If you’re living with bulimia or anorexia, you might look for coping skills for eating disorders. Below, we explain nine strategies to help you cope with eating disorders.
As a compassionate provider of counseling in Tucson, our team at In Balance Counseling helps patients manage their eating disorders and live healthier and happier lives. To see what our mental health professionals can do for you, call 520-722-9631.
1. Find a Support System
No one should deal with a mental illness alone, and having a strong support system is a major factor in successful treatment. Seek help both from a mental health professional and from your friends and family. If the people in your life remain unsupportive, ask your therapist for help finding a new social circle or support group.
2. Start Journaling
Journaling helps identify latent or subconscious emotions and offers a cathartic release. For the greatest effect, write about everything ranging from your failings and complaints about your day to positive affirmations and goals for your life.
3. Prioritize Relaxation
Stress and a perceived lack of control are significant triggering factors for eating disorders. Find time each day to do something you enjoy and relax. It can be a hot bath, spending time with a coloring book, or hanging in a hammock by a lake.
4. Practice Mediation
Emotion-oriented coping refers to the process of changing the way you feel about a situation. Practicing meditation and mindfulness allows you some control over how you react to stressful situations and better mitigates the compulsions and obsessions associated with eating disorders.
5. Try Yoga
One of the best coping skills for eating disorders is practicing regular yoga. The breathing techniques and concentration on bodily movement allow your body time to process and release endorphins and other neurotransmitters that increase your feeling of well-being.
Early research suggests that regular yoga decreases depression, body dysmorphia, and anxiety.
6. Find a New Hobby
Learning a new skill or hobby can bring greater joy to your life and distract you from those urges that tempt you to relapse. Eating disorders thrive on a lack of impulse control, so occupying your mind with consistent activity reduces the frequency of those impulses.
7. Increase Socialization
Much like finding a system for support is necessary, frequently engaging in social events can help you feel more control over your life, distract you from the disorder’s impulses, and increase the encouragement and accountability available to you.
8. Avoid Diet Culture
Avoidance-oriented coping refers to removing yourself from triggering situations. Avoid places and conversations that deal with diet culture, which is a toxic mindset for anyone dealing with an eating disorder.
9. Stay Mindful of Your Habits
Task-oriented coping strategies help you solve a problem or alter a situation. Work with your support system to identify harmful habits and routines around food and change them to support your new lifestyle.
In Balance Counseling Can Help You Cope With Eating Disorders
When you need help developing coping skills for eating disorders, seeking therapy with In Balance Counseling can help. For effective and compassionate support, book an appointment by calling 520-722-9631.
