Please note that this is an Archived article and may contain content that is out of date. The use of she/her/hers pronouns in some articles is not intended to be exclusionary. Eating disorders can affect people of all genders, ages, races, religions, ethnicities, sexual orientations, body shapes, and weights.

By Natalie Schilling, LMSW

Ten tips for emotional well-being:

  1. I mean really breathe. Take a breath and feel your lungs expand. Breathe out and feel your lungs collapse. Allow the air to float from your nostrils to the depths of your belly. Repeat three times.
  2. Take a leap. Do one thing to get out of your comfort zone. Allow yourself to feel all the emotions that comes with this and journal about your experience.
  3. For one week, make a promise to yourself every day and keep it.
  4. Set boundaries. Say no when you want to.
  5. Be aware. Stay present. When somewhere familiar, notice something that you haven’t noticed before. What birds live in your neighborhood? What trees fill the streets?
  6. Welcome your emotions. When an emotion arises, just notice it. Don’t judge it. Don’t attach to it. Instead, welcome it. Welcome the emotion into your house (your body). Let it sit and hang out. When it’s ready to leave, let it. When we suppress our emotions, they usually boil over somewhere else. When we welcome them, they tend to go on their own.
  7. Nourish yourself. Being properly nourished helps with emotional regulation and decision making skills. Go buy yourself your favorite treat and relish in the goodness of it.
  8. Using your wise mind. Sometimes our logic and emotions are at odds with one another. Rationally, we think one way but emotionally feel another. Sit and meditate and ask your wise mind how to mend the two. Ask the answer to float up and reveal itself.
  9. Pamper yourself. Be intentional. Once a week, carve out time for self-care. Get your hair done. Pay for a massage. Light candles and stretch. Take yourself to lunch and read a book.
  10. Go outside. I can’t say this enough. Go outside, go outside, and go outside. Connect with nature. Nature can be very healing. Talk a walk, dance in the moonlight, pick wild mushrooms, bird watch, look for a four leaf clover.