Author: Cindy Engelstad B.A. ICF
Self-care can sometimes feel challenging and uncomfortable but it’s also a critical part of the recovery process. Self-care means taking the time to do things that help you live well and improve both your physical and mental health. It can help to manage stress, lower risk of illness, and increase energy. Even small acts of self-care in your daily life can have a big impact.
Self-care includes any activity you do deliberately to take care of you. Self-care is not selfishness nor self-indulgence, it actually promotes personal wellbeing. For individuals struggling with an eating disorder, self-care can be difficult, uncomfortable, and even non-existent. Those who with EDs can feel disconnected from not only food and their bodies, but also from others. This disconnection can make it difficult to access your inner, emotional world and the many messages your body tries to communicate. This is why self-care requires honest reflection, self-compassion, and adjustment to present circumstances. Self-care can help to prevent burnout and promotes stress-management and resiliency to life’s stressors — essentially, self-care is self-preservation.
Material items are often marketed as self-care, but many of these things are not promoting actual health and wellness and may not be attainable for many people. Though specific activities vary from person to person, self-care should be accessible while bringing you peace, clarity, energy, and inspiration. Part of recovery is discovering what self-care means to you.
Examples of self-care may include:
getting adequate rest
eating nourishing and satisfying foods
maintaining balanced work/life routine
engaging in joyful or intuitive movement
meditating
setting healthy boundaries
practicing grounding/breathing techniques
cleaning/organizing
following up with medical care
participating in hobbies
spending time with loved ones
Self-care is important not only for your body, but also your physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health. Finding time to incorporate self-care into your daily life can help decrease symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, and other mental health issues. Physical self-care is nurturing your physical needs. Emotional self-care is the practice of nurturing your feelings. Mental self-care focuses on your overall mental health and well-being. Spiritual self-care is a practice that involves connecting with your higher or authentic self.
Throughout recovery, self-care becomes a form of self-compassion. Here are a few tips to help you lean into and explore self-care.
Practice identifying your emotions and needs.
Set boundaries and give yourself permission to say “no”
Try something new
Take a social media break
Spend some time outside
Journal and reflection
During recovery and beyond, we encourage practicing self-care as often as is possible and accessible for you. Being able to access some forms of self-care, no matter how small, will gradually encourage positive shifts to your overall well-being.
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