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Content Warning: Eating disorders, stress
Summer is a time of transition for many of us. Whether it is transitioning from school into a summer job, from high school into university, or from university to working life as it is for me.
No matter what the transition is, summer can be a stressful time in our lives.
The end of something known and comfortable and the beginning of something unfamiliar and uncertain can be very stressful and cause us to turn to old coping techniques such as an eating disorder. As we all know, resorting to these old coping techniques can put our futures in jeopardy.
So what can we do to safeguard against these regressions into our old habits? I’ve found two things that help me greatly:
#1 Maintain as much stability as you can.
I just made this decision for myself this week. Starting a new job after graduating, my husband and I considered buying a house. We’re tired of the apartment we live in and would like to have something we can call our own.
While our own house would be wonderful and make sense financially, there is a lot of added stress. Searching for the perfect home, applying for loans, dealing with realtors, moving, and everything else involved with buying and moving into a new house can all be very stressful.
On top of everything, it also includes starting a new challenging job. For these reasons, we decided it would be best to keep our living conditions constant during this time of change.
#2 Keep your support system strong.
This means continuing to work with your nutritionist and therapist, but it also means keeping everyone else in your life who supports you close by. For me, this means talking openly with my husband about struggles and stresses throughout the day.
Summer often means moving away from a lot of our support team but it doesn’t mean they cannot continue to support you.
Text, Skype, email, or call the people who support you who aren’t physically close. Keeping these connections strong is imperative in keeping your recovery strong.
Closing Thoughts
Whether your summer means going home from school, going on a vacation, or starting a new chapter of your life, the changes and transitions can cause a lot of stress and threaten your recovery. You must work very hard to keep your recovery strong during these sometimes challenging times.
This summer, I encourage you to make smart decisions and not bombard yourself with too many changes and transitions at the same time.
Keep as much consistency in your life as possible this summer and keep your support system strong. Don’t let yourself lose contact with your recovery team and with all those who help you along your recovery journey.
Scott
Scott hopes to turn the negativity of his Anorexia into something positive by supporting other men and women who struggle with eating disorders in any way he can. He also hopes to raise awareness of eating disorders in men in order to get better treatment. His message is simple: recovery is possible, and you can achieve it. Some of his hobbies are coffee, cars, and bicycle racing. He is currently studying mechanical engineering and German.
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