14 days of self-care

14 days of self-care is a concept which focuses on two weeks of self-care ideas to be introduced within your daily routine, whether this be Monday-Sunday for two weeks and then repeated again for the month to see progress, or picking out the ones which work for you individually. There are no wrong ways to introduce these ideas, and each can be adapted or personalised to you as an individual, this is just a starting point.

Day 1:

Box Breathing: 

This is a breathing technique which can be used at any time to help calm down the nervous system, regulate emotions or take a moment for yourself. It works by imagining you are breathing in the shape of a box and following this shape repeatedly until you feel calmer. It can be helpful to count the seconds as you go along ‘1,2,3,4…’

Step 1: Breathe in for 4 seconds

Step 2: Hold for 4 seconds

Step 3: Breathe out for 4 seconds

Step 4: Hold for 4 seconds

Step 5: Repeat

Day 2:

TV/Film:

Sometimes it can be difficult to concentrate for the full length of a TV show or film when you’re experiencing an eating disorder. In these times it can be nice to have a ‘comfort’ show or film you can return to which you may have watched many times before but can help to distract from the ED voice. Many internet-based services have the option to ‘save’ or ‘favourite’ too, so perhaps spending some time creating a list of your go-to choices when the thought of having to make a decision in that moment feels too overwhelming. You may like to keep this list on your phone or in a journal.

Day 3:

Pets:

Animals can offer unconditional love and can often sense when you are not feeling your best or may be struggling. Spending time with your pet – whether this be having a cuddle, playing with them or perhaps grooming them, is a lovely way to re-focus your attention. Of course, they will be grateful too! If you don’t have a pet perhaps choosing a favourite soft toy you can cuddle and hold onto. A ‘microwave teddy’ or weighted teddy/blanket can be a nice option for offering the warmth and comfort of a pet as well.

Day 4:

Music:

Music can often induce a range of positive emotions and is a versatile self-care tool – there are so many genres to choose from and different playlists can be created depending on how you feel in the moment and the feeling you are aiming for. Many internet-based services have the option to create personal playlists, so perhaps spend some time creating a playlist to support you with different feelings. You can also share your playlist with friends and family, which can be a lovely way to engage with others – eating disorders can feel quite isolating at times and music can be used to help build connections.

Day 5:

Social media: 

Within recovery, social media can have both positive and negative connotations depending on the content you are consuming. A few ways to practice self-care when accessing social media:

1. Unfollow any accounts which are triggering or promote ‘pro’ eating disorder content.
2. Apply a social media timer to prevent ‘scrolling’ endlessly and engaging in content which does not feel beneficial. If this time, however, is important and works as a distraction for you, choose accounts and channels which make you feel better.
3. Delete or remove social media apps from your home-screen for the day or add them into a folder on your phone which is not as visible.

Day 6:

Podcasts

Podcasts can offer a range of easily accessible content; whether this is eating disorder recovery focused, educational, comedic or a topic of your choice.  Podcasts are a great low-pressure alternative to watching content and can be listened to during situations where you feel you may benefit from distraction or support with emotional regulation e.g., Mealtimes, travelling, shopping, etc. Some great examples of eating disorder recovery-based podcasts are:

• Diet Culture Rebel
• Impowered: ED & MH Recovery
• Rewired – Eating Disorder Recovery
• Seems Like Diet Culture
• The Eating Disorder Therapist
• The Body Image Podcast

Day 7:

Books/Audiobooks:

Reading a book can often offer a sense of escapism; specifically, fiction books, which allow you to become immersed in the world of the characters and story they are set within. Not everyone finds reading a book easy and that’s okay, recovery can make it tricky to concentrate on the words on the page. Perhaps listening to an audiobook would be better suited. Whether this be standalone or whilst reading along at the same time, this can offer focus and distraction in those difficult moments.

Books can also be used as a great way of accessing ‘self-help’ based learning and support for recovery and here are some suggestions for books which could be helpful to add to your ‘TBR’ (to be read) list:

https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/get-information-and-support/about-eating-disorders/downloads-resources/helpful-books/

Day 8:

Goals: 

Writing down goals can help you to visualise what you are aiming towards in recovery and the reasons you want to remain on this path. These will look different to everyone and can be personal to your own life and things that are important to you. They don’t have to be big, long-term goals, perhaps just small achievable goals that can be completed in a day or a week. You can then tick them off and feel a sense of achievement that you have done it. If you find that you haven’t managed to reach that goal that you set, that’s okay! These are your goals – so perhaps reflect on this – you can always try again. Think about how you like to make notes: it may be that you prefer to keep them as notes on your phone, in a journal or perhaps on post-it notes you can put up around the house? You could even go one step further and make a vision board out of your goals by printing out images that represent them and sticking them on a board. You can put this somewhere you will often see it as encouragement.

Here are links to our resource on journalling and creating an action plan.

https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/get-information-and-support/get-help-for-myself/self-help-and-self-care/journalling-ideas/

https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/get-information-and-support/get-help-for-myself/self-help-and-self-care/action-plan/

Day 9:

Go outside: 

Spending time outside can be a really nice way to experience the different seasons and some fresh air. You may have a garden you can sit in, or some outdoor space you can access to take some time out – this may be joined with one of the other self-care ideas such as reading, listening to music or journalling. If this isn’t possible for you, perhaps you can sit next to a window which can opened to let in some air or just to enjoy the view and experience a different scene. Going outside in recovery can feel scary and unfamiliar, so working up to going out by starting at your window and then in your garden or at your front door may feel like an easier graduation to then reach the point of going out fully.

Day 10:

Journalling 

Journalling practice is great for regular use, to help you process everyday emotions and thoughts. It can be especially helpful to get eating disorder  thoughts out of your head and into words, which you can then try to rationalise or view in an alternative way. When the voice is loud and controlling it can feel overwhelming and sometimes quite chaotic. If you are able to write this down – whether in sentences, bullet points or just singular words, you are taking back control and physically distancing yourself from those words. This can be a powerful practice as it allows you to visually see those words and perhaps recognise that although they are painful, perhaps they are not rational. If you are writing them on paper, you could tear them up and throw them away, to signify you detaching yourself from them, or on your phone deleting the thread or putting a line through them before closing down the app.

Day 11:

Conversations: 

Recovery can be isolating and sometimes it can be easy to forget those around you – friends, family members, co-workers or perhaps people in an online community. Having conversations can be a great way to practice self-care, and these do not need to be focused on recovery – it can be a time to discuss the things you like, goals for the future or generally things you both enjoy – facetime, calls, texts or catching up in-person. Finding like-minded people who share similar interests can be a great way to build connections, this could be online in a group or in person such as a book-club. Beat offer a range of online support groups if you ever wanted to share with those in a similar space, who understand and will provide a safe non-judgemental space.:

Day 12:

Affirmations 

The use of affirmations for self-care can be beneficial in providing motivation and positive thinking to counteract the eating disorder voice which may be offering negative thoughts which can sabotage your recovery. Affirmations are phrases or statements that can be repeated regularly to help create a shift to a mindset more supportive of recovery. They can also help in changing the way you may think or feel about yourself by focusing on positive thinking, self-esteem and motivation.

Day 13:

Try a new skill or hobby 

Having a new skill or hobby to focus upon can be a great way to support your wellbeing; perhaps you have always wanted to learn another language, learn how to crochet or join a book club! Spend some time doing some research and learning a new skill – this may also allow you to connect with like-minded people which can be beneficial in building your support network.

Day 14:

Get creative 

Art can be therapeutic but also offer a way to express challenging thoughts and feelings which you may not have been able to verbalise. Find your chosen medium; this could be painting, pottery, drawing or a colouring book and allow your imagination to take over. This is a practice you can return to at any point and can be coupled with another self-care idea, such as listening to music or a podcast or having your favourite film on in the background.