Navigating A New School Year In Eating Disorder Recovery
Going back to school while in recovery – especially for those who have been remotely learning for the past year – can be daunting. Disordered thoughts tend to creep up and intensify in stressful circumstances, which is why it is essential to figure out how to prioritize recovery in situations like these. Whether by carrying emergency food, reaching out for support, or finding better distractions and coping mechanisms, being prepared can help alleviate particular anxieties surrounding this time.
By: Samreen Khan
With back-to-school season descending rapidly upon us, it can be overwhelming and challenging to focus on recovery while preparing for the high-stress environment that school entails. Perhaps you are feeling excited for the beginning of a new year – or maybe you are feeling apprehensive of the new anxieties that teachers and peers present. Because stressful situations like this can be risky recovery-wise, it is crucial to ensure that recovery is being prioritized instead of compromised for education. Below are some tips to navigate a new school year:
Carry Snacks
If eating big meals at school is anxiety-inducing or simply not physically possible, it is reasonable and even preferable to improvise. Ignoring hunger signals in the middle of the day because there are no available food options can lead down a slippery slope that your eating disorder would be more than happy to guide you into – even if it is not necessarily intentional. To avoid this, try storing some of your favorite snacks in your bag or locker (a nice practice for just going out every day, too). Recovery is not perfect – it is not always possible to maintain the ideal meal plan, but it is important to push through and feed yourself enough regardless.
Reach Out To Trusted Individuals
Healing and recovery are personal, and divulging that kind of vulnerability in others can be daunting. But there is strength in numbers, and having trusted friends or teachers who can support you if they notice abnormalities in your eating patterns can bring more help than harm. Relapse can be sneaky, and our eating disorders can creep up without us even realizing it; it can often be more apparent to those around us when we’re struggling than it is to ourselves. Allow yourself to lean on others for support, and remember that you do not have to bear this burden on your own. And remember, you can always utilize school resources – school counselors are there for a reason! Whether it’s an educational or personal issue, they can provide professional support that can be otherwise inaccessible due to expenses or other complications.
Engage In New Coping Mechanisms
Verbalizing your feelings can be a healthier way to deal with them. Eating disorders provide an outlet for unspoken anxieties to manifest, and an effective way to combat that is by allowing your emotions to flow unfettered. Whether through therapy, journaling, or simply confiding in a loved one, try to figure out what you are feeling underneath that amplifies the urge to engage in disordered behaviors. Seeking out new distractions can be a good idea as well – maybe take up a new hobby, join a club with friends, or go for a walk to ground yourself!
Address The Root Of Your Stress
If the classes you have signed up for are stressing you out, see if you can remove anything not urgent from your schedule. As a society, we glamorize overexertion in the name of productivity, but productivity is unique to each individual and should coincide with taking care of your mental and physical health. Let’s make sure that your health and recovery are not being pushed to the back seat by reevaluating where your energy should be. Remember that it is okay and even necessary to give yourself a break.
Write Out Lists Of Reasons You Want To Recover
In arduous situations, it can be difficult to remember why recovery is worth it. Relying on pure motivation to push through recovery will not result in a long-term commitment – it takes determination to get through the rough days. A nice way to remind yourself why you are on this journey in the first place is to set out a physical list of opportunities recovery will bring you (or has brought you already) to look back at in moments of struggle. Remind yourself that a tough day in recovery will always be better than a “good” day stuck in your eating disorder.
Remember That Everyone’s Situation Is Different
It can be easy to minimize our struggles and achievements, but you are quite literally healing from a debilitating illness. It is okay to struggle, and you deserve to be proud of all the steps you have taken in your recovery process, whether they are small or big. Your situation is different from others around you, and if it feels like they are eating less or achieving more than you, take a moment to remind yourself of all the things you have been through and everything you have accomplished along the way.
The beginning of a new school year can be overwhelming for students as they become involved with new academic situations and social experiences. Although returning to school can be intimidating, having support and encouragement can help ease the transition back to the classroom and create and maintain relationships with others.
BALANCE eating disorder treatment center™ is here to help you use Summer 2022 to prioritize your road to recovery. This summer at BALANCE, you can gain tools to navigate all the pressures the summer months bring, reduce eating disorder thoughts and behaviors, and develop a more peaceful relationship with food and your body. Click here to learn more about summer eating disorder treatment at BALANCE, or schedule a time to speak with our admissions team here.
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This post was written by BALANCE Blog Contributor, Samreen Khan (she/her/he/him).
Samreen is a senior high school student with an ardent drive to de-stigmatize mental illness and eating disorders. Born and raised in the Bay Area, she experienced the harmful effects of “fitspo” culture firsthand for most of her childhood. Throughout her own recovery journey, she became passionate about deconstructing diet culture and raising awareness about eating disorders in her everyday life. Samreen began extending her own ideology of intuitive eating and body neutrality to others by publishing her own writing online when she was fourteen, and has since received several awards for her prose and poetry. She has conducted research on the biological and evolutionary implications of familial mental illness, and is currently taking college-level Sociology and Psychology courses with hopes to delve further into the social and cultural constructs that bolster disordered eating, especially within marginalized communities. She’s grateful for the opportunity to combine two of her strongest passions — writing and mental health — by working with BALANCE!