It's that time of year again. Each Fall I'm proud to shine a light on my shame story and the fact that I am putting in the work to heal and recover. It's going on year four of being in full remission in my binge eating disorder. I'm so proud. Back in the day I was never one to celebrate or compliment myself. Oh, how things has change. I'm not going to hold you guys long. Just want to encourage someone reading this to begin their journey. It is worth the effort.
While I have heard many times that there is no destination in recovery, I have discovered that there kind of is. The destination is to be consistent in the doing the work needed to heal, grow, and recover. Face the pain, process your emotions, practice daily self care rituals.
When I am in a spiral with critical thinking, judgments or shame I have learned to practice getting mindful and present with journal writing opposed to escaping how I feel with food. Here’s what has helped:
Taking inventories on paper has really helped me to understand how to get present and begin a different set of actions.
One saying I keep top of mind is, “I have to show up daily through my action by practicing self care ritual and spiritual practices to change my thinking and behave differently, not wish my way into thinking and acting differently. I got to do it EACH DAY ALL DAY”
Acceptance has helped me to recognize that when I am being critical or judgmental, something is being triggered. Write it out and then solve the unhealthy behavior problem or faculty thinking.
Getting present allows me room to question and challenge the thoughts or beliefs that are wanting me to “act out. Or escape with food to feel better.”
I ask myself: is this kind, is it helpful, is it loving, would I say this or believe it for someone else, what is the source, what is the truth based on what I can see in my faculty mindset and self sabotaging behavior?
Change happens over time and with a lot of learned self-compassion and unconditional love. Change happens in the present. The past is gone and the future hasn't happen yet. The present is where change happens. As with anything else in recovery or even life, it is okay to reach out and ask for help when the thoughts or feelings are too much for me to handle by myself. It is okay for you to do the same thing. It's all about the habits and rituals. If this is a goal you are trying to achieve let my story inspire you to begin your journey. You can heal. If I can do it, so can you. It's just takes a bit of work and consistency.
ARE YOU LOOKING TO DIVE DEEPER INTO SELF-CARE?
I Can Help in Developing A Plan For Self Care
Do you want help developing a self care plan that works for your own busy schedule? Do you want accountability implementing a self care plan? If you or someone you love is struggling to maintain optimal mental and emotional health, consider reaching out to Spiced Life Conversation Art Wellness Studio and Botanica. We are a Metro Atlanta, Conyers Georgia area. We are a coaching and counseling practice with empathetic, skilled counselors and recovery coaches who can help you set goals, develop a self care routine and move forward to build a more fulfilling life. Our team would be happy to work with you either just for a couple of sessions to develop and implement a Self Care plan or longer term to work toward overall better mental health within our membership site or other programs.
About The Author:
Dr. Nikki LeToya White MSEd-TL, Ph.D. RHN is the founder, director and a full time board certified trauma-informed nutritionist, folk herbalist, and wellness consultant at Spiced Life Conversation Art Wellness Studio and Botanica. She created Spiced Life Conversation, LLC Art Wellness Studio and Botanica to provide the Metro Atlanta area with a counseling and coaching services where clients are carefully matched with the right program for healing abandonment and childhood emotional neglect trauma that cause codependency, emotional eating, financial stress, and imposter syndrome as it relates to fear of success and being abandon. We help you begin your emotional healing journey with ease. Recently, we have expanded to include online membership site so we now provide support to people living all over the world. All of our recovery coaches provide at least one evidence based treatment to assist in your recovery. Dr. White is a big proponent of self care and helping people live a fulfilling life! She has been in full remission with both codependency and emotional binge eating disorder since 2016. In live a life in recovery from sugar addiction. Loving her low sugar balance lifestyle.
Best Regard
Dr. Nikki LeToya White
Comments