Episode 39: You're Not Broken: You're Disconnected: Why Connection with Your Body Matters, and How to Get that Back.
There's something wrong with me...
I hear this from my clients allllllll the time. The fact that they eat when they're stressed, feel out-of-control with food, can't stick to a restrictive diet, or can't pass by their favorite foods makes them feel like there's something wrong with them. That they're broken.
I don't think that's true AT ALL.
They aren’t broken. None of us are broken.
The reality is, there are numerous systems and situations that work against us having a positive relationship with food and our bodies. The first and most obvious, of course, is diet culture. Diet culture consistently tells us that our bodies aren't good enough, which leads us to dieting, which leads to binge eating, overeating, emotional eating, etc.
And then we blame ourselves. "I should be able to do this better!" "I know what to do but I just can't do it!"
We make it our problem. Our fault. When really, it's the world we live in that's the problem.
When you think about it, there are numerous systems in addition to diet culture that work against us. These systems make life really difficult in about a million different ways. And they also make it really tough to nourish ourselves physically and emotionally and feel good in our own skin. Systems like:
Racism
The Patriarchy
Ableism
Capitalism
Individualism
Homophobia, biphobia, transphobia
Weightism/Fat Phobia
And I'm sure there are more. But what do all of these systems have in common in terms of how they impact how we treat ourselves and how we eat?
They all disconnect us from our bodies and ourselves.
They keep us oppressed. Distracted. Unsafe. Feeling unworthy (because they tell us we are). Not good enough.
They make us think there's something wrong with us. And it's really hard to connect to ourselves and treat ourselves well when we believe that who we are is wrong.
In this week's podcast, we're talking about all of the systems and situations that take you away from yourself. Like the systems I mentioned above, but also the personal situations that are impacting us. Our relationships. Our finances. Our histories.
All of these systems and situations distract you. They take up your time, energy, and headspace. They make it really really hard to focus on yourself in a nurturing, supportive way.
They disconnect you from your body and yourself. And that's when our eating can go off the rails.
My first goal for this podcast is to help you realize there is nothing wrong with you. That you're doing your best in a nearly impossible situation. And that there are numerous factors stacked against you.
My second goal for this podcast is to give you just one thing to do to help you connect with yourself. This is so incredibly important. Connecting to ourselves builds a relationship with ourselves. We're letting ourselves know we care. We can tune into our bodies and ask what they need. And that has a huge calming effect on our eating parts. So I show how to do a quick check-in with your Self and your parts. It's super quick, super easy, and literally takes one minute.
So check it out!
To help get to know your eating parts, check out my FREE Eating Parts Cheat Sheets
"Moving from Diet Culture to Food Freedom" Workshop for Therapists--register here!
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