It’s only a muffin so eat it if you want it right? I’ve been talking about eating behaviour’s a lot this week and been dealing with my own craziness around the topic ?

Food to a lot of us is a security blanket, it’s how we make ourselves feel good and can give us a moment of comfort. We are in odd and stressful times so if a muffin gives you a bit of comfort then eat the muffin.

Lockdown and isolation are hard for all of us, those of us who struggle or have struggled with disordered eating behaviours are finding it quite difficult. At home 24/7 with food, which we may have stockpiled to avoid repeated trips out. We are stressed, possibly alone or stuck with a heap of people we haven’t chosen and anxious, which is a recipe ? for these behaviours to be prevalent.

Now is a time to aim to go easy on yourself and be kind. It’s okay if certain behaviours have creeped back in. Disordered eating initially can make you feel good, happy and safe so if it’s ticking these boxes then try and accept that. We know that over time these behaviours are not ideal, though right now they may be serving their purpose. Disordered eating and eating disorders are a coping mechanism, yes there are better ones, though in this moment if they are looking after you in a way, then acceptance may be the way to go.

Be conscious around your behaviours, observe yourself and reflect. Being aware of why you are behaving in a certain way is a starting point to making changes and improving, implementing or eliminating said behaviours at an appropriate time. Now maybe not the right time for most people. Change takes energy and brain space; do you have any spare to make changes right now?

Other ways we can show ourselves some self care

• Include things in your day that you enjoy, I know this sounds obvious, though its often overlooked.
• Self-massage
• Listening to music or podcasts and watching programmes
• Yoga
• Have a bath
• Getting outside in nature, in bush or at the beach if these are available to you at present
• Take some time for yourself
• Try and think about the present and be in the now
• Aim to not compare or consume “media” that causes negative thoughts and feelings. Delete, unfollow, unsubscribe
• Move your body in a way that feels good to you each and every day

My message is to try observe yourself and your behaviours. Accept them and reflect on them, try and understand why you behave in a certain way. With this information you can look into ways to reduce, eliminate or change, remembering it’s a process and it takes time team.

Be (try) kind to yourselves ?