This season of social distancing is hard. It is the best thing to do right now; however, it can really take a toll on one’s mental health. Maybe it just hit you that everything has changed. Maybe being back at home makes you want to go back to unhealthy eating habits. Maybe it leads you to want to restrict, overeat, or binge eat. The CDC has even stated that when stressful situations arise, people change their eating habits (CDC 2020). I believe that this season of social distancing can lead to going back to an unhealthy relationship with food and exercise, especially if the person has already had a history with it.
On top of all this, there is an unsaid pressure to be doing something productive during this time of social distancing. Relaxing only comes with a sense of guilt. Social media outlets are filled with encouraging quotes of how to use this time to become your best self. Instagram and TikTok are filled with suggestions on how to diet or workout during quarantine. We now have all the time in the world to scroll through instagram and compare. On the other side of social media, there are jokes about how we are all going to gain the “COVID-19 pounds,” or how overeating is a part of being quarantined.
Isn’t it horrific that even during a global pandemic girls are encouraged to fixate on their bodies? Spending so much time alone can be damaging because it encourages us to think about ourselves more than we should. Eating and exercise are some of the only things to do right now, so it is easy to hyperfocus on them.
If this is what you are doing during this time, I want you to know that it is okay. It is normal if you are eating a little bit more or if you are not as on top of it as you usually are. It is a stress response to what is going on in the world right now. It is easy to forget that everyone is home for a reason. It is not because you are lazy, but because it is how we can do our part in helping end this global pandemic. Your body is just trying to handle everything going on the best it knows how to. It is okay if that looks a little different than normal. It is okay if things that have not been a trigger in so long, are triggering now. You are not weak, you are handling stress. You can show up as yourself in this season of life and that is not going to be perfect. You do not have to turn it all around and appreciate it as a gift every second of every day. It is okay that it really sucks sometimes. Sit in that emotion but don’t let it stay there. Just because friends cannot be physically near right now does not mean they are far away. Spend time with the people you love virtually in order to ground you. There are many online therapy resources that are available to best help us in this. You are more than your body and the food that goes inside it. Life looks different right now and that is okay. Take care of yourself and love yourself where you are at right now.