Move Through Urges With Your High-Five
My friends know that when I get excited I really love to give high-fives!
And my clients know the same... especially when they're working their asses off to understand, make sense of and move through years of struggles with food and their bodies (my clients are badasses when it comes to feeling all the feels and hanging on tight for the ride of recovery... seriously!)
And I tend to get super excited when they start experiencing the power of recognizing when an urge to engage in disordered behaviors around food and body is coming on, feeling it, and responding to it with respect and curiosity... in a way that will support their goal to kick disordered eating's ass.
So, I want to give you an online high-five!
Not a normal one though... LOL you can always stop by my office for one though!
I'm going to give you a high-five that's also a tool to support you in moving through urges to engage in disordered eating or exercise behaviors.
This is a great supplement to the Food Freedom Journal I told you about last week!
This tool can be used if you're feeling the urge to restrict, binge, eat emotionally, or engage in other compensatory eating disorder behaviors.
I'm calling it a high-five because because we're going to plan out 5 activities that you rate the highest in effectiveness to help you when you're feeling an urge come on.
The goal is to proactively plan to use one of the 5 activities for 5 minutes before you engage in the behavior.
5's everywhere!
By doing this, you're acknowledging that you're having an urge (win!)
You're then delaying the behavior that you're feeling compelled to engage in (another win!)
You're also doing something that you know will serve you, because you've already planned it out (yessss another win!)
And then you're circling back to the behavior you felt the urge to engage in and you now have the ability to decide, with a bit clearer of a head, if it'll really serve you.
Sometimes you'll decide the behavior will still serve and sometimes you'll decide that it won't. But at least you're bringing curiosity to it instead of jumping in headfirst. That's is progress!
So, here we go. Let's get to planning!
What are your high-five?
5 Activities that bring on relaxation
5 Activities that distract your mind from perseverating on the urge
5 Places that you can physically go that make you feel comforted
5 People that you can call who make you feel connected and supported
5 things that soothe your your senses
Now that you're thinking, let's put it writing.
It'll help you put your thoughts on paper and to commit to using the tool (be sure to save the file to your computer so you can make edits!)
Let me know your thoughts and how you're making out!
I'm a body image and eating disorder therapist in Horsham, PA. I specialize in treating binge and emotional eating.
I'm also an intuitive eating coach and help women all over the country learn how to stop dieting so they can really start living.
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