What are you doing to make time for yourself? How is the self-care going?
Sometimes eating disorders and disordered eating patterns and habits come from a place of negative body image, having no confidence, and not loving yourself.
When I struggled with eating disorders, it was partly due to having a very low self-esteem and body image. I didn’t have great role models of loving myself and my body and so I didn’t have much confidence. This can play a big role into eating/eating disorders because you take better care of yourself and your body if you love yourself and your body. If you don’t love yourself, you’re not going to be as motivated to actually make yourself a priority and take care of yourself well.
When we hear “self-care,” a lot of times we think about bubble baths, chocolate, etc. And these things ARE important! It is important to take time in your life for things that you love, that fill you up, and that make you happy. However, sometimes that doesn’t look like a bubble bath or eating chocolate. Sometimes the biggest form of self-care is the internal work. Going to therapy, working on loving yourself, working through past traumas, cutting out negative influences, and cultivating a peaceful life are all forms of self-care as well. These things tend to be a little harder than what we first think of when we hear “self-care,” but they are just as, if not MORE, important. And even though these things can be hard, they are WORTH IT.
Another part of self-care is taking care of your physical health! Making time for workouts, meal prep; choosing healthier foods that feel good to your body; and practicing yoga/breathing and other activities to help regulate your nervous system.
All of these are wonderful ways to take care of yourself and are also self-care! For a lot of people, working out and exercising is a beautiful way to help with anxiety, depression, and self-confidence! Exercise has been proven to be very effective in lowering anxiety and depression. And for me, and many others, becoming stronger physically helps to increase confidence.
When you start to make yourself a priority and start to build a life that you love, you will start to have a little more love for yourself. Changing how you show up for yourself, and starting to believe that you are worthy of showing up for changes the way you see yourself. And you should see yourself as beautiful and loved. You ARE – because you’re here!
So, next time you think about self-care, or you hear the word “self-care,” remember that there are MANY things that fit into this category.
You are WORTH taking care of. Start to believe that.
Start to incorporate little changes each day. You don’t have to incorporate all of these elements of self-care as you start out, but pick one area to focus on and start there. You are worthy of love and a beautiful life, so start showing up for yourself! Change takes time, but it is worth it. And as always, remember that you’re never alone and there is help available if you need it!
*Disclaimer: The views expressed by the writer are in their personal capacity only and aren’t to be replaced with medical advise.
Abby Horst
A podcaster, wife, health/wellness coach, beach lover, and musician. She specialises in nutrition education, meal planning, and developing sustainable habits. She passionately works with her patients to help them build healthier and happier relationships with food, exercise, and themselves.
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