Are New Year's Resolutions Sinking Your Ship?

You’re headed back to school & the daily routine. 

You’re both excited about the year and what’s to come, and simultaneously you are feeling overwhelmed with all of the ideas in your head that you want to actualize. If only there were enough hours in the day to jump into every area of your life that you want to see yourself progress. 

Your friends, family & classmates are buzzing with all of their New Year's Resolutions they want to accomplish and despite yourself, you end up wanting to jump on those bandwagons too and do e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g!  There’s an energy in the air that feels inspiring, encouraging, and full of hope.  But as you start to settle into doing school & work on top of everything else and suddenly you feel like you are drowning in a sea of to-do’s that may be impossible to accomplish and still stay sane.  But you’re unwilling to jump ship on your aims, so how can you temper them enough to balance everything and still have a life?  

Here are three tips to consider to help you strive for excellence while stepping out of the anxiety loop & perfectionism:

It’s Okay to Pivot:

New Year's Resolutions can be a time to reflect, consider, and look ahead.  But in the high energy of the season & the chatter, we can often jump into the deep end of the pool of dreams or goals. Or we get caught up in the excitement and choose WAY too many things to feel successful in our attempts without being super rigid, super anxious, or neglecting key factors of physical or emotional wellness (such as sleep, connection, etc). 

It is so tempting to stick to the course we outlined or declared as our goals for the year.  We fear that if we change our minds, our stance, or our goals we will be judged or looked down upon. Most often the fear of judgment does not actually turn into a reality.  Most people are great at respecting our decisions to change our minds.   Oftentimes when we state what pivot we are making, those around us will just roll with it and may even admit that they have changed courses as well.  It’s human nature to get part way down a path and realize it’s in our best interest to pivot to a modified or different course altogether.

Consider Choosing a Theme or a Word: 

Sometimes it is easier to choose a word or a theme for the year that you are striving towards.  This approach will often lead to more flexibility while continuing to move forward in learning and growth.  This also helps when competing goals bump up against each other, this approach gives us direction vs specificity.  Maybe your anxiety propels you into avoidance on a regular basis and you are tired of feeling held hostage. 

You may choose a word such as “Approach” because anxiety will go down when we approach the subject we want so much to avoid. Or maybe you could choose something to help you feel more resilient in the face of anxiety and you choose the word “Rest & Play” because you’re anxiety propels you into overdrive and excessive action and you struggle to slow down and rest or you have a hard time giving yourself permission to take a break and have fun on a regular basis. 

This approach orients us towards something that when considered over time, will allow us to integrate a new perspective or approach to improve the quality of our life or well-being.  Gradual change is often the change that tends to stick!

One Thing At a Time:

This may not be the most popular approach, but it can still move the needle forward in your life without causing unnecessary anxiety or unrealistic expectations.  Choose one thing to focus on for a set length of time, for example, maybe you need to be more focused on school.  You might set an aim to spend x amount of time at the library this semester instead of studying at home because you’ve realized you don’t focus as well at your apartment. Or you may realize that you can get so deep into studying that your anxiety spins you out and you lose the ability to have fun and be relaxed.

So, you may opt to limit your homework time and put boundaries about when you will not do your homework,-maybe you will take part or all of the weekend off from studying and spend it doing things that increase connection & joy in your life.  Either way, you choose an aim or goal for a specific length of time, and then when the time frame is up, you choose another time frame and another aim that will help you create growth. 

Begin Therapy for Anxiety in Salt Lake City, UT

If you find that you struggle to let things go or if you get rigid or frustrated when you can’t execute in the way you want to, help is available. Our team of therapists would be honored to support you. You don’t have to live in your anxiety, self-judgment, and in a constant state of distress. Help is available, high functioning anxiety is our jam. You can start your therapy journey with Inside Wellness by following these simple steps:

1. Call or message us today at 801-699-6161.

2. Learn more about our services and our team.

3. Start finding the right therapeutic fit for you!

Other Services Offered with Inside Wellness

Our team understands you may experience a number of mental health concerns in addition to anxiety treatment. This is why we are happy to offer support with a variety of mental health services including body image counseling, eating disorder therapy, and online Therapy in Utah.

Tips From an Eating Disorder Therapist in Provo, UT to Navigate Thanksgiving

You are almost packed and ready to get out of college town or work to get a break for a few days.

Once you are settled into your car or on the plane your mind starts to calm, until you realize how this holiday will likely go down.  Dread and fear come racing in equal proportion.  You are scared to fall back into old patterns or to deal with family members who inevitably say all the wrong things and suddenly you’re eating disorder thoughts are front and center.  You fear that the hard-fought progress you have made in your eating recovery journey will go out the window.  

Feeling overwhelmed and fearful is completely understandable.  You’ve been there before and are steeped in guilt and shame about food and your body is a place you don’t want to live. 

Here are a few tips that an eating disorder therapist wants you to keep in mind this holiday:

Go Back to the Start- one meal and one day at a time.  

When we think of a long weekend, at first it sounds exciting, but it can also feel so LONG and OVERWHELMING to think about all of the meals and all of the options. Recovery has always been a one-day-at-a-time thing, especially in the early days of your recovery.   So let’s go back to those basics.  Not one meal, one snack, one day, or even one weekend is going to make or break your recovery.  Take a moment and just breathe in this truth.

Try to do the opposite of what your eating disorder wants you to do: 

Coping with crazy comments….aka diet culture palooza.  Thanksgiving can be extra tricky because it seems like even people who do not normally comment on food or bodies frequently make quips and comments on Thanksgiving.  Unfortunately, the cultural norm adds a side dish of both guilt and shame to the Thanksgiving menu in most households.  It is understandable that these comments are going to throw you off balance.  Your eating disorder is more than capable of giving you an onslaught of unsolicited feedback and fears about this day & weekend, so hearing it from others takes your distress to a whole new level. 

Logically you know this is going to happen but it still feels like a force of nature when you hear it.  In these moments, picture your treatment team & your future self encouraging you to fight those comments and defy the eating disorder by eating what sounds good to you, and what your dietician has encouraged you to eat.  It may not go perfectly, but you can get through this meal and this day.

Have a friend or family member on standby for support. 

This one can be super helpful because fighting an eating disorder is a full-time job in and of itself, and doing it without support, especially for this holiday, is extra tough.  Talk to the family member or friend in advance.  Let them know what you think will be the hardest parts of the day.  Share what comments others may say that will trigger your strongest ED thoughts, and let them know how they can help you with those comments.  Let them know if there is a way they can help you logistically with the overwhelm of food choices.  

Sometimes following someone’s lead (who has a good relationship with food) can help reduce the anxiety of trying to determine what is normal amount and variety so that you don’t get in your head from the very start.   Have a code word to say if you need help or an emoji you can text that will let them know you need some emotional and or logistical support.  There is no shame in this, I think this is the hardest day of the year for individuals in recovery.

Be Gentle with Yourself. 

Give yourself some compassion, try to encourage yourself in the way you would a good friend.  If the day goes better than you planned-awesome! If it’s harder than you predicted, think of what kind words you would say to a friend who is in recovery as well.  Would you be harsh, or would you admit it wasn’t their best day in recovery while encouraging them to go easy on themselves? We all know this answer, you have a warm and compassionate heart, and you would undoubtedly be gentle and loving with them. 

Your body is your friend.

It is capable of handling the amount and variety of foods you will be eating this week.  You do not need to compensate for your eating and your body will remain the same shape and size it is right now.  Breathe in self-trust, breathe out the fear.  Your treatment team trusts you, your body trusts you, and you can trust you. This is one week of your life, and nothing can make or break your recovery in this short amount of time.  You’ve got this, and even if you don’t, we’ve got you!

Begin Working With an Eating Disorder Therapist

If you feel you need more help we are happy to help. You can contact our team of caring therapists for support with navigating the challenges of eating disorders. You can receive support from our Salt Lake City-based practice and across Utah. Start your therapy journey with Inside Wellness by following these simple steps;

1. Schedule an appointment or give us a call 801-699-6161.

2. Learn more about the members of our team.

3. Start enjoying the holiday season!

Other Services Offered with Inside Wellness

We know that you may experience other concerns in addition to eating disorders. This is why Inside Wellness offers support with a variety of mental health services. Other services include body image counseling, anxiety treatment, and online Therapy in Utah. You can also visit our blog for more helpful information today!

How to Keep Your Anxiety From Getting the Best of You During the Holidays

Let’s face it, the holidays are chaotic and rarely go as planned.

Life feels extra overwhelming, busy, and out of control, so it’s easy to go into overdrive. Oftentimes when we go into overdrive we swing into over-control mode or we put our heads in the sand hoping it will all just go away, or both! If you pull towards the over-control side of life, then this blog is for you:)  While being in overdrive seems like “structure“ to us initially. It can leave us feeling more rigid, and more stressed and leaves our relationships in shambles as we try to “help” others and ourselves get through the holidays our way.  While we call it structure, our family may feel like our approach is frustrating at best. The more we over-control the more rigid we get and the more resistant we are to change & allowing for spontaneity and connection.

Here are a few tips to help combat the trenches of rigidity, even though it helps you feel a false sense of control.  

1) Recognize which camp you tend to jump into when life gets crazy.

Everyone has a different response to anxiety, stress, and overwhelm. However, over-control plays out very differently than avoidance.  Overcontrol can look like wanting things to be in a very specific fashion or manner in order to feel like they will “get done“. Or specific attempts or ways to make things feel more “manageable. However, in these attempts, our thoughts and behaviors narrow and we are less open to new ways of being flexible. We feel and present as being rigid about how things should (air quotes) go down.

2) Recognize the intention behind your actions.

Your heart is in the right place, you just want everything to go smoothly and turn out well. You are striving for a sense of calmness, peace, or a sense of capability. Wanting to feel calm, peaceful, and capable are all good things.  However, gone unchecked or without flexibility these good aims turn into mandates or unrealistic expectations for yourself and others. Your good intentions and talent too far may backfire on you.   Remind yourself that you are capable of handling windows of ambiguity and higher stress levels even though you hate how it feels. 

3)Losing your grip, this one seems counterintuitive, because when we are feeling out of control, what we want to do is to double down and increase the rules and structure, but this feels safer to us. 

This is often where perfectionism creeps in. It also allows for very little room for margin. And let’s face it things never go as planned, and when this happens we become more emotionally upset. When get rigid when we have a specific idea in our head of how it should go or how a timeline should happen. We can loosen our grip and have more flexibility in our expectations.  Flexibility can often help us find enjoyment and happiness when things turn out differently than expected.

4) There is a difference between being in charge and in control.

We often think that being in control is what will ensure a good outcome. This is actually a false sense of reality because there are very few things we can actually control. However, being in charge shifts the focus.  We can choose to do things to help us regulate our mood and adapt our expectations. Over-control leads us to micromanage the circumstances so that everything goes according to our plan, being in charge of ourselves allows for flexibility, other opinions and approaches, and occasionally an unexpectedly great outcome. After all, the aim is to have a fun-filled holiday season. 

My favorite childhood Christmas Eve memory came from this very concept.  A turn of events led to the traditional meal being foiled.  So we pivoted, and in that pivot, we created a memory that lasted far longer than any other.  We ended up eating Pizza Hut by candlelight, a far cry from my mom’s vision of how that night would go. But it was filled with laughter, imperfection, and connection.  Three things you can embrace and enjoy when you can allow yourself to let go of what should be and lean into what is happening in the moment.  

So when the over-control urges kick in, and they almost always do during times of high stress, you can do your best to see them for what they are. You can identify your core desires for you and your family to have the best experiences and then be open to the idea that some of the best experiences in life are the ones that turn out differently than we expected. Because different can also be so, so good!

Begin Therapy for Anxiety in Salt Lake City, UT

If you feel like your anxiety hijacks your holidays or your mood, reach out for help.  We will happily talk to you about your needs, questions, and concerns from our Salt Lake City-based practice. You can receive remote addressing anxiety symptoms from our team of caring therapists by following these simple steps:

1. Contact us to schedule a free 15-minute consultation call

2. Meet with a caring therapist

3. Start making the most of your holiday!

Other Services Offered with Inside Wellness

We understand that you may experience more than one mental health concern at a time. This is why our team is happy to offer support with a variety of services in addition to anxiety treatment. These services include eating disorders, body image counseling, anxiety treatment, and online Therapy in Utah. Feel free to visit our blog for more helpful information today!

Unmasking Diet Culture: How It Impacts Eating Disorders

In a world that places immense value on appearance and body size, it's no surprise that diet culture has taken hold.

Diet culture refers to the societal obsession with thinness, weight loss, and the belief that one's worth is determined by their body size. While its intentions might seem innocent, diet culture has profound effects, especially on individuals already vulnerable to eating disorders. As a certified eating disorder specialist who advocates for the Health At Every Size (HAES) approach, I want to shed some light on what diet culture truly is and how it profoundly influences those struggling with eating disorders.

Defining Diet Culture

Diet culture encompasses a wide range of beliefs, practices, and societal norms that promote the pursuit of weight loss as a means to achieve happiness, success, and self-worth. It glorifies thinness as the ideal body type, perpetuates negative body image, and prescribes rigid eating and exercise routines as a way to achieve this ideal. It's important to understand that diet culture extends far beyond dieting; it includes the subtle messages embedded in media, and everyday conversations that reinforce the notion that thinness equals beauty and happiness.

4 Ways Diet Culture Impacts 

• Fueling Disordered Eating Behaviors: Diet culture often leads individuals down a slippery slope of disordered eating behaviors. The relentless pursuit of weight loss can trigger restrictive eating, excessive exercise, and a preoccupation with food. For those already genetically predisposed to eating disorders, these behaviors can easily escalate into full-blown eating disorders. 

• Perpetuating Body Dissatisfaction: Diet culture thrives on promoting dissatisfaction with one's body, implying that it's never good enough as it is. This constant dissatisfaction can contribute to body dysmorphia and a negative body image, creating fertile ground for eating disorders to take root.

• Creating an Emotional Roller Coaster: The promises of diet culture are often tied to achieving happiness and self-worth through weight loss. However, when these goals aren't met, individuals can experience feelings of failure, shame, and low self-esteem. These emotional ups and downs can exacerbate underlying mental health issues and lead to the development of eating disorders.

• Distorting Perceptions of Health: Diet culture wrongly equates health with a specific body size. It ignores the complex interplay of genetics, lifestyle, socioeconomic factors, and mental health in determining overall well-being. 

The HAES Approach as an Alternative

The Health At Every Size (HAES) approach is a paradigm shift from diet culture. It recognizes that health is multifaceted and includes physical, emotional, and mental well-being. HAES rejects the idea that everyone must conform to a certain body standard and emphasizes that people of all sizes deserve respect, support, and access to health-promoting resources.

• Embracing Body Diversity: HAES celebrates the diversity of body sizes and shapes. It acknowledges that health can be achieved at various sizes and that individuals should not be judged solely based on their appearance.

• Promoting Intuitive Eating: Instead of adhering to rigid diets, HAES encourages intuitive eating – listening to one's body cues to guide eating choices. This approach allows individuals to reconnect with their bodies and honor their hunger, fullness, and cravings without guilt.

• Focusing on Well-being: HAES shifts the focus from weight loss to overall well-being. It promotes physical activity that brings joy, self-care, and mental wellness as essential components of a healthy life.

• Challenging Societal Norms: HAES challenges societal norms that equate body shape & size with worthiness. By advocating for body diversity and deconstructing the system of oppression, both health and well-being are more likely to improve.

Diet culture's influence is far-reaching and insidious, particularly for individuals vulnerable to eating disorders. Recognizing the damaging impact of diet culture is essential in providing effective support and treatment for those struggling.

Begin Eating Disorder Treatment in Salt Lake City, UT

As certified eating disorder specialists and advocates of the Health At Every Size approach, our goal is to empower individuals to break free from the confines of diet culture and embrace a holistic view of health and self-worth. By challenging these harmful beliefs and adopting a compassionate, inclusive approach, we can foster a healthier relationship with food, body image, and overall well-being. You can start your therapy journey with Inside Wellness by following these simple steps:

1. Reach out to us about scheduling a free 15-minute phone consultation.

2. Learn more about our services and our team.

3. Start finding the right therapeutic fit for you!

Other Services Offered with Inside Wellness

Our team understands you may experience a number of mental health concerns in addition to eating disorders. This is why we are happy to offer support with a variety of mental health services including body image counseling, anxiety therapy, and online Therapy in Utah.

An Online Therapist in Utah Shares Tips on Opening up With a Virtual Therapist

Let’s face it, once the pandemic hit and online everything became the norm, our world was forever changed. 

Our culture changed in terms of offering many long-term shifts, such as hybrid or work-from-home jobs now becoming the norm. And while universities, entertainment, and many industries resumed pre-pandemic business as usual (thankfully), other areas of life now allow us to choose how to spend our time.  If you want to see your doctor or a therapist virtually, you almost always can.  It has been our experience that while many people initially requested in-person therapy appointments during the past year or two, many pivoted back to virtual appointments because of the ease & time-saving benefits.  So we thought we’d share a few ideas on helping you know how to connect with your counselor, therapist, or medical provider with ease.

Don’t Overthink It:

Haha, easier said than done, right?  Typically overthinking a few things is normal, and tends to happen when we are new to doing something or meeting someone.  Given that mental health is so personal and can feel so vulnerable we find that the initial session is the most anxiety-provoking.  While this may be your first introduction to virtual therapy, or simply just to this specific provider, it is not new for the person you are seeing.  They have been doing virtual sessions since, and sometimes even before the pandemic changed how we do things.  They should be skilled and able to help you feel at ease upon meeting them. This is actually a part of what you want to be looking for in general because therapy can be vulnerable and a little uncomfortable at times, so connecting with a provider who puts you at ease is essential.  

Comfortable Setting: 

Choose a location that best suits you and makes you feel at home so to speak. For some people, that is literally at home in your joggers & comfy tee shirt in your favorite chair.  For others, they may opt to do therapy from in their car because it is often their second home and they are free from the listening ears of roommates or family members.  And occasionally people do sessions from their office setting or an empty classroom on campus.  

Choose a Private Setting:  

This one can sometimes be obvious if you tend to be more private by nature, but often times it is overlooked.  If you tend to be more of an open book, then you may be comfortable being in a more public place and feel okay if others may hear part of what you are sharing. While where you choose to have a session is ultimately up to you, we would still strongly encourage you to have full privacy from start to finish.  We want you to feel free to share the full extent of your lived experiences and your feelings when they surface, and we’ve observed that if your roommates might be able to hear parts of what you are sharing or if you are watching the door of your classroom to make sure no one enters, it’s often time to settle into your feelings and experiences at a meaningful level.  You can consider wearing headphones or earbuds if you feel your privacy may be interrupted as a safety measure, however, the best bet is full privacy in a room or location where no one can listen in or interrupt you.

Talk It Out:  

Your counselor’s job is to help ensure that therapy is both beneficial to you and that the virtual platform is a good fit for you as well. Some people have reported that being in their home environment has made it easier to open up than being in an office setting.  There is some research that suggests that we do lose some inhibition when in a virtual setting faster than we may in person.  However, it is not a great fit for all. If you are finding it hard to connect or if you simply don’t like this approach, tell your therapist immediately.  Together you can determine if there are things that can be done to improve the experience, or if you simply need to be connected to a therapist who sees you in person. 

Your therapist should be willing to help you find a specialist who can see you in person and help you make that transition on a timeline that works for you.  A good therapist will always want you to do what is very best for you!  So if you have any worries or guilt, know that we are behind you and want you to get what YOU need, even when that is not working with us. If you are having tech difficulties, speak up immediately. A good internet connection is a must, so let us know so we can troubleshoot those immediately.  While it is the provider's job to supply a HIPPA-compliant platform for your privacy, you will need to ensure you are connected to a secure internet network or streaming service. If you have questions or concerns about this, talk it out with your counselor as she/he/they should know what guidelines are best on this front.  

Begin Working with An Online Therapist in Salt Lake City, UT

If you have questions if online therapy is a good fit for you, don’t hesitate to reach out.  We will happily talk to you about your needs, questions, and concerns from our Salt Lake City-based practice. You can receive remote support from our team of caring therapists by following these simple steps:

1. Contact us to schedule a free 15-minute consultation call

2. Meet with a caring therapist

3. Start addressing the concerns affecting you most

Other Services Offered with Inside Wellness

We understand that you may experience more than one mental health concern at a time. This is why our team is happy to offer support with a variety of services including eating disorders, body image counseling, anxiety treatment, and online Therapy in Utah. Feel free to visit our blog for more helpful information today!

3 Tips to Help You Be Present When Poolside: Ways to Cope With Anxiety About Your Body

You step outside, and the sun on your face no longer feels gentle and warm, it’s heating up and it’s time to get into the full swing of summertime. 

You love the idea of being present in your body, in your life, and in your swimsuit. But, yet you are struuuggggling to feel calm and okay about it all.  When it comes to getting ready for and being at the pool you find your thoughts are racing and you just can’t relax about it.  But you go anyway and hope that you can get out of your head and into the zone and enjoy yourself.  Here are 3 tips to ease your anxiety and enjoy your day:

Come back to the moment and to the basics. 

Start by placing your feet on the ground and intentionally identifying the sensation underneath them.  Notice what you can & describe it in detail or aloud.  This may be the texture of your flip-flops, the wet grass, or the heat & texture of the bottom of the pool.  Describing or focusing on in-the-moment sensations brings your awareness back to the present and away from the negative sensations you were starting to feel when comparison or self-criticism surfaced.  You will also feel more centered and less anxious if you’ll pause to breathe.  Anxiety maxes our brains & breath speeds up, so slowing down your breath will slow down your body and ease your anxiety. 

Challenge or change your internal story. 

The brain is a powerful thing. It takes sensations, thoughts, images, smells, and any internal or external data and quickly explains the situation or sensation to us.  The good news is that it works quickly & wants to make sense of things. The bad news is that it doesn't have to be accurate to be believable.  Once the story, or narrative, rings as possible or true to us, we are rewarded & reinforced for its conclusion.  I’m guessing you can see how this can be dangerous at times.  So ask yourself if the story that just went through your head is based on the past, the present, or the future.  

If you've had negative feedback or experiences at the pool, then your body may be reacting to a past situation, and getting grounded back into the moment may be your best line of defense. If it is based on the future, gently ask your brain to come back to the now and breathe.  We also want to challenge the facts.  If it makes sense (and it likely will in the moment), is it also true?  Spoiler alert, it may feel true because fear is very convincing, but is it based on a fact? Would your best friend agree with the fact that just came to mind or might they say it is a feeling? Facts and feelings are best when softened and you are supported.  Invite yourself to identify 1-2 additional internal narratives that would be more supportive and more true. 

Soak up self-compassion like you’re soaking in the sun!  

Self-compassion is a way of offering support to ourselves in the way we would typically offer to a good friend.  It is really helpful and often hard to do.  It can be hard to do b/c we don’t have a lot of practice at it, and in the moment we need it most we struggle to access or believe it.  If you are struggling to give yourself support, do the “best friend test”- if your best friend just shared with you what happened and how it made her feel, how would you genuinely respond?  Now take that response and say it to yourself.  Offer yourself that same context, validation, and empathy that you so quickly & easily give to others.  At first, it will feel forced and challenging to absorb.  We often want to reject this kindness when others offer it which makes giving it to ourselves one layer harder, and IMO, one layer more important.  After all, you are with yourself the most, so learning to treat yourself with kindness and compassion is worth the time and effort it takes to learn to soak in your own words of support.    

Anxiety can be overwhelming, body image distress can be overwhelming, and the cross combination can feel impossible at times.  Anxiety is like gravity, what goes up must come down.  And it will.  Your anxiety can ease.  Your body image distress will come down.  Go to the pool!  Get engaged in your favorite book, talk to your friends, and embrace the sensations of the sunshine and water as they warm you & refresh you.  

Begin Working with An Eating Disorder Therapist in Provo, UT

If you are struggling with anxiety or body image, call us; we are here to help! Our team is happy to provide support from our Provo, UT-based practice and across Utah. Inside Wellness is committed to helping you get the care you need to begin to your body. Help is available, and you can start your therapy journey by following these steps:

1. Reach out to us about scheduling a free 15-minute phone consultation.

2. Learn more about our services and our team.

3. Start finding the right therapeutic fit for you!

Other Therapy Services Offered With Inside Wellness

Our team understands you may experience a number of mental health concerns in addition to eating disorders. This is why we are happy to offer support with a variety of mental health services including body image counseling, anxiety therapy, and online Therapy in Utah.

Is It Normal to Be Anxious About Having Anxiety?

While anxiety impacts everyone differently, it is very common to have anxiety about your own anxiety. 

While this may sound funny to some, there are some valid reasons why this is your experience.  There is evidence that suggests that individuals who are struggling with anxiety have an increased awareness of their own internal body cues.  This hyperawareness can prompt your body and brain into becoming on high alert for any change.  Our brains can often experience changes in our environment as potential threats. 

If we think back to the caveman days, it’s nature’s way of trying to make sure that humans survive. If I had been a cave dweller and I was actually chased by a bear when I was doing my daily routine, it’s safe to say that I would be smart to avoid the areas in which I saw the bear or identify additional exit strategies to stay alive. It’s my brain’s job to pay attention to cues of danger and after an awful encounter with a bear, my brain is going to pay extra attention to any subtly that sounds, smells, or looks similar to the past experience. 

I think it’s fair to say that most of us will never be chased by a bear and don’t need to be ready to run at any time.

However, our bodies often respond to perceived threats as if that is our reality.  Our “bears” if you will, have changed, but our bodies and brains have the same survival instinct as our ancestors.  

So, the degree to which you may be anxious about your anxiety bear appearing will depend on how often, how intensely, and the way in which it shows up in your life.  If your anxiety bear only surfaces when you have a test to take, then it makes sense that your brain will anticipate having test anxiety.  You may find ways to lessen it over time or it could worsen if it seems to impact your test outcomes.   If your test outcomes impact your potential career path, then that anxiety bear could feel more intimidating and terrifying when you are taking the test that impacts your next step vs a test for an elective class or something of less consequence.  

If your anxiety bear tends to hover in the background and moseys in and out of your line of sight randomly but never tries to attack you, your brain will learn to manage that as a distressing but “normal” part of the landscape and will work around the distress.  It can still leave you more leary of changes in your life because your bear likes to hang out more frequently when things are changing. 

If your anxiety bear hibernates while stress mounts but then jumps out of the cave rapidly and randomly in the form of a panic attack, then you might feel fearful of another panic attack…which once again, thinking of our brains as our way of surviving, definitely makes sense. 

So, how can you cope with the anxiety bear itself and then the anxiety about when your anxiety bear shows up in your life?  

• Explore the patterns and themes of your anxiety.  There are differing types of anxiety and different anxiety disorders. Learn to spot and label them. Labeling something by its name and how it functions tells helps our brains tolerate distress.  So label your anxiety thoughts as such. This will not make it go away but will give you & your brain a better chance of knowing when to relax vs run.   If the thought of this feels daunting, talk it out with a trusted friend, family member, or licensed therapist. 

•  The only thing to avoid is avoiding, easier said than done, I get it.  When our brain perceives a threat the instinct is to avoid it.  Approaching a bear in the wild is most definitely a bad idea, but when our anxiety bear is not life-threatening then responding to the cues saying it is, will only train our brains to run anytime someone even thinks of a bear.   We want to help our brains learn to identify perceived threats (things that look like a bear- a brown horse,  a black dog, etc) from an actual threat of an actual bear.  So taking a test, for example, can be stressful, scary, and can feel like we are about to be attacked, but in all reality it is safe. So approaching vs avoiding is what is needed to survive and graduate from college if that is your desired goal.

• Seek support:  Most people who have anxiety benefit from having support when they are approaching a thing that feels terrifying.  It’s instinctive and wise to seek support from people who can help.  There are many types of support that help with anxiety.  For some, talking aloud & externalizing the fear will move them forward.  Others benefit from seeking therapy and or medication from a medical professional. There are varying types of therapy that can help with anxiety and learning to tame & tolerate your anxiety bear.  

Begin Therapy for Anxiety in Salt Lake City

Anxiety is hard enough, if you are struggling with anxiety about your anxiety, know that this is normal, we see you, we get it. We are here to help and are honored to offer support in Salt Lake City and across the state. Follow the steps below to get started on your self-care journey. If you're ready to get started, you can follow these simple steps:

1. Reach out to us about scheduling a free 15-minute phone consultation.

2. Learn more about our counseling services and the members of our team.

3. Start addressing your anxiety in healthier ways

Other Therapy Services Offered with Inside Wellness

We understand that you may experience other concerns in addition to anxiety treatment. This is why Inside Wellness offers support with a variety of mental health services. Other services offered include body image counseling, eating disorders, and online Therapy in Utah. Feel free to visit our blog for more helpful information today!

Tips From A Salt Lake City Eating Disorder Therapist

With summer just around the corner, you find yourself thinking and worrying about your body more than normal.

Going to the grocery store used to come with relative ease. And now you find yourself obsessing about your food choices and the negative comments people make about their bodies.  The internal spin starts to speed up and you want off of this awful merry-go-round.   

As an eating disorder therapist in Salt Lake, I want you to know that we understand that the struggle is real. The chatter that you hear all around you is always about learning to minimize your body and about controlling your food.  And lately, the chatter has become the background noise that is disrupting your happiness. Here are a few tips you can try to challenge the chatter:

Exposure is Everywhere

Remind yourself that there’s a reason this feels so overwhelming. For years, be it in the news, and in the media, you have been saturated with stories and images about weight shape, and size. In response, diet culture has been peddling products and diets to change your body and “your health”. Despite the fact that diets don’t work. Despite the fact that dieting and other behaviors are the catalysts of eating disorders. 

The negative messaging seems like the only truth that exists. Eating disorder therapists see this all the time and we know there’s a better path. So when you start to feel overwhelmed, remind yourself that there is a big backstory to the emotions you are currently feeling. It’s not your fault that you are thinking and feeling this way, and we know you deserve better.

Give yourself permission to eat the food you enjoy, guilt, free!

Well, this may seem like either a brilliant idea or a scary idea to you, or perhaps both! The research is very clear, how we feel about food impacts how our body responds to food.  So if we view food negatively, we have a stress response to it.  Guilt and shame have never been known to improve someone’s mental or physical health in my experience. If we can pull morality out of food, and stop seeing it as “good” or “bad”, we will feel much better.

Returning peace and pleasure back to food allows you to be more attuned to your body and eat in ways that honor its needs and its wants.  This often feels scary to people because diet culture reinforces a belief that our bodies cannot be trusted when in reality the research is clear. We can trust our bodies, it knows when we need a broader array of food, it knows when we are full, it knows when certain foods stop tasting good, and the list goes on. 

Remember that your relationship with your body is a relationship.  

One that will ebb and flow, and change over time. It is similar to all other relationships in your life. Sometimes our relationships are going really well and other times we experience a rough patch.  No relationship counselor would advise you to demean, punish, and control the other person in the relationship.  And those same rules apply when it comes to our bodies.  What will start to heal your relationships is compassion, understanding, and patience. And so it is with your body, you don’t have to always like it in order to treat it kindly and give it the respect and care it needs. Caring for your body means giving yourself permission to enjoy eating and moving in ways that connect you to others and bring you joy.

We understand that trying to re-write your patterns with food and your body can feel like a hero’s journey, and one you aren’t sure you can actually make happen. Healing your relationship with your body and food takes time. Changes are possible. You can recover from your eating disorder, you can stop swimming in body shame, and you can combat the negative messages that have harmed you. 

Begin Working With An Eating Disorder Therapist in Salt Lake City, UT

Changing your relationship with food can take time, patience, and the right support. Our team can help. We are happy to offer support from our Salt Lake-based practice. You can start your therapy journey with Inside Wellness by following these simple steps:

1. Reach out and give us a call at 801-699-6161.

2. Learn more about our counseling services and the members of our team.

3. Start creating lasting change!

Other Therapy Services Offered with Inside Wellness

We understand that you may experience other concerns in addition to eating disorders. This is why Inside Wellness offers support with a variety of mental health services. Other services offered include body image counseling, anxiety treatment, and online Therapy in Utah. Feel free to visit our blog for more helpful information today!

Tips For Finding An Eating Disorder Therapist in Provo, UT

You’re sitting at your desk with the computer browser open. You’ve finally gotten up the courage to Google ‘how to find an eating disorder therapist in Provo’ and then the overwhelm and anxiety suddenly take over.  You don’t even know where to start and you don’t know how to identify who knows what they’re doing. And you certainly have no idea how to determine if the person will be a good fit for you. In your search for an eating disorders therapist in Provo or in Salt Lake City here are a few tips to help you.

Choose someone who is an eating disorder specialist

This one may seem obvious once it said allowed but is often overlooked. The best way to think about this is how we approach any medical issue.  For general concerns, we often see our primary care doctor.  However, when we know we have a specific concern, we seek out a specialist who has extensive training and experience in our situation.  If you are having a baby, you go to an OBGYN because they likely have more training experience delivering babies than your primary care doctor. When your knee injury is intense or prolonged, you see a knee specialist, and the list goes on.  The same idea applies to mental health needs as well. While all provider backgrounds have varying areas of emphasis in their education, all therapists function in a similar capacity.  So it is often more important to look at their post-education experience or training than at the specific degree they earned to become a therapist. 

A specialist in our field is anyone who has spent a significant amount of time increasing their education, skills, and seeking supervision in their areas of expertise. 

For eating disorder therapy, this likely looks like someone who has worked at an eating disorder clinic for a window of time. Or, someone who has extensive training and supervision from someone who is an eating disorder specialist. The same is true for other mental health specialists, if you have unresolved trauma, you want to seek out someone who has specific trauma training.  Specialized care leads to significantly better short-term and long-term outcomes.  I often get asked if it’s okay to choose someone who has a long list of items they can treat. This may be an accurate representation of their knowledge, but it may not reflect the level of time or level of expertise in all of those areas. So feel free to ask them how much time they have spent seeing individuals with the area of expertise you are seeking.    

Ask around 

While the internet can be very helpful in finding a provider that could be a great fit for you, so is your community. In the Provo area, people tend to find a good therapist by word of mouth. This is likely to come from friends,  family members, or community leaders who know a therapist that they’ve liked or that they’ve heard about and have a good reputation. Once you have a few names, look them up and see if their message seems to resonate with you. Feel free to reach out and contact their office to find out more about the therapist to see who’s a good fit. If you find yourself still being unsure, feel free to set up a phone consultation with the therapist to get a sense of them. Occasionally I’ll have a new client who discloses in the first session that they are seeing a few therapists that week and then choosing the one they like best.  This is your therapy and we want you to feel connected and comfortable with whomever you feel is the best fit for you.

Look at the logistics

Finding a therapist that has a correct skill set and is a good personality fit is essential, and so are the logistics.  Therapy is typically done weekly, so finding someone that is easily accessible is key.  It may be helpful to consider if you want an in-person therapist or a virtual provider, both have their pros and cons. Scheduling is another key component. It’s helpful to look at your schedule and find a provider whose appointment time frames match your work or school needs. 

Of course, if you are in college, we understand that your schedule will change each semester, but you may want to ask the provider how they manage those changes so you find someone you can see in back-to-back semesters. And lastly, finding a good fit for your financial situation. Sometimes in the hurry to get help going, this can be overlooked. It’s perfectly okay to be upfront with the provider about your needs.  Any provider you contact wants to make sure that their fee works for both your short-term and long-term financial needs. So if cash pay will work for you for a month or two but not down the road, give them that information when you make your first point of contact. 

If the person(s) you reach out to isn’t a good fit for you on that front, they will likely know who may have the skillset you need who takes your insurance, or whose fee is a better fit for you.  We are here to help you find a good fit, even if it isn’t with us. 

Begin Working with an Eating Disorder Therapist in Provo, UT Today!

While finding the right provider for you in Provo can feel overwhelming, please reach out to our team and let us give you a hand. Inside Wellness is committed to helping you get the care you need to begin to find peace again with food and your body. Help is available, and you can start your therapy journey by following these steps:

1. Reach out to us about scheduling a free 15-minute phone consultation.

2. Learn more about our services and our team.

3. Start finding the right therapeutic fit for you!

Other Therapy Services Offered With Inside Wellness

Our team understands you may experience a number of mental health concerns in addition to eating disorders. This is why we are happy to offer support with a variety of mental health services including body image counseling, anxiety therapy, and online Therapy in Utah.

What Your Eating Disorder Therapist Wants You to Know About Janurary

You just go through the holidays, and now you are entrenched in the cultural chatter of all things New Year’s “goals”.  People cannot stop talking about the amazing things they are planning to do this year, and of course and unfortunately, you are being bombarded with diet culture talk about weight loss, pursuing “health” in ways that are really diet culture in disguise, and you are feeling all of the uncomfortable feels. 

You are unsure who to talk to because people don’t understand that not jumping on this bandwagon is 20x’s harder for you than joining them.  If they only knew your history, you hope they’d understand that what they are saying is activating your eating disorder thoughts in a big way.  Please know that while others may not get it, every provider that understands eating disorders is pulling for you because we know that Thanksgiving end of January can be a long, triggering, and exhausting time for you.  And while we know you can keep moving forward, we understand the degree of difficulty you are facing right now.

First and foremost, it’s okay to not participate in this process at all. And if you do want to participate in the process I’d suggest trying it in a new way. 

Choose a word for the year, not a list of goals. 

In general, New Year’s goals or resolutions tend to be lofty aims people set for themselves that typically are unrealistic and only last a short window of time.  They often endorse the all-or-nothing thought patterns that you are working to unpack within eating disorder recovery and outside of it too.  A few options that would support your recovery but could extend beyond it could be: self-care, being flexible, rest & play, being mindful, and self-compassion to name a few.  Many people choose a word or a theme instead of goals because they feel it is more realistic and allows for imperfections as it is an aim instead of an exact outcome.

Remember that the phrase “health” is a broad umbrella.

You are working on prioritizing your physical and mental health, in different ways than what others may be talking about right now, but equally if not more difficult than people will ever realize.   Healing your relationship with food & your body is such hard work. Down the road, you will be so grateful for the work you are doing because in time, it will allow food to be a topic that no longer causes such distress, but in time come with ease. 

Once again, many people will not get how hard it is for you to eat your challenge foods, to eat meals & snacks consistently, to exercise less and not more, and whatever else your eating disorder dietician and treatment team is having you work on.  So if you do feel pressured to “choose” a health aim (this often occurs in work or school settings), choose from the broader umbrella which includes:  sleep, stress management, mindfulness, meditation, relaxation, rest & play(yes, this one is super helpful for our nervous system), embracing imperfections, and self-compassion to name a few. 

All of these have science-based outcomes that improve our mental and physical health. If you are with people who are safe and know your history, you can share something your treatment team is having you work towards.  We know it’s hard to be in these conversations, and we know it’s hard to not participate in certain settings, so this is just an option of a way you can participate if you feel it’s appropriate to do so. Also, feel free to opt out of these conversations altogether if that will support your recovery best.

Seek Support Frequently

When you feel activated or triggered by comments people are making in a group setting or one on one make sure you seek support.  If you can speak up and set a boundary in the moment, that’s awesome.  But if that isn’t realistic or is too overwhelming, text a friend who gets it and let them know you need to be reminded to keep working on YOUR recovery or to be reminded that the diet culture chatter you are hearing now is echoing your eating disorder thoughts and that you need their help to get out of your head or the conversation that’s triggering you.

Be extra gentle with yourself

January is my least favorite month of the year because I know it is a trigger fest for all of my clients who are trying so hard to fight their eating disorder thoughts and longstanding behavioral patterns.  In my weekly sessions, I hear about how hard it is to hear people making comments that contributed to the start of your own eating disorder, or that make you want to run back to it.  Take a deep breath, and remind yourself that in a few weeks, people will return back to their normal living and that the external triggers and chatter will die down. 

You can do this, and it’s okay to struggle, to increase your self-care, and to seek more support than you think you might need in order to survive. If you hit a setback, know that it’s just a setback.  Eating disorder recovery is a journey that is not a clear-cut, straight line. It’s messy, has many setbacks and many strides forward, and can be done!  Share your struggles and setbacks with your team, we are here to help during your session time, and we are certainly mindful of you & cheering you on from the sidelines this month in between your appointments.  

Begin Working With an Eating Disorder Therapist in Utah

If you were doing well, but experiencing a setback in your eating disorder recovery don’t hesitate to reach out and seek help again. Our team of caring eating disorder therapists would be honored to support you in overcoming your eating disorder. If you are realizing that you may have an eating disorder, help is available. You can start your therapy journey with Inside Wellness by following these simple steps:

1. Contact us or give us a call 801-699-6161.

2. Learn more about our counseling services and the members of our team.

3. Get set up with a counselor who is right for you!

Other Services Offered with Inside Wellness

Our team understands you may experience a number of mental health concerns in addition to eating disorder treatment. This is why we are happy to offer support with a variety of mental health services. Other services offered include body image counseling, anxiety treatment, and online Therapy in Utah. Feel free to visit our blog for more helpful information today!