Slow life down
With all the commitments you have, and all the tests you haven’t studied for yet, doing your laundry or cleaning your room probably gets shoved on your back burner. It seems unimportant to take care of “the necessities,” but if you let the basics go, everything else feels just a little more out of control (like if you don’t have clean underwear for next week, it just makes Monday that much worse). You have more time in the day than you think, and if you put some of it aside to buy some flowers and arrange them in your room, fold your laundry with care, or paint your nails, I guarantee you’ll realize that you can take care of yourself and do well at school too. Your day-to-day E.D. won’t rule your life as much if the basics are in check. And a little vase of flowers goes a long way.
Mindful eating
Mindfulness is great to practice whether you have a day-to-day E.D or not. But mindful eating–the practice of slowing down your meals by savoring every aspect of them–is a great way to better your relationship with food. Try this during your next meal. Look at your food–notice the colors, textures and assortment. Smell your food before you put it in your mouth. Examine the textures with your tongue. How does it taste before, during and after you chew it? This experience slows down your food consumption and helps make meals more enjoyable.
Utilize counseling
A lot of universities have counseling centers, and most of them are free. There’s no shame in signing up for a session–it’s literally a confidential hour where you can rant about everything in your life without overwhelming your best friends … again. And if you click with your counselor, odds are they’ll help you in your recovery with little tips and tricks each session.
Treat yourself in moderation
One of my friends and I have a wine night every week, and I look forward to treating myself to a nice glass on Monday nights. Personally, a nice glass of wine is my favorite treat, but maybe ice cream is more up your alley. Whatever is your go-to dessert, make a date with a friend to get it once a week, and look forward to it. If you’ve felt guilty about eating desserts, you don’t have to feel that way, especially if it’s only one day a week that you’re treating yourself. Eat it and keep it. Enjoy the experience and fun memories with your friends, and make your day-to-day E.D. ebb from your life week by week.
Know when you get stressed
Know your triggers. Is there a specific time of day when you get anxious, or is it a certain class or building that sets you on edge? Whatever it is that makes you want to engage in your day-to-day E.D., confront it and either avoid it, or if it’s unavoidable, do something nice for yourself to make that time better. I like to make a cup of peppermint tea for myself around 2 p.m. to soothe my nerves before I start my homework.
Maybe these little tips will give you some hope for your day-to-day life. Slowing college life down and appreciating basic, little things can really help reduce E.D. triggers. You can do this!