The changing seasons can usher in anything from summer sunshine to falling leaves. However, these seasonal transitions can be just as difficult in terms of body image and eating behaviors. It can be helpful to identify the reasons why body image dissatisfaction, anxiety around food, and disordered behaviors around eating continue to show up, even as the summer turns into the fall.
By: Irene Schultz
Many people are getting in their last beach days, while others are welcoming autumn. Whatever the season, those who struggle with an eating disorder might experience fear and anxiety in these transitional periods. Here are 5 reasons the end of summer might bring about uneasiness and some helpful tips to help ease the stress.
Clothing
People with body image issues, including body dysmorphia, may feel anxious about seasonal wardrobe changes. Whether it’s wearing tank tops and swimsuits, or jeans and sweaters, feeling shameful about one’s physical appearance can trigger ED symptoms. Recovery tip: Wear clothes that you feel comfortable in. Do not “wait for the right body” or hang onto old clothes that no longer fit. Shift your focus to comfort and experience instead of size and appearance.
Disruption in Schedule
As the seasons change, so do schedules and routines. Individuals with an eating disorder may struggle to stick to their recovery plan during these transitional seasons, as time flows differently. Going from summer break to a new school semester, adjusting from a summer work schedule to a fall one, or any shift in routine, can be challenging to maintain a recovery plan. It is so important to address these types of routine changes with your support team. Get a plan in place to reduce stress and feel comfortable whatever the season throws your way. Recovery tip: Plan for schedule changes as best as you can. Prepare yourself with support, coping skills, and practical tools. For example, always bring a portable , non-perishable, and satiating snack with you.
Eat Consistently
A change in schedule could mean a change in activity levels. This might cause anxiety for someone struggling with an eating disorder. These types of changes may trigger a desire to restrict. However, changes in activity levels are normal, especially as the seasons change. Whether you are soaking up the last days of summer, being active outside or cuddling up with a pumpkin spice latte, continuing to eat regular meals and snacks is very important, regardless of how much or how little movement you got in that day. Recovery tip: Always eat regular, satisfying meals and snacks throughout the day, as discussed with your treatment team, no matter what the season or holiday. . You never have to ‘save up,’ ‘make up,’ or earn a meal.
Social Events
Each season comes with a unique host of social situations and events. Oftentimes, there is a lot of pressure when attending large gatherings of friends and family members, whether for a summer wedding or football game. Upcoming social events can feel very stressful for those struggling with disordered eating or their body image. Recovery tip: Focus on the experience. Remember social events are about connecting with friends and family and making memories. Your body is the least interesting thing about you!
Social Media
It is difficult to avoid self-comparison when it comes to social media at any time of the year. However, as the seasons change and social media feeds are inundated with decorations, celebrations, and life milestones, that self-comparison can be very harmful. Images of unrealistic, photoshopped body ideals, fun social gatherings, and seemingly “perfect” lives can be isolating and may push people to eating disorder behaviors to cope with feelings of inadequacy and poor body image¹. Recovery tip: Unfollow any triggering accounts and fill your feed with recovery-focused media (You can follow us on Instagram at @balancedtx and @redefining_wellness.) Remember, social media feeds are curated with what people want you to see. It’s a highlight reel, not reality. Focus your feed on accounts that make you feel good about yourself.
The changing seasons can trigger eating disorder thoughts, whether its one last day at the beach, attending more social events, or facing many “fear” foods. This in-between season may call for extra support from eating disorder professionals, and that is okay. You and your recovery are important, not just during the summer, but also all year round.
At BALANCE eating disorder treatment center™, our compassionate, highly skilled team of clinicians is trained in diagnosing and treating the spectrum of eating disorders, including anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, compulsive overeating, and other disordered eating behaviors and body image issues. In addition to our full-time Day Treatment Program and Weeknight Intensive Outpatient Program, we offer high-quality programming, nutrition counseling with a licensed dietitian, meal support, and various other groups and resources to help those seeking help for food concerns.
BALANCE is proud to offer a free virtual support group twice a month. Our support groups are a safe and empathetic space where group members gain insight from our expert facilitator and receive support from other group members. Our goal is to reduce shame and isolation, address barriers to care, and inspire the first steps toward recovery. Join our Interim Clinical Director, Beck Liatt (they/them), on Friday, August 26, 2022, at 12:00 PM EST for our next free support group by signing up here.
Looking for eating disorder treatment programs or services in the New York City area? Learn more about our options at BALANCE eating disorder treatment center™ here or contact us here.
This post was written by BALANCE Blog Contributor, Irene Schultz (she/her).
Irene is a professional dancer/actress based in Manhattan, NYC. She holds a B.F.A. in Commercial Dance and a B.A. in English/Writing from Pace University. Growing up in the arts and entertainment industry, with its extreme focus on thinness, Irene experienced and witnessed firsthand the detrimental effects of toxic diet culture. Irene completed her M.Ed. in Health Education and Promotion at Plymouth State University, where she was enrolled in the Eating Disorders Institute, the only graduate program in the world approved by the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals (IAEDP), and the nation’s only eating disorder specialist certificate program of it’s kind. When she is not onstage performing, Irene enjoys hiking, swimming, traveling, cooking, doing yoga, cuddling with her cat, and helping other artists and individuals heal their relationship with food and their bodies. She is excited to combine her passions for eating disorder recovery and writing by contributing to the Balance blog.
Reference
Delgado, Dawn. “5 Reasons Eating Disorders May Flare up in Summer Months.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 4 June 2018, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/eating-disorders/201806/5-reasons-eating-disorders-may-flare-in-summer-months.
