So these past weeks have been stressful, it’s been a combination of a move, a busy period at work, and stressed out family members.
What happened as a consequence was, I’ve been alternating between skin picking and binge eating when I haven’t been able to choose healthier ways to cope with the stress.
Like my counselor says, we all need a coping mechanism. What’s important is that we replace it with a healthier method. I think this is a really important point that I seem to forget a lot. – we don’t have to deprive ourselves of coping mechanism, and if we want to shift away from an unhealthy coping mechanism, we have to take care of ourselves in a different way. (I know I’m repeating myself here but I think it’s that important!)
When I’m binge eating or skin picking, I feel out of control. Like I have no other way but to do it. So it’s important to have those alternatives ready before we feel those needs.
When I’m sleep deprived, I tend to binge more (this seems to be science! and something many people experience). In these cases for example, I try to take a nap if I can, even a short one. (Although often I would feel too hungry to sleep so I end up eating BEFORE the nap … don’t do this you guys, it’s important to really head to bed/sofa etc directly)
For skin picking, I try to keep the lights off/dim as much as possible when I’m at the bathroom/sink so that I don’t see my skin in the mirror. I also sometimes try to shower with only the small lights on so that it’s dim enough that I don’t see my arms or shoulders which I tend to pick in the shower. This can also be relaxing, like a moody bath just for yourself.
I also love to keep nice smelling things around so that it helps to soothe not just the urges but also to soothe the stress that causing these urges in the first place. For example, I like to keep Lush’s Therapy? Massage Bar at my desk because it smells so calming! (It can also double as a quick massage session if you’re up for treating yourself a bit)
Other alternatives that I like are, taking a quick 5 or 10 or 15mins walk around my block, or longer if time allows in the nature, listening to my favourite music or podcasts, and taking a nice long bath! Of course talking to friends and family also is a great way to relieve stress, but I find it helpful to have few tricks up my sleeve that I can do without relying on anybody else.
I’m still exploring alternatives for coping with stress and caring for myself, and finding ways to make it easy for me to reach out for these healthier options. I’ll keep posted if I can find more ways!
