If you are called to stay home during this time of COVID-19… I know that food might be feeling a little bit triggering for you.

Will there be enough left?

Will the store have what you like?

Shouldn’t you clean your plate? Isn’t it bad to waste food right now?

You have all this food in the house, maybe you’re feeling like you want to eat it all.

Or, you feel bored, and you just want to eat… 

Or, this season feels so uncertain that you’re using food to calm/soothe your nerves…

You might be feeling overwhelmed. 

You might be feeling tempted to diet (everything is so uncertain, and tracking something would feel really certain). 

Listen, I totally get it. I hear you, I do. 

I just want you to know that you don’t have to diet. You’re desiring to diet because you’re desiring control. You want certainty. You need somewhere to put all of this mental energy that is spinning around in your mind. A way to organize it.

This used to be my way of life. Need control? Diet. Need certainty? Diet. I wrote a little bit about this here last week in a letter to my younger self.

But you don’t have to diet… 

What will a diet do for you right now? Probably give you peace for a day or two while you formulate a plan and feel a sense of control… but then after a few days that control is going to wear off. What will set back in are whatever feelings always seem to set back in after starting a diet.

You’re not bad for wanting to diet. For wanting to control. Not even a little bit, sister. It’s completely normal in this time to grasp for anything to give you that sense of certainty – of a plan.

But you don’t have to.

Instead, you can give yourself grace, compassion, and understanding. You can remind yourself that it’s hard to feel uncertain, but that you promise yourself that no matter what, you’ll be on your own team, in support of yourself and those around you. 

This is a season where spirituality is more important than ever before. 

If you’re feeling out of control, hand it over to the One who is in control. 

I acknowledge that many of us here have different spiritual beliefs, and that’s okay, you’re welcome here! We call a truce – I get to be me, you get to be you. That’s it. I’m here to love God and love people just as much as I love myself (which is a whole lot, and took a while to learn!). 

Ease, sister. Ease. 

Soothe yourself right now. Lean into honoring your BASIC needs, first.

• rest
• pleasure
• expressing your feelings
• receiving comfort
• warmth
• food
• connection

Then, increase the amount of nurturing in your life. What are the things in life that nurture you? Here are a few ideas:

• rest and relax
• pour a glass of wine (or tea) and sit outside
• listen to soothing music
• take a warm shower, dry off, put lotion on your entire body and get into fresh PJ’s
• ask for a massage
• pray – ask for comfort
• get support (many counselors are doing Telehealth, I’m doing face to face or phone coaching over Zoom, and The Growth Vault is here for you too)

From here, now that you’re feeling taken care of, lean into your emotions. Check-in with yourself: How are you feeling? 

Next, check-in with how you can help yourself with this simple question: How can I help?

It’s such a simple question, but it’s one that is so powerful and in support of yourself. 

Finally, get outside of yourself. When you encourage someone else, you encourage yourself. Who can you offer encouragement to, right now? Do you have money to share? Who can you share it with? How else can you help?

I hope this post encourages you. If you need support right now, feel free to check out The Growth Vault (a great place of support in this season) and/or book a free Discovery Session session with me here.