Mental Health Day and Positive Thinking in Recovery

In eating disorder recovery, it's often difficult to tell the difference between what's healthy (i.e. pro-recovery) and what isn't. The eating disorder voice is a brilliant trickster that enjoys manipulating us and convincing us to sabotage ourselves, but we have to train ourselves to stop listening to its lies. This is the "work" of recovery--the active, involved part of it that makes it an ongoing process as opposed to a simple overnight fix. Sadly, we can't simply say, "I choose recovery" and expect to be cured. Actions truly speak louder than words when it comes to moving past an eating disorder.

I'm struggling with this today because hunger signals continue to confuse me. I acknowledge that I'm supposed to eat more in order to heal, but there's a very strong force inside me that is resisting the "extra food" because I don't always feel like I need it or want it. Why eat when I'm full? Why eat when I think my body is fine as it is?

Friends, these are the sorts of thoughts that hold us back. Recovery is about getting uncomfortable and going against the beliefs that we've been obeying for so long. If I could really trust my hunger signals and thoughts about food, then I wouldn't still be dealing with the long-term effects of restrictive eating and overexercise. And for anyone with a history of food restriction or overexercise, going against what's feels "right" is imperative. So, even if we don't want to eat that morning snack or add that extra scoop of almond butter, we've got to do it. It's the healthy choice, and any time we choose to restrict or stagnate, we're not choosing recovery.

Something that's been helpful to me lately has been repeating a mantra to myself about how I would like my life to be "after recovery." I believe in prayer and the power of positive thinking, and I recently watched a video by Elisa Oras about using the Law of Attraction to facilitate eating disorder recovery. Instead of focusing on all the discomfort and all the negatives of recovery, focus on how you'd like to feel when you're fully recovered. What's your life like? What's your relationship with your body like? Recovery is your opportunity to take your life back. Obviously, recovering won't magically "fix" everything in your reality, but wouldn't a life without obsessive food thoughts and body hatred be really nice?

Positive thinking can be difficult at first, but it's been scientifically proven to have benefits for your mental and physical well-being. When you're eating something that makes you uncomfortable, don't put too much energy into thinking about how your stomach feels/how nervous you are/etc. Instead, think, "I'm healthy. I'm strong. I'm beautiful. I'm kind. I'm free. I'm flexible." Those sorts of affirmations (even if you don't believe them at first) can not only help you to manifest a better relationship with yourself and with food but can also help engage your parasympathetic nervous system. And when your parasympathetic nervous system is engaged, your body relaxes and your digestion improves! Yay, fewer stomach complaints!

I know it's challenging to focus on gratitude and positive thoughts in recovery, and I totally recognize that positive thinking isn't always a simple choice. There are a whole lot of factors at play--hormones, neurotransmitters, etc. But even if you're struggling, at least try to commit to yourself today to make pro-recovery choices. Do it in honor of Mental Health Day. I believe in you.

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