Drip, cortado, pour-over, Sumatra, fair-trade, draft nitro cold brew- twenty years ago, these terms might have easily been confused with those of a foreign language, but for Millennial coffee drinkers, such are part of standard vernacular. Millennials drink about 44% of coffee in the United States, and with smartphones delivering neverending emails, an obsession with productivity, and lucrative side hustles, it’s no wonder they need the extra boost.
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If you’ve ever been in therapy, you’ve likely heard the term self-compassion. Self-compassion in simple terms means kindness to yourself. It might look like forgiving yourself for your mistakes or going easy on yourself about your imperfections. Often, in an effort to help clients find compassion for themselves, I ask, “What would you say to a friend in your situation?” knowing that we are almost always kinder to others than we are to ourselves. For some, this gentle reminder is enough to change the pattern of harshness, but for those with a long history of self-deprecation, the prospect of treating yourself the way you would treat a loved one might not seem doable.
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As the City of Chicago continues to open up, many are still concerned about their health in the midst of the Coronavirus-19 pandemic. Sure, you can protect yourself by wearing a mask and washing your hands regularly, but what if you wish to avoid going out altogether unless absolutely necessary? There is no shame in that! Everybody has a different level of comfortability when it comes to reentering the world, and many would rather wait for a vaccine.
Read MoreHow many times in the past month have you chosen to do something even if it meant putting up with uncomfortable feelings? Maybe you woke up at the sound of your morning alarm although staying in bed for another hour would have been much preferred. Maybe you worried about looking silly while wearing a mask to the grocery store during the COVID-19 crisis, but you wore one anyways. Or perhaps you chose to forgo watching your favorite Netflix show in order to write a paper or study for an upcoming exam.
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Eating disorder recovery is one of the most rewarding, yet difficult, journeys upon which a person can embark. As if it isn’t challenging enough, those in recovery must now navigate its waters while being stuck inside their homes in quarantine, preventing the spread of COVID-19, or Coronavirus. Eating disorders, like most other mental health issues, thrive in isolation. Throw in a dose of fear, restricted movement, and grocery store chaos, and you have what seems to be the perfect breeding ground for eating disorder thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. But what if mandated social distancing could be looked at as an opportunity to go further in recovery than ever before?
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