I read this great blog post by my colleague Maja who works with me at the Looking Glass Foundation. She spoke about the role of spontaneity in recovery and some simple (even if not always easy) ways you can incorporate it into your life to improve your overall wellbeing. Her article in particular focuses on spontaneity and the summertime but I think it applies just as much to any season.
As we transition into Fall, my absolute favourite season of the year, I think it is really important to think about the ways adding flexibility into your life could improve how you’re feeling. Sometimes saying yes to something, even if it goes against your eating disorder’s wishes, means you get to capture a moment of joy that you didn’t expect. In fact, a client of mine decided just this week to say yes to a friend hang out. She felt extremely overwhelmed initially because it was going to break her out of her routine, but the day after she sent me a message saying it was the first time in years that she felt she lived her life on her own terms and had what she felt was a “normal” experience that wasn’t defined by her being sick.
Spontaneity is a gift we give ourselves in ways we don’t always realize we need. It can empower us to keep moving forward and teach us the importance of saying yes to our own life’s desires. Remember that being spontaneous doesn’t mean we always say yes to every invitation. In fact, sometimes it means saying no and choosing to revel in newfound time to do something restorative instead. Whatever it means to you, I hope you take some time as we transition out of Summer and into Fall to think about the role it plays in your life and the ways you may want to embrace it. In the meantime, click here to read Maja’s wonderful article.
