“Being happy can be hard work sometimes. It is like maintaining a nice home – you’ve got to hang on to your treasures and throw out the garbage. Being happy requires looking for good things. One person sees the beautiful view and the other sees the dirty window. You choose what you see and you … Read More
Coping skills are our abilities to respond to difficult issues and stressors. Interestingly enough, they are applied everyday, some with conscious thought, some without! How do you cope?
Sometimes we learn better from someone with lived experience who has walked the same path. That’s what I feel makes a Peer Support Worker so valuable –it’s first-hand experience. When I was struggling with an eating disorder, I remember feeling more understood and at ease with someone who had recovered from an eating disorder themselves. To … Read More
People who have never experienced the difficulty of being truly mired in disordered eating and thoughts revolving around food don’t realize how isolating it can be, and often can’t fathom why the ‘patients’ can’t just talk about it and eat more. When I began the downward spiral into anorexia at age 15, I didn’t want … Read More
Appreciate Behaviors and Talents Compliment others on non-appearance characteristics such as behaviors, a skill or talent they have, an accomplishment or even their ability to make other people feel welcome. We have so much more to give to the world than how we look. Let’s start complimenting people for those other skills and attributes! For … Read More
Love who you Are Instead of beating yourself up when you look in the mirror, write positive affirmations on post-it notes and encourage yourself to believe those things about yourself when you see your reflection. Focus on non-appearance aspects about your character or some of the things about your body that you do love and … Read More
Admire Individuality Don’t be critical about others. It won’t make you feel better about yourself and it isn’t funny. If you observe someone wearing something that you don’t feel is flattering, keep your comments to yourself. Admire their confidence and challenge yourself to think about why it bothers you in the first place. Try to … Read More
Dress with Self-Confidence! Select an outfit that makes you feel confident. Whether you are dressing at home or shopping for something new, focus on how the clothes fit your body, not on how your body fits the clothes. Don’t beat yourself up because something doesn’t fit. Recognize that everyone has a very distinct body type … Read More
Q: Ok, so I always feel like I need people to like me. And so I often get anxious about saying things because I’m concerned with what people will think of me. I know you hate the word, but is this “normal”? A: First, as you already know, you cannot control what other people think. … Read More
The number on the scale… ~Does not determine if you’re a good or bad person ~Does not determine if you are a good cousin, friend, brother, artist, sister, student, son, athlete, daughter, aunt, etc. ~Does not determine your self-worth ~Does not make you any more or less deserving …IS NOT WHO YOU ARE! Believe it.
