Affirmations for Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are complex mental health conditions that extend beyond food and body image. As a result, eating disorder recovery is often a challenging journey. Due to the challenging nature of eating disorder recovery, utilizing a variety of tools can be helpful to overcome obstacles and enhance motivation. Tools, such as affirmations can be a powerful resource for reshaping thought patterns and behaviours to foster progress on the road to recovery.

What is an affirmation?

Affirmations are short, positive statements that, when repeated often, can filter through the conscious mind to the subconscious.

How do affirmations work?

When used effectively, affirmations can enable us to positively influence our thought patterns, behaviours and how we feel about ourselves. Affirmations facilitate positive change and motivation by:

• Rewiring the brain, promoting neuroplasticity, and reprogramming the subconscious mind
• Challenging negative beliefs and thought patterns
• Encouraging self-compassion
• Creating positive emotional states
• Building resilience
• Enhancing motivation for recovery

How can affirmations enhance eating disorder recovery motivation?

Change Negative Thought Patterns:

Eating disorders often involve negative thought patterns. Affirmations serve as a powerful counterforce, gradually replacing self-destructive beliefs with empowering declarations. Through daily repetition, individuals can reframe their perceptions.

Encourage Self-Compassion:

Central to healing is the practice of self-compassion. Affirmations act as a daily reminder to treat oneself with kindness and understanding.

Build Resilience:

Affirmations provide mental support and motivation for eating disorder recovery. They serve as a constant reminder of inner strength and potential for growth, encouraging individuals to persist in the face of challenges.

Reduce Anxiety and Stress:

Eating disorders are often accompanied by heightened anxiety and stress levels. Affirmations act as calming mantras, helping individuals find peace in challenging moments.

Overcoming Resistance and Skepticism

Many people encounter resistance and skepticism when they first hear about affirmations. Common challenges faced when starting an affirmation practice include:

• Doubt in the effectiveness of affirmations
• Ingrained negative thought patterns
• Reluctance to step out of one’s comfort zone

To conquer these hurdles, it’s imperative to cultivate a sense of openness and willingness to embrace change. Consistency is also key as regular practice of affirmations helps reinforce their impact over time. Additionally, tailoring affirmations to align with personal goals and values enhances their effectiveness.

How to use affirmations for eating disorder recovery:

Choose the Right Affirmations:

Not all affirmations are created equal! Ensuring that an affirmation contains all the key components means that the brain can process and use the affirmation with ease! Key components of an affirmation include:

• Present Tense:

  • The subconscious mind can not differentiate between the past, present and future. When crafted in the present tense, affirmations send a clear message to the subconscious mind that the desired state is a current reality and not a distant aspiration.

• Neutral Language:

  • Our brains have to work overtime to filter out the good from affirmations that contain negative words like “can’t” and “won’t”. When written with neutral language, affirmations are non-judgmental and inclusive, avoiding the reinforcement of negative beliefs.

• Confident Content:

  • Confidence in the content empowers individuals to believe in their affirmations, making it easier to internalize and apply them in daily life.

Tailor Affirmations to Individual Needs and Triggers:

Each individual’s path to recovery is unique. Therefore, it is vital to customize the use of affirmations to address specific challenges and triggers that the individual is experiencing. Adding a personal touch ensures that the affirmations speak directly to the individual’s experience.

Establish a Consistent Practice:

The brain will default to what is familiar, including unhelpful thought patterns. For change to occur in our thoughts, we need repetition to form new neural pathways in our brains.

Ideas for Using Affirmations for Eating Disorder Recovery:

Affirmation Poster:

Encourage your client to place an eating disorder affirmation poster where they will frequently see it, like on a desk or by a mirror. With high visibility, it will provide a constant reminder of their positive affirmations, reinforcing their impact throughout the day.

Printable Affirmation Cards:

Have your client’s Consider reading affirmation cards aloud each morning to set a positive tone, and revisiting them before bed to solidify a mindset of self-love and progress.

Affirmation Wallpaper:

Invite your clients to transform their digital space into a sanctuary of positivity by setting an affirmation as their wallpaper on their phone or any other smart device, to receive a daily dose of encouragement and motivation.

Witnessing Transformation – Affirmations in Eating Disorder Recovery (Client Vignette)

I’d like to share the remarkable journey of a client who I had the privilege of helping on their recovery journey. In our nutrition sessions, we delved into the potential of affirmations as a tool for recovery. Together, we tailored affirmations to address their specific struggles.

Resisting the Urge to Weigh Themselves:

The affirmation “My worth is not defined by my weight or the size of my body” became a pivotal anchor. They placed it prominently on their bathroom mirror and every morning, they faced this empowering statement, allowing it to resonate deeply within.
Over time, the urge to step onto the scale began to wane. They found themselves gradually detaching their self-worth from the numbers and, instead, placing it in their accomplishments, their relationships, and the love they had for themselves.

Challenging Food Fears:

The affirmations “I can challenge and conquer my food fears” and “One meal at a time” became their shield against the irrational anxieties that had held them captive for so long.
Slowly but steadily, they started to approach meals with a newfound sense of empowerment. They allowed themselves to savor the flavors, appreciating the nourishment each bite provided. The affirmations reminded them that food was a source of life and energy, not something to be feared.

Combating Food Restriction:

The affirmation “I trust my body to guide me in finding balance. I meet my needs without deprivation” became their mantra of trust in their body’s wisdom.
With time, they learned to listen to their body’s cues for hunger and fullness. They began to honour those signals, allowing themselves to eat without guilt or fear. The affirmations had shifted their perspective, giving them the strength to let go of restrictive behaviors.

Navigating Relapses and Challenges:

During moments of relapse, they leaned on affirmations like never before. Affirmations such as “Setbacks are opportunities for greater growth and resilience” became their source of solace and motivation. These affirmations acted as a lifeline during the toughest days, offering them a reminder of their inner strength and the progress they had already made.
Through the consistent practice of affirmations, they forged a path to recovery. The empowering statements served as their guiding light, illuminating the way forward. They learned that they were capable of change and that their worth extended far beyond their appearance or the numbers on a scale. This journey was a testament to the transformative power of affirmations in the process of healing from an eating disorder.

Empowering Affirmations for Eating Disorder Recovery

The Eating Disorder Affirmations digital product is a non-branded comprehensive collection of 45 unique affirmations for eating disorders, thoughtfully curated to resonate with every recovery journey. This product not only offers a diverse range of affirmations but also contains multiple formats including:

• Affirmation posters for a visual reminder in various spaces
• Printable affirmation cards for a portable source of encouragement
• Affirmation wallpapers for smart phones, offering a constant, uplifting backdrop

Additionally, the Eating Disorder Affirmations product provides a 12-page expert guide for clinicians, offering expert insights on how to effectively integrate these resources into sessions with clients. It also includes eight pages of client handouts to help facilitate affirmation work with clients!

Conclusion:

Affirmations can serve as a tool for eating disorder recovery motivation. They serve as a powerful force in reshaping thought patterns, fostering self-compassion, and building resilience. Overcoming initial resistance and skepticism may pose a challenge, but with strategic approaches and tailored affirmations, one can unlock their transformative potential.
To amplify the impact of affirmations, consider encouraging your client to integrate the Eating Disorder Affirmations product into their daily routine. In addition to 45 carefully curated affirmations available in various formats, this product provides a tangible tool to support and reinforce commitment to recovery. Whether in the form of posters, cards, or phone wallpapers, let these affirmations be a consistent companion on the path to motivation, empowerment and well-being. Moreover, the product includes a comprehensive clinical guide, equipping professionals with expert insights to seamlessly implement affirmations into sessions, ensuring the utmost efficacy in the journey toward recovery. Embrace this resource and witness the profound impact it can have on your client’s path to healing and self-discovery!

FREE RESOURCES:

• Pillars of Body Image Positivity
• The Biological Effects of Calorie Restriction
• How Under Eating Causes Overeating
• Eating Disorder Recovery Benchmarking
• Eating Disorder Reasons to Recover
• Meal Support Strategies for Eating Disorders
• ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder )101

NOTEWORTHY PREMIUM RESOURCES:

• Body Image Bundle
• Ultimate Eating Disorder Gentle Nutrition Bundle
• Incorporating Feared & Novel Foods
• Family Based Therapy (FBT) Informed Nutrition Care Bundle
• Snack Pack for Eating Disorder & Intuitive Eating RDs (Includes Non-Dairy, Nut Free & Gastroparesis)

View the full Eating Disorder Resources store!

Terms and Conditions

This document is to be used as a tool in nutrition counselling or nutrition groups. The content is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment. Users are encouraged to advise their clients to always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare practitioner for questions about their health or nutritional requirements. The author is not responsible for errors, omissions or individual usage. All materials are protected under copyright and are only intended for use by the sole individual or entity who purchased the resource.

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© 2023 Brittaney Berendsen RD. Brittaney Berendsen RD maintains all rights to the designs and files.