourself some grace and reflect on how far you’ve come! Be proud of that!
Check-in with your Trusted Professionals
- Now is the moment to connect with your healthcare team for additional guidance and support. Trusted professionals like therapists or dietitians can assist with challenges you face with eating disorder recovery during the holidays, offer strategies, and celebrate your successes with you. We are all here to help!
