How Meditation Can Help with Eating Disorder Thoughts

It is estimated that approximately 9% of people in America have an eating disorder.

Recovering from an eating disorder is difficult and can feel overwhelming, especially when you find yourself in a triggering situation.

Meditation can calm and center your mind, helping to ground you in the present moment and react in a way that is beneficial to your recovery journey.

Keep reading to learn more about the benefits of meditation and how it can help with eating disorder recovery.

Mindfulness and Meditation for Eating Disorders

When recovering from an eating disorder, anxiety and stress can cause a recurrence of harmful behaviors like purging, binge-eating, or not eating (restricting). This leads to a vicious cycle of self-consciousness about body image and self-worth.

Mindfulness and meditation may help alleviate these feelings of anxiety and improve your ability to do the following:

• Ground yourself in the present moment

• Reframe any negative thoughts

• Identify what triggers your eating disorder

With meditation, you will be more equipped to cope with triggering situations and focus on ways you can handle them. Mindfulness can also help reduce negative thought patterns and restore feelings of control.

Incorporating Meditation Into Your Daily Routine

Even meditating for as little as ten minutes a day can help calm your mind. Incorporating meditation into your day-to-day life will make it easier to fall back on these techniques when you're stressed.

Start your day with five to ten minutes of simple yoga poses that will stretch and wake up your body. This will help center and calm your mind before facing the stress of the day.

You can also take five minutes out of your day to check your breathing, especially if you find yourself in a stressful or triggering situation.

Sometime before dinner, practice ten to fifteen minutes of mindful meditation. This means sitting in silence and observing your thoughts and your body in real time. This will help release any built-up stress and center you, so you can better engage in mindful eating.

Once the day is done, take five minutes to check in with every part of your body. Focus on the present moment and take note of any areas of tension in your body before letting go of the day's stress.

Additional Tips

If you find that one type of meditation does not work for you or just want to try something new, switch it up.

There are many different meditation techniques you can try, including:

• Mantra

• Transcendental

• Mindfulness meditation

Keeping a reflective journal can also help after a meditation session. This will help you reflect on your thoughts and present state of mind, as well as your accomplishments and goals for the future.

Meditation and Eating Disorder Recovery

There will be times on your journey where it will be hard to not give in to your eating disorder.

Meditation can help reduce anxiety and center your mind, better equipping you to handle these difficult situations and move forward towards a healthier lifestyle.

If you are struggling with an eating disorder, feel free to contact me to learn more about how life coaching can benefit you.