Inspire Yourself
One of the most common aspects of eating disorders, and life in general, is negative affirmations and self-talk. An affirmation is a statement that confirms a belief, and too many of us affirm things like "I'm ugly" and "I'm worthless", but no, let's put a stop to this! Trashing ourselves won't help us open our eyes to our own beauty. You must allow your beauty to shine within and come to the surface by encouraging it to do so! Honor your body, heart and mind, and give yourself some love with positive affirmations.
Positive affirmations may be a huge part of beating your ED (see Conscious and Subconscious clutter) and changing your self-image. Every belief in your subconscious mind began with a thought, that you begin to affirm and that leads to actions that reflect that belief. For example, perhaps one day a person began to notice their body, think negatively about it, and in turn, speak negatively about it and act negatively. Soon enough, the person has developed negative beliefs about their body. Self-loathing affirmations are one of the reasons why we feel so badly about ourselves and our lives. We affirm our negative thoughts in the mirror and use them in conversation with others. If you direct too much negative attention toward something, it can only get worse, not better.
To change your direction, you have to start with what you feel and think. If your mind is full of negative thoughts, then begin to reverse them until it becomes almost habit to think positive. When the good thoughts combat the bad ones, you will find that your life begins to improve.
Positive affirmations may be a huge part of beating your ED (see Conscious and Subconscious clutter) and changing your self-image. Every belief in your subconscious mind began with a thought, that you begin to affirm and that leads to actions that reflect that belief. For example, perhaps one day a person began to notice their body, think negatively about it, and in turn, speak negatively about it and act negatively. Soon enough, the person has developed negative beliefs about their body. Self-loathing affirmations are one of the reasons why we feel so badly about ourselves and our lives. We affirm our negative thoughts in the mirror and use them in conversation with others. If you direct too much negative attention toward something, it can only get worse, not better.
To change your direction, you have to start with what you feel and think. If your mind is full of negative thoughts, then begin to reverse them until it becomes almost habit to think positive. When the good thoughts combat the bad ones, you will find that your life begins to improve.
Positive Affirmations
Try to say your affirmations in the mirror or before you sleep and when you wake up, at least 3 times daily or more. You may feel some resistance toward affirming positive phrases or feel as though you're lying to yourself, but that's simply due to existing negative subconscious beliefs. Your mind is just reacting to the contrast of the new belief you're trying to input opposed to the one you already have.
For example, think of your subconscious mind as a child, and you're taking away a toy that they're used to having (an old, negative belief). They're going to complain and argue with you for awhile, but as you introduce a new toy (a new, positive belief), they will calm down and accept it. If you feel overwhelmed, calm and quiet your mind by meditating. You're free to think of more positive affirmations or use different ones! I've also added some alternative affirmations for those of you who feel like you aren't ready to say the original ones yet. You can also speak these affirmations in your mind before you're ready to say them out loud.
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Express Appreciation
Appreciation and gratitude is another great way to change your direction, as it takes focus off of the things that you dislike and requires you to focus on the things that you appreciate. Expressing appreciation toward anything, even if it's something you consider small or unimportant, is enough to start. Be grateful for having eyes that can see, for having a heart that is still beating, or for anything that made you feel inspired today. If you focus on the good, you'll begin to notice more good in your life. Write a gratitude list of at least 10 things.