Pressure and Self-Worth
‘I can’t sing very well, but I’d like to try.’
Elvis Presley
Today, you have an opportunity to practice something that is often one of the most challenging things for people dealing with eating distress/eating disorder: letting go of unnecessary pressure.
Many people with eating distress/eating disorder (ED) tend to place immense pressure on themselves. You might feel compelled to make everything perfect or ensure that everyone around you is okay. But it’s important to remember: you can’t solve other people’s problems. You can only support them in solving their own. The same principle applies to you. Only you can resolve your challenges, though others can assist you along the way.
It’s common to live with the hope that one day, the nightmare of ED will vanish, that there will be a day when you wake up happy, a moment when something magical happens to change your life, or a life-altering phone call that makes everything better.
But the truth is, it is only your attitude and actions that can bring about meaningful change. And you do have the power to make that change.
Start small. For example, try this with your phone or texting habits. Choose to ignore at least one phone call. Remind yourself that any important calls will ring again. Just for a moment, make yourself more important than anything else. You can let the call go to voicemail, and as the phone rings, keep telling yourself:
“I am more important than this phone call.”
When the ringing stops, resist the urge to wonder who was calling. Instead, continue to repeat:
“I am more important than that phone call.”
How does it feel to prioritize yourself? To be more important than anything else in that moment?
Affirmation: I am more important than I realize.
