Leisure time, an ally in the recovery from eating disorders
Eating disorders (EDs) represent a significant challenge to mental health, as they not only affect the relationship with food and the body, but also different areas of daily life, such as leisure time.
Leisure, beyond simply free time, represents a human need and an excellent opportunity for enjoying life and personal growth . As children, who didn't want to play? Who didn't long to get home or go out and do what they loved most? Between the pace and obligations of daily life, at what point did we stop allowing ourselves that space, that self-care, that connection with what we enjoy most?
Leisure time typically involves social interaction . However, people with eating disorders often experience isolation, avoiding social situations due to fear of food, body dissatisfaction, and social comparison. This limits their opportunities for social connection, enjoyment, and the development of hobbies, talents, or passions, and increases and intensifies feelings of sadness, loneliness, and depression.
Despite the difficulties and discomfort that may arise in social situations, we want to encourage you to think of leisure as an ally, a significant and very therapeutic tool for the recovery process.
Tips to motivate yourself and maintain good habits
Benefits of leisure
It allows you to disconnect from stress.
- Participating in activities that allow us to feel pleasure, have fun, and relax can act as an escape valve from daily pressures, contributing to emotional relaxation and providing moments of respite amidst the difficulties we may be experiencing.
- It gives us a way to channel our thoughts and feelings in a positive way: by doing something we enjoy.
- Activities such as art, music, or reading can help us express emotions, reduce stress, or improve our self-esteem.
It helps to connect socially
- Leisure allows us to create, build and strengthen social relationships; to connect with people, share experiences through common interests, through what unites us, enrich ourselves through this human exchange, establishing positive relationships and developing social skills.
- Feeling like we belong to a group helps us feel part of something, accompanied, recognized, and can represent crucial emotional support.
It increases our self-esteem
- Challenging ourselves with an activity and achieving that goal allows us to experience success, to feel and recognize that there is something we are good at, outside the context of body image. It helps improve our perception of ourselves, increasing our self-esteem and also our confidence.
It focuses us on other skills unrelated to body image.
- Different recreational activities offer opportunities to develop skills that are not focused on physical appearance. Leisure time provides a wide range of possibilities to explore, discover, and nurture talents, personalities, and skills that go far beyond our physical perception.
Promotes healthy habits
- Introducing moderate physical activity, under the guidance of a therapist, can promote healthy habits. Exercise, always tailored to individual needs, can be a powerful tool that, in addition to benefiting us in many other areas, helps us improve our physical health.
Leisure activities for teenagers with mental health problems
Recommendations when choosing activities
Therefore, we invite you to think about leisure activities you think you'd like to do or dedicate more time to. And if you haven't yet identified these activities, perhaps some recommendations will help you choose them. They should be activities that:
- Do not cause stress or anxiety.
- They are decentralized from food and self-image.
- Promote self-expression, emotional well-being, and relaxation.
- Choose based on your interests and motivations.
- Enjoy doing it, regardless of whether you're good at it.
- They adapt to your individual needs, not the other way around.
In addition, it is advisable to seek professional guidance and emotional support to create a truly safe and supportive environment.
Some suggested activities you could explore:
- Creative activities: painting, music, writing, sculpture, theater. They help channel emotions and promote creativity.
- Outdoor activities: gentle walks in natural environments, gardening, animals, yoga, mindfulness ; can help reduce anxiety and stress, and give us the opportunity to connect with the present moment and nature.
- Fun and social activities: board games, puzzles, role-playing games, reading clubs or community volunteering.
We all need leisure time to improve our quality of life. It's important to find those moments of respite and activities that allow us to experience joy and fun in our free time, and that help us disconnect from difficulties and reconnect with life and with ourselves.
Strategies for coping with common situations in eating disorders
