As the summer months come to an end, the stress of another school year arises. The pressure of grades, assignments, exams, and deadlines start, along with feelings of anxiety, perfection, and uncertainty. The need for control and stability arises, and with those needs, eating disorder thoughts and behaviors often increase. Hence, it is important to acknowledge that the coming school year may trigger or worsen disorder thoughts and behaviors. However, it is more important to discuss some skills that will help you to maintain recovery and navigate these stressors.
By: Tori Barkosky
Know Your Worth
More often than not, students define themselves by their grades and workload. Grinding out homework, pulling all-nighters, taking as many classes as possible, and getting little to no sleep are praised as hard working and worthy behaviors. But you are more than your grades, and you are not a better student or human when you overwork yourself or burn yourself out. There is more to life than classes and school. Remember, you cannot give your best if you do not take care of yourself first. There is more to you than just a “perfect” or “ideal” student. Protect yourself from burnout by respecting your worth outside of your achievements and academics.
Discover What You Can “Control” Outside of Your Eating Disorder
Eating disorders thrive off of control. It is beneficial to find things we can focus on beyond food and body. Finding hobbies to enjoy outside of classes and school is a great way of discovering new ways to channel your energy into something creative, enjoyable, or exciting that doesn’t relate to food, exercise, grades, and scores. Discover new activities and channel your control into something that serves you, not something that brings you down.
Designate Time for Homework, Work, Relaxation, and Sleep
Classes and homework consume a lot of time and energy. It can be easy to forget to make time to sleep, eat, and perform self-care. Set aside timers or reminders to take breaks from work, rest your mind and body, and nourish yourself. If you do not take care of yourself, you will struggle to keep up with school, homework, work, and a social life. All the hard work you believe you are doing by working and not resting counteracts itself, leaving you feeling drained. You cannot reach your full potential if you are not caring for yourself along the way. Prioritize sleep and time for yourself. You will soon find out that you are capable of amazing things.
As students face new classes and adjust to their post-summer schedules, their routines may change. These transitions can be overwhelming. Finding the right balance between school, socializing, and self-care, while working to maintain recovery may take time. With the right preparation and support in place , students can better adapt and thrive with their school schedule.
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. We recognize that being a student comes with its own unique challenges and stressors. We offer a variety of programs and services to best fit a college student’s needs, such as our Weeknight Program and Saturday Program.
Our admissions team would be happy to answer any questions you may have about our programs and services. Book a free consultation call with our admissions team below, or read more about our philosophy 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, Tori Barkosky (she/her).
Tori is currently a senior at St. Catherine University, pursuing a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Nutrition Science. Tori is passionate about all things related to intuitive eating, HAES, mental health, body respect, eating disorders, and disordered eating. She desires to become a holistic therapist or psychologist in the future and work with clients with eating disorders and help them recover and heal their broken relationship with food and body and find liberation from diet culture. Outside of classes and work, Tori enjoys yoga, being in nature, and consuming too much coffee.
