This may be the best-worst time to eat intuitively
Hi there. I hope you are well. We are deep into it - homeschooling sucks, we miss one another, I'd give an eyeball for a massage and a movie in a theatre. But this is where we are, so...
When working with clients, we often end up discussing neuroplasticity, that amazing way the brain can reshape itself according to our gentle guidance. Changing the brain is hard work and requires repetition and practice. And it tends to be easier when our relative stress levels are low and our resilience and cognitive flexibility high.
Catch that? Stress levels low, resilience and cognitive flexibility high --> THIS IS NOT NOW!
Intuitive Eating is a model for changing the brain's relationship with food and body, a template for that specific form of neuroplastic remodeling. But, given the amplification of our food and body issues during this time of isolation and uncertainty, when stress levels are high and resilience and cognitive flexibility relatively low, the pandemic might be presenting us with the best-worst conditions for deepening our Intuitive Eating practice.
Why it is the best time?
We have been collectively sent to our rooms. With most of us staying relatively close to home, perhaps even working at the kitchen table, we are physically closer to food throughout the day than we are used to and there are fewer separations between work space and personal space. Plus we might have lost access to methods of self-care, coping, and self-soothing - going for walks, hanging out with friends, browsing a store, or going to see a movie. An increased focus on food, decreased access to our usual forms of movement, and the need for accessible coping mechanisms makes the pandemic a sort of Master Intuitive Eating Class. Consider this the fast track to eating enlightenment, folks,
Why is it the worst time?
See above :)
The same things that make this the best time to deepen our Intuitive Eating practice also make it the hardest. This is good news if your underlying view is one of patience, gentleness. self-compassion, and non-judgmental curiosity.
So if you are finding this to be a difficult time to practice Intuitive Eating, remember YOU ARE DOING IT. Every moment you bring awareness to your body, mind, and heart in how they relate to food and body, you are practicing Intuitive Eating during one of the most difficult times to do so.