Maintaining Eating Disorder Recovery & Summer BBQ’s

Summertime is normally associated with warm temperatures, long days, and loads of outdoor activities. 

Typically most people look forward to and enjoy the summer months where social connection seems high and fun is in the air.  However, if you are working on recovering from an eating disorder the summertime months can be very stressful.  Instead of dreaming about going to the lake, the beach, and BBQs with friends, you are worried about how you will manage all of those events. 

Here are a few tips to help you handle your day with more ease:

Eat Like It’s a Normal Day:

Don’t skip meals or restrict your intake earlier in the day to “save” calories for the BBQ. Stick to your regular eating schedule that you & your treatment team have established. 

Set Boundaries:

Be clear about your boundaries regarding food and conversations. If discussions about diet, weight, or appearance arise, gently steer the conversation to a different topic or excuse yourself.

Focus on Socializing:

Shift your focus from food to socializing. Engage in conversations, participate in activities, and enjoy the company of friends and family. Of course, the food aspect may be challenging AND it is one part of the event and merely an excuse for people to gather & connect. 

Practice Mindfulness:

Use mindfulness techniques to stay present and reduce anxiety. Pay attention to your hunger and fullness cues, and see what food items you actually enjoy.

Have a Support System:

Bring a supportive friend or family member who understands your situation. Having someone to talk to can provide comfort and help you stay grounded when the overwhelm starts to arise.

Use Coping Strategies:

Have a list of coping strategies ready in case you start feeling overwhelmed. This might include deep breathing, identifying 5 things you can see or hear, or stepping away for a few minutes of alone time.

Set Realistic Expectations:

Recognize that it’s okay to feel anxious or uncomfortable. Recovery is a journey, and those who love you will be happy you are there and doing your best. 

Plan for Afterwards:

Have a plan for after the BBQ to decompress and practice self-care. This could involve talking to a trusted friend, journaling about your experience, or engaging in a relaxing activity.

One Meal & One BBQ At A Time-

It’s important to remind yourself before, during, and after that this is one BBQ. Meaning that one meal can’t make or break your weight, your recovery, or your relationships.  Sometimes it’s easy to put so much emphasis on things that are new or daunting.  Your treatment team will help you plan for these events and help you see what went well and what went differently than hoped for after each summertime event.  

What we wish recovery looked like and actually looks like are often two different things. 

Life can be messy and progress in any area always takes trial and error, rinse & repeat.  Anytime you are trying to show up in your life & participate is a win!  And in time, and with curiosity & generosity for yourself, things will get better and BBQs will become more enjoyable. 

Start Working with An Eating Disorder Therapist in Provo, UT

If you feel you need more support restoring peace to your relationship with food or your body, contact our team of caring therapists. Help is available and you don’t have to do it alone. You can start your therapy journey with Inside Wellness by following these simple steps:

1. Contact us or call at 801-699-6161.

2. Meet with a caring therapist

3. Start changing your story!

Other Services Offered with Inside Wellness

Eating disorder treatment isn’t the only service Inside Wellness offers support with addressing. Our team is happy to offer support with other forms of mental health support including anxiety treatment and body image therapy. Learn more about the support in person or online therapy can offer today by visiting our blog or FAQ today.

How Does Online Eating Disorder Treatment Work?

Have you ever wondered what online eating disorder treatment is and if it will work for you? 

Eating disorder treatment, be it online or in person, has the same team members involved.  Eating disorder treatment has 3 team members involved to help you.  

Medical Provider:

When doing eating disorder treatment you will be asked to work with a medical provider (MD, NP, PA) who has specialized training in working with individuals who have an eating disorder.  This person will order essential labs, take your vitals, and often order an EKG.  They will help in addressing any abnormalities and overseeing the risks that come with an eating disorder. 

This part of your treatment will need to be in person and could have a virtual option depending on where you are in the recovery process.  If we cannot find a person who does understand eating disorders well, then your other team members can contact your medical provider to give them resources that specify protocols they need to follow as designated by the Academy of Eating Disorders which does the research on all things medical.

Therapist:

You can work with a therapist who is exclusively online or offers a hybrid option or who is only in person.  Most providers, be it in-person sessions or online sessions, use virtual systems to do all paperwork & ongoing assessments as needed. This is 100% up to your preference for what works best for you.   There is no right or wrong on this front, it truly is a personal decision. If you feel like virtual sessions will allow you to attend therapy in a private, and safe environment that works better for your schedule then this may be a great option for you. If you feel like you can open up equally well or even better in a virtual setting vs in person, then definitely consider this option.

However, if you feel like the screen will be a barrier or you have a hard time getting in touch with your feelings and need someone in the room with you to do so, then you probably would do best with in-person team members.  I have had clients who do feel they can open up well online, but honestly just prefer to be in person for a variety of reasons. There is no right or wrong answer here, so do what is best for you and or pivot if you try online and decide it’s not your thing.  Your therapist will understand and help you to find a skilled provider who offers in-person sessions.  

Dietician:

The dietician can also be in person, offer a hybrid, or be fully online.  Typically in eating disorder care, providers will use data points to assess process & medical stability.  The dietician will typically want to track food intake, which we often do via a recovery app, and get regular weights at the start of treatment.  If your dietician is fully online, then he/she may recommend you get a scale that does “blind weights”.   A blind weight is a term we use to describe the process where a person is weighed but does not see the number on the scale, since weight metrics are often triggering to our clients and or fuel the eating disorder into more extreme measures. 

So, the dietician will recommend a few options where you step on a scale that does not show you your weight but has a system set up that the weight can only be viewed by the treatment team.  This allows you to participate fully in treatment as if it were in person, with the convenience of doing so from home and saving your travel time from going into an office for dietary appointments or seeing an MD for that data point. 

All team members collaborate via phone, email, or online connection to collaborate in your care.  The frequency of collaboration will vary depending on where you are in the recovery process.  

Begin Online Eating Disorder Treatment in Provo, UT

If you have questions if online eating disorder treatment is for you, please reach out to our team. We’ll be happy to help you see if it’s a good fit.  If it isn’t, we will be happy to connect you with personal providers, we just want you to get the help you need in the best way for you. You can start your therapy journey with Inside Wellness by following these steps

1. Give us a call 801-699-6161

2. Meet with a caring therapist

3. Start receiving the support system you deserve!

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!

Change Your Story, Not Your Swimsuit: How to Calm Your Anxiety About Your Body

The birds are chirping, the sun is sizzling and fear starts to run through your veins as you think about all of the upcoming summer events that require a swimsuit. 

You have noticed the uptick from your inner critic about your body and you are starting to dread the season you love most.  You wish that you could just find ease in this area of your life but so far, nothing seems to work.

Here are a few things to consider as you prepare for the pool and you notice your anxiety starting to rise:

Maybe your body is NOT the actual problem. 

Everywhere we turn we are bombarded with messages about changing our bodies.  You see it on TV, in commercials, on social media, and oftentimes most social circles have some chatter about trying X diet to change the way you look.  You’ve tried some of these things and it ended poorly because it led you into an eating disorder, or temporarily feeling better to only land back at the same place-hating on your body.  So what if we shifted to focus on the real culprit, your beliefs about your body?  If we see our bodies as the problem, then it makes sense why preoccupation about them crops up.  However, if we see our beliefs about our body as the problem, then we can start to focus on changing those beliefs.

Explore your Stormy First Draft: 

Let’s take a look at your SFDs (stormy first drafts).  A stormy first draft is an internal story or narrative that surfaces about a specific topic or situation.  It's typically the thing that we don’t always want to share with others because it is harsh or ignites shame.   Oftentimes we have these thoughts so frequently or quickly that we aren’t aware that we are having them, so negative beliefs go unchecked, which means we accept them as truths.  So it’s no wonder why we feel anxious or bad when we are getting ready to go to the pool if we are saying things to ourselves that we would never say to anyone else.  Our brains are amazing, and sometimes unhelpful at times.  Let me explain, our brain has to have some type of story or narrative about everything that happens.

So between the event & conclusion, we must have a story, the problem here is that the story does not have to be accurate for our brain to reward us, it just has to make sense to us. 

Que SFDs that can feel SO convincing but may not be accurate to the situation and more often than not, can tie into our deepest fears or negative image of ourselves in any area.  So if we do poorly on a test it’s easy for our brain to insert a narrative about an insecurity, such as “Now everyone is going to know how stupid you are and that you faked your way into college”.  So when it comes to body image, in a culture that tells us we always have to be changing how we look, it’s easy to see how we could have some SFDs that really sink the emotional ship so to speak. 

Change your story instead of your swimsuit or your body. 

Body image is a tough topic because it often feels overwhelming and hard to change.  It’s not about believing that you look good all the time, it’s believing that your body IS good.  Full stop.  However, it may or may not look at any given time.  It’s about treating your body respectfully & engaging fully in life in the body you are in.  It’s learning to catch those SFDs and challenge them or change them.  It is about talking more compassionately or kindly to ourselves & our bodies. We can do this by putting some compassion around an SFD that we feel we cannot change, at least not in the moment it surfaces.  

We can do that by identifying how painful it is to feel that way about ourselves & pinpointing the context of where that belief came from.  Such as “Wow, that SFD is really painful because it came from (x negative experience) and so it makes sense that it is hitting me really hard.  AND I am trusting that others can accept me and love me for who I am and would want me to participate fully today”. 

We can label the source of the problem as “Wow, my brain is really trying to blame my body for its outburst today” or “My beliefs are really convincing today and I’m trying not to listen to them”. Once again, we’ve learned to change our bodies over the years, not to work on changing our minds, and yet true freedom comes in learning how to do this, it takes time & practice so be patient with yourself.  

We can respond to ourselves the way we would to a friend who is having a hard time. 

We can actually say out loud or in our minds what we would honestly say to a friend who was having a hard time with their own body.  We typically do this by reminding them that they are being hard or unfair to themselves and we remind them that we value them over their body & we want them to join us in having fun that day.  We may give them a hug or try to make them smile in some way.  So don’t hesitate to give yourself a hug or a gentle touch, as cheesy as it may sound in this moment, it really can help us feel comforted and supported.  

We can text a friend and let them know we are in shame.  This can look like “Hey, I’m spinning out in body shame right now.  Remind me that I am loveable as I am” or “……..remind me that I am more than a body”.  

Begin Therapy for Anxiety in Salt Lake City, UT

Learning to see our SFDs & change them will help you feel more calm as you put on that swimsuit & get into summer living.  Changing our beliefs can be hard, but we are here to help.  Reach out to our team of therapists if you feel you could use some support & tools in unpacking beliefs that hold you back.  Start your therapy journey with Inside Wellness by following these steps:

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

2. Meet with a caring anxiety therapist

3. Start changing your story!

Other Services Offered with Inside Wellness

Anxiety treatment isn’t the only service Inside Wellness offers support with addressing. Our team is happy to offer support with other forms of mental health support including eating disorder treatment and body image therapy. Learn more about the support in person or online therapy can offer today by visiting our blog or FAQ today.

Navigating Perfectionism During College Finals

Tools for Success and Self-Compassion

As college students, we all know the feeling: that tightness in our chest, the racing thoughts, the relentless pressure to excel. Yes, finals season is upon us once again, and for many of us, it brings not only the stress of exams but also the suffocating grip of perfectionism. You might find yourself striving for flawlessness in every assignment, every test, every paper. But what if I told you that perfectionism doesn't have to be your constant companion during finals? What if there were tools and strategies to help you navigate this stressful time with a little more ease and a lot more self-compassion?

5 Ways Perfectionism Can Present During Finals:

Fear of Failure:

Perfectionists often equate failure with personal worth, leading to intense anxiety about performing poorly on exams or assignments.

Procrastination:

The pressure to achieve perfection can sometimes lead to avoidance and procrastination, as the fear of not meeting impossibly high standards becomes overwhelming.

Self-Criticism:

Perfectionists are their own harshest critics, constantly berating themselves for any perceived mistakes or shortcomings.

Burnout:

The relentless pursuit of perfection can result in burnout, leaving perfectionistic students feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, and emotionally drained.

Imposter Syndrome:

Perfectionists may struggle with feeling like frauds, doubting their abilities, and fearing that they will be exposed as inadequate.

Tools to Combat Perfectionism During Finals:

Set Realistic Goals:

Instead of aiming for perfection, set realistic and achievable goals for yourself during finals. Break down tasks into smaller, more manageable steps, and remember to take it one day (or one hour) at a time.

Practice Self-Compassion:

Treat yourself with the same kindness and understanding that you would offer to a friend. This is always harder than it seems but if you wouldn’t say it to your bestie, then maybe it’s not kind or fair to say to yourself.

Challenge All-or-Nothing Thinking:

Perfectionism happens when we fall into the trap of all-or-nothing thinking, believing that anything less than perfect is a failure. Challenge these black-and-white thoughts by acknowledging the gray areas and embracing the concept of progress over perfection. I always remind students that B stands for balance and that C’s get degrees. I know reading that may spark more anxiety but the goal here is to remind yourself that it can be okay if you don’t get the grade you’re hoping for every time.

Focus on Effort, Not Outcome:

Shift your focus away from the end result and toward the effort you put into your work. Value the process of learning and growth rather than fixating solely on the outcome.

Practice Mindfulness:

Incorporate mindfulness practices into your daily routine to help reduce stress and anxiety during finals. Take breaks to practice deep breathing, take a break, and sing a song to help you anchor back into the moment. Perfectionism or anxiety puts us ahead or behind the data, and both lead us to feel much more stressed and to have more extreme thinking.

Seek Support:

Reach out to friends, family members, or a trusted mentor for support during finals. Share your struggles with perfectionism and ask for encouragement and reassurance when you need it most. College is a very different animal than high school or the workforce, so it’s okay if you feel lost & need a reminder that it will all be okay.

Set Boundaries:

Prioritize self-care during finals by setting boundaries around your time and energy. Know when to say no to additional commitments and give yourself permission to take breaks and rest when needed.

Let Go of Comparison:

Avoid comparing yourself to others during finals, perhaps the hardest of them all. The funny thing with college is that it is geared towards a specific type of learning and testing style. So if it’s your jam, that’s awesome, and if it’s not, then that’s okay too. In college finals & grades seem like the measure of success in the real world. And yet, if you surveyed most people in the workforce, it really becomes irrelevant outside of getting into graduate school, etc. What matters is effort, teamwork, and a host of knowledge & skills relevant to your career path.

Perfectionism does not allow for a degree of difficulty to exist, but if you can acknowledge this reality, finals will go smoother for you. The truth is that some finals are better than others, some semesters are easier while others are harder. And as humans sometimes we can do more or less than the finals before this one. Be kind to yourself, study hard, take lots of breaks, eat regularly, and get plenty of sleep…….and then let the chips fall as they may.

Start Working With an Anxiety Therapist in Salt Lake City, UT

If perfectionism and anxiety take over your life and you want to loosen your grip while still doing well, reach out. Inside Wellness can help. Take it from a recovered perfectionist, change is possible, and life can have more ease in it while still striving for excellence. You can start working with a caring therapist 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

Anxiety treatment isn’t the only service Inside Wellness offers support with addressing. Our team is happy to offer support with other forms of mental health support including eating disorder treatment and body image therapy. Learn more about the support in person or online therapy can offer today by visiting our blog or FAQ today.

When to Turn to Online Resources and When to Seek Therapy for Your Anxiety

Lately, you’ve noticed that your anxiety is kicking up again, and you realize that if you don’t do something, it will start to take over your life. You find yourself thinking about how to get things into a better spot. Do you tell your parents or roommates you are struggling, or simply suffer in silence? Do you google resources and go at this through social media tips or do you find a therapist to help you deal with the many thoughts racing in your head? There are many ways that people can cope with anxiety, so let’s explore the options in front of you.

Online tools may help when you are experiencing the following things:

Feeling Overwhelmed:

It's normal to feel overwhelmed during stressful times in life. Most people feel anxiety when starting a new job, preparing for finals, or making a significant decision in your life. This type of anxiety is short-term and subsides when the circumstances shift. While your stress & worry levels have increased, they feel manageable. You can still fall asleep even if it takes just a little bit longer than normal. You can prepare in a time frame that is normal for the circumstances & focus on that process. You’re appetite and normal routines are still intact. But you still feel a bit thrown off, but you feel like if you had a few tools you’d be able to get by just fine.

Seeking Information to Understand Your Experiences:

If you feel you don’t really understand what anxiety is and or how it is managed, then googling some basics may be of help. Online can be a great way to learn the basics of something so long as you search reputable sources and don’t go down the “rabbit hole” and saturate yourself with information.

Exploring Self-Help Tools:

Online mental health apps, such as Calm or Headspace, meditation-videos, relaxation exercises, and self-help books can be effective tools for managing mild to moderate anxiety symptoms. These resources are easily accessible and can be incorporated into your daily practices.

Seeking Peer Support:

Connecting with other college students who may be experiencing similar challenges can be reassuring and validating. TikTok, IG, and other online platforms may offer some insights into yourself and help you feel understood. They often provide a space for people to feel less alone or understand the different ways anxiety can present. Online can also lead you to resources in your area. Most clients I see are often unaware of the options open to them as college students or therapy benefits through a full-time employer. As per usual, don’t believe everything you see on social media or the internet, many things are accurate and many things are not.

When to Seek Mental Health Therapy for Anxiety:

You should always seek mental health therapy at any point in your journey. The goal of therapy is to help give you support & tools to improve the quality of your life. So if your anxiety is mild, it’s likely that you will only need a short-term therapy approach. If your anxiety is worse than you thought, then therapy time frames will be adjusted accordingly.

Persistent Anxiety Symptoms:

If you're experiencing persistent anxiety symptoms that interfere with your daily functioning, such as difficulty concentrating, disrupted sleep, or avoiding social situations.

Impact on Relationships:

You feel like you are showing up differently in your relationships than in the past. You may find yourself being more agitated than normal or you are not able to be with others and be relaxed and or focused on what’s happening in the moment. It may be that you feel like everything is going okay and you’ll feel better soon, but others are telling you that you are overly worried or stressed.

Changes in Behavior:

You’ve noticed that your daily patterns have changed. You may be experiencing a shift in your appetite or have a constant state of muscle tension or that butterflies-in-your-stomach kind of feeling. You may find yourself feeling more rigid or over-controlling than normal or that the only way you can cope is to not care at all about it.

Decline in Academic Performance:

If your anxiety is significantly impacting your academic performance, such as missing classes, falling behind on assignments, or experiencing difficulty concentrating, seeking therapy can help you address underlying issues and improve your academic success.

What is different with individual therapy vs an online resources approach?

Personalized Treatment:

Mental health therapy offers personalized treatment tailored to your specific needs and challenges. A licensed therapist can help you explore the root causes of your anxiety and develop effective strategies for managing symptoms. They can also help you look at the tools you have already learned to better capture when, how, and why certain tools work in some situations and not in others. They can teach you coping skills, relaxation techniques, and cognitive-behavioral strategies to address anxious thoughts and behaviors.

Safe and Confidential Space:

Therapy provides a safe and confidential space to express your feelings, fears, and concerns without judgment. It's an opportunity to explore your emotions openly and work through difficult experiences with the support of a compassionate professional. Many people find they like this aspect more than they anticipated. They can share the full impact of their anxiety and feel supported without having to talk about it on a daily basis.

Building Resilience:

Through therapy, you can build resilience and develop skills to cope with your current challenges more effectively. Therapy equips you with the tools and resources you need to navigate anxiety and cultivate greater emotional well-being.

Long-Term Benefits:

Investing in therapy for anxiety can yield long-term benefits beyond college or your current job. By addressing anxiety early and developing coping mechanisms that work for you, your overall mental health can be the best it’s ever been. This will set you up for more success when you come up against similar challenges later in your life.

Begin Therapy for Anxiety in Salt Lake City, UT

While online resources can be valuable for coping with mild anxiety symptoms and providing support during times of transition, seeking mental health therapy is essential for addressing persistent anxiety that significantly impacts your life. Life will always have ups & downs in terms of stress levels. You should be able to decide how to weather those challenges. If you are unsure what would best help you at this time, give us a call. We are here to help you see what level of care you may need and we want to help you get relief & resiliency. You can start your therapy journey with Inside Wellness by following these steps:

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

2. Learn more about our team.

3. Start getting support for your anxiety!

Other Services Offered with Inside Wellness

Anxiety treatment isn’t the only mental health service we offer. We understand that you may experience other issues that you need support with. This is why Inside Wellness offers support with a variety of mental health services. Other services offered include body image counseling, eating disorder treatment, and online Therapy in Utah. Feel free to visit our blog for more helpful information today!

Why You Should Befriend Your Anxiety

Anxiety has become your Achilles heel and the last thing you want to do is do anything that seems like any form of embracing or accepting it. 

I hear you, anxiety can be so overpowering in our bodies and in our heads that we want to do almost anything to get out of it, and fast.  

You’ve tried to stuff it into the depths of your mind and pretend that you are cool as a cucumber, but the more you pretend to be okay, the more it seems like your anxiety takes over everything.

Befriending our lived experiences can be a life-changing experience because as the saying goes “we cannot tame what we cannot name”.  Anxiety requires us to not just name it but to better understand what is happening for us to take steps to help ourselves navigate it with more ease. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you are facing (or wanting to run from) anxiety.

Anxiety Builds With Avoidance

When I was early in my career and working at an eating disorder clinic, the hallmark statement was “the only thing to avoid is avoiding”, which at first made me laugh because it seemed so obvious.  But as I thought about it, and watched people struggle, the more I realized that sometimes the instinct we feel without anxiety is to either run from it or shut it all down.  After all, when we are feeling something in our bodies or our minds or racing, the last thing we want to do is to sit in those sensations, feelings, and thoughts. 

In fact, the mere thought of that sounds overwhelming, daunting, and potentially miserable.  The idea here isn’t to just sit in the things that are hard and get stuck in them.  The idea is to decrease how we avoid situations or sensations that bring up discomfort.  If we are in a pattern of shutting down or running away from what is hard, we are teaching our brains that we cannot handle what is happening.  And over time, this will actually increase our levels of anxiety because our brain is learning that the best way to cope is to avoid, which does give short-term relief, AND almost always makes the situation get bigger and more overwhelming to approach later on.

Anxiety Is Trying to Be a Signal & Can Serve a Purpose

If we think of our emotions as signals that are trying to guide us then it can feel less overwhelming to consider looking at what the underlying signal may be.  If you are feeling anxious about a presentation to your boss or college class, it is likely that your anxiety is simply trying to communicate that what you are about to do is important and that you care deeply about doing well. This signal can often allow us to carve out the necessary time to do a presentation that will be effective and that we can feel good about.  

Anxiety can also be a signal that what we are about to do may be out of our comfort zone and that we want to feel safe or be treated with kindness. 

When presenting to a boss or in front of our peers, it is normal and natural to want to be viewed in a positive manner, and the fear of not doing well or fear of being judged also surfaces in our anxiety.  Social connection is vital to our emotional well-being, so from an evolutionary standpoint, we need to stay connected to our groups and when our brain fears this may be up for debate, we can often feel anxious about the future or the outcomes. 

Anxiety Is a State of Our Biology or Our Patterns

We all have biological needs and responses to the world around us and the world within us.  When we are tired or overtired- it is our brain's job to be on high alert for any potential threats to our well-being.  It knows we are struggling so it ramps up its efforts to try to see threats or perceived threats even in the absence of actual threats. 

Some brains & nervous systems are built more sensitively than others or have experienced circumstances that reinforce their need to be hypervigilant to perceived or actual threats.  I think most can relate that it is easier to get scared at night when the lights are out than when it’s the middle of the day.  Our bodies can often get stuck in a state of high alert and may send a series of false alerts that make functioning more difficult. Ultimately, we want to explore what the messaging is saying and see if it is falsely linked to something that may be actually safe.   

Anxiety Can Change When We Can Befriend It

To not be stuck in anxiety we need to befriend it. The more we can understand what is happening the easier it will be to know how to get it to slow down.  For example, when I get overtired, I am more likely to overthink or worry about something that would not typically bother me.  When I notice this happening, I try to see what my core fear is at that moment.  Is my brain running in circles because it is trying to solve a problem, and if so what problem is it trying to solve?  Is the problem mine to actually solve or are there aspects that are out of my control?  Is my brain hoping that if it problem is solved well enough, I will feel ”in control “ and bypass uncertainty? 

Our brains really love certainty and predictability, so it makes sense that it wants me to move towards a potential solution to gain more certainty, even when that is not possible. When I can remind myself that I am capable of handling uncertainty, and step into self-soothing, my biology will slow down.  When my biology slows down, my thinking becomes less rigid, less catastrophic, and more grounded.  

Anxiety can often feel like a frenemy, a love-hate sort of relationship. 

Letting go of anxiety can feel scary and in some cases may not be realistic or appropriate.  However, getting our anxiety to only alert us when there is an actual threat we need to attend to is the goal.  And knowing how to respond to it when it is over-firing or on high alert is pivotal to finding peace and having more ease. 

Begin Therapy for Anxiety in Utah

If you feel your anxiety is ruining your peace or that you do not have the tools you need to befriend or approach it, please reach out and get the tools and support you need.  Our team of caring therapists are happy to offer support in Provo, Salt Lake City, and across the state. You can start your therapy journey with Inside Wellness by following these simple steps:

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

2. Meet with a caring therapist

3. Start developing a better relationship with your anxiety!

Other Services Offered with Inside Wellness

Anxiety treatment isn’t the only service offered with the team at Inside Wellness. This is why our team is happy to offer support with a variety of other 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!

5 Myths or Misconceptions About Eating Disorders

As an eating disorder therapist in Utah, I have heard many opinions, thoughts, and beliefs about what people think eating disorders are and are not, and are filled with many many misconceptions. 

Most of the myths and misconceptions are from stereotypes in the media or from comments made from well-intended, but undereducated beliefs of others.  I say this because I was one of those ill-informed individuals who didn’t know what I didn’t know.  And then 5 years into my career, I had the good fortune of being hired to work at an eating disorder treatment center in Orem, UT and I began to see through the myths I had learned. I’m sharing these because for people to get the help they need, we all need to understand the truths about eating disorders. 

An Eating Disorder Is Not That Serious

When people find out that I am an eating disorder & anxiety therapist, they often make a joke about food or their bodies.  It repeatedly reminds me that as a culture, eating disorders are widely misunderstood, minimized, and hard for people to know how to talk about them. This makes sense because it’s hard to talk about big topics when we don’t understand the complexity or basic truths.  The truth about eating disorders is that they are more prevalent and more serious than most people think.  

At a minimum, someone who has an eating disorder is in a constant battle with themselves and their bodies. 

They are always hearing a critical voice in their head that they should or shouldn’t do x, y, and z with food & exercise.  At worst, they will suffer significant physical complications in the here and now, even if they seem to be engaging in life normally.  I think we can all agree that we lose far too many people to drugs and suicide, but most are shocked to learn that eating disorders have the second highest mortality rate of all mental health conditions only preceded by opioid abuse. And if this is new information to you, you are not alone.  We do not talk about eating disorders enough or with adequate understanding to have this data point as commonplace knowledge, sobering as it may be.   

Eating Disorders Have “A Look”

This is probably the most common misconception that I have heard over the years.  In general, we tend to categorize all things through the lens of our experiences or something we learned one time.  So if you learned that eating disorders only apply to significantly underweight individuals, you are not alone.  I was also surprised when I learned that even in an inpatient treatment facility, the vast majority of my clients did not fit into the false paradigm. Most of my clients “looked normal” as people often say.  And yet these individuals were severely compromised both physically and emotionally due to their eating disorders.

We see this in other areas of mental health as well. 

Most people think that depression is when someone is unable to get out of bed or shower.  And while this certainly can be a symptom of depression, it can also be true that lots of people have significant depression that attend school or work. In both cases, these stereotypes or lack of a broader picture of mental health leads to fewer people seeking treatment.  Reaching out for help can be very hard for many people and if the only mental picture we have is speaking to a narrow demographic then we may feel like we “shouldn't” need help or people often feel guilty seeking help because they believe they aren’t “bad enough” to be in therapy.  I do feel like this tide is turning with anxiety, and other life challenges and I’m hoping that with more education we will see this happen with all mental health struggles. 

Eating Disorders Must Have Extreme Behaviors

While it is true that some individuals with eating disorders are engaging in time-consuming and objectively extreme behaviors, most individuals are covertly engaging in their eating disorders and go unnoticed.  In part, this is because as a culture we have shifted into a widely accepted pattern of disordered eating.  We talk, judge, and change our eating patterns to adhere to the latest trends that are praised or perceived as normal and good.  It is a culture where talking about certain foods in a moralist way or attaching guilt, shame, or praise to the presence or absence of food is so common that we don’t notice when others or even ourselves have internalized the data points. We become trapped in thought & behavioral patterns that can lead us right into a full-blown eating disorder.  

Dieting is often the gateway to an eating disorder, and yet dieting is seen as low risk, high reward, and “normal”. People also assume that if someone is eating then they do not have an eating disorder. Most of my clients can often eat a meal with others in a way that does not raise major red flags, but they cannot eat normally day in & day out without feeling compelled to compensate with over-exercising, restricting, binging & purging. 

Eating Disorders Are a Choice 

This one can seem tricky to both individuals struggling with an eating disorder and to those who love them. Because we all come hardwired to respond to our internal signals to seek out water, food, shelter, and connection it can seem plausible to think that once someone realizes they have an eating disorder if they can just stop worrying about food & their body that they will be able to resume an innate skill to feed themselves.  And trust me, if it was that simple, I’d happily find another career path because that would alleviate so much emotional distress & physical complications that those who suffer from an eating disorder face. 

So many times people who are struggling with an eating disorder have said that to themselves or a loved one in moments of desperation, frustration, or undereducation. They will say “Just eat” or something akin to that……...and like in all other areas of life, if the Nike slogan of  “just do it” worked when spoken aloud, we’d be investing in Nike:)   Unfortunately, it is not that simple.  Once an eating disorder is ignited or activated for an individual, it sets off a chain reaction of thought patterns, beliefs, and behaviors that are very hard to combat.  And while I firmly believe that recovery is possible, it is a process filled with many ups & downs, twists, and turns, and a lot of hard-fought battles.  

Individuals With Eating Disorders Know They Have an Eating Disorder

Many times individuals who are struggling with an eating disorder do not realize that this is what they are experiencing.  And to me, this makes a lot of sense because many of the behaviors that happen during an eating disorder are things that they have been praised for, or that a medical professional has reinforced due to lack of education. 

I hope that this article expands the narrative for you and that if you are struggling with your relationship with your body or food, you will reach out and meet with an eating disorder therapist near you. You may have disordered eating, you may have an eating disorder, or you may have a struggle with how you experience your body.  All of these things can improve with the support of an eating disorder specialist. 

Begin Eating Disorder Treatment in Provo, UT

This is not the full list of misconceptions about eating disorders, but I hope that it expands your viewpoint.  Help is available, and everyone deserves to find relief from the pain that comes with an eating disorder.  Change is possible, and our team of caring therapists would be happy to offer support. Healing is within reach.  Please contact Inside Wellness if you or a loved one needs help 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 better understanding eating disorders so you can overcome them!

Other 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!

Managing Self Expectations & Anxiety in the New Year

You’ve struggled with worry & internalized pressure your entire life. 

You always feel the need to meet but often beat the expectations that are laid out in front of you, even if these expectations are ones you have set for yourself.  There’s a part of you that even thrives off of the expectations or competition of it all.  And yet, you can see, or have been told that sometimes trying to meet these expectations all the time is leaving you riddled with more anxiety, shame, and self blame that is making your mental health worse, not better. You can’t seem to make it all stop, it’s just what you do even if it isn’t working for you without some backlash.  When people tell you to just lower your expectations you feel stuck because you either disagree or have no idea how to put that into practice.  

Here are a few tips from an anxiety therapist to close the gap and reduce the negative impacts of high self-expectations.

Apply the Reasonable Best Rule: 

Anxiety and perfectionism can propel us forward and yet often they can keep us stuck too.  When we fail to live up to the “idea” or “way” we think we should have performed or completed in a certain way or timeframe we can be much harsher with ourselves than we may be with another person.  This is often because we are only looking at the outcomes, not the circumstances that are happening at the time.  We also want to reject anything that can seem like “an excuse” for the way things turned out, and often default to beating ourselves up instead of getting curious about the context.  So what can help you be more kind and curious is looking to see if you did your “reasonable best” meaning. 

If you were watching your life from the perspective of your closest friend, what might they notice? 

How much sleep did you have, what was your stress level like within your self-expectation and with the demands happening at the same time-work, relationships, money, school, anxiety, physical or mental health, etc.   Oftentimes we do an honest accounting of what was happening in all areas of our lives, including our internal world, and we find that we did do what was reasonable for any human being in those circumstances.  This doesn’t mean that we love it or are okay with the outcomes, but that we can soften the negative self-talk by understanding what impacted how things went down.  

Stay in your Lane:

This one can seem so obvious to us at times, and yet I find it’s a constant factor most of us need to be reminded of.  As with driving, if we take our eyes off the road in front of us to look at people in other lanes or locations in life, we can easily crash.  We all make progress or have different aims at different times in our lives.  We are all hardwired differently and when we try to go at the pace or in the direction of others paths, we often feel more overwhelmed, more anxious, more self-critical, and less successful.  One way to manage this temptation to compare and compete can be to ask yourself a few key questions. 

For example:  What if I trusted that my goals and my pace WILL lead me to the life I truly want?  

Am I comparing my points of struggle to other people's points of success, and is this a fair comparison?  Why am I noticing others and wanting to switch lanes?  When we can pose questions with sincere curiosity instead of judgment, we can often see the underlying emotions and needs we are bumping up against.  We likely won’t stop having moments of looking out of our lane, but directing our focus back onto how we can support ourselves in our lane will be time better spent.

Stop, Drop, & Roll:

This is a phrase we all know well because it was repeatedly taught and practiced through all levels of public education to do if you are caught in a fire.  The idea here is that in a crisis we can apply a few steps to slow down the scary event that is happening and get relief & safety.  When anxiety starts to build, it often leads to more anxious thoughts, and noticing anxious symptoms in our body. This in turn increases our desire to run from the proverbial fire, but running often leads to more flames of angst.  So when you notice your anxiety building, sometimes the best thing you can do is break up the pattern. 

Stop what you are doing for a minute:

Do some deep breathing for a minute, or change your scenery, or reach out & talk to someone.  Try to “Drop” the topic of your level of anxiety by slowing down your body & your brain or seeking support to help your anxious thoughts be soothed.  And then “Roll” with it-anxiety will build to a peak point and then it WILL decelerate.  Sometimes we fear anxiety so much that we believe we cannot manage it.  But trying to control it keeps it from moving through and past us.  Emotions are often like waves in the ocean- they build, they peak and they fall away.  We cannot change the wave from existing but we can help our brain & our body in the process.

Begin Therapy for Anxiety in Utah

Anxiety can feel like it is taking over our lives at times. This is why our team is here to help you gain some tools and support and you learn to navigate your emotions. You don’t have to do this alone. You can start your therapy journey with Inside Wellness Counseling by following these simple steps:

1. Schedule a consultation by reaching out or giving us a call at 801-699-6161.

2. Meet with a caring therapists

3. Start or message us on our website

Other Therapy Services Offered with Inside Wellness

We understand that you may experience other concerns in addition to anxiety therapy. 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!

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!