Challenge of the Week
In order to move forward in recovery, there must be challenge. And each week, I will be dedicating my energy to conquering one main challenge to continually move forward in my recovery. On this page, I will be posting a challenge for the week and keeping track of my success with each challenge, accumulating weeks of challenges (and successes)! I encourage you to join me in my weekly challenges or use my challenges as inspiration to create your own challenges for the week and share with us your success and thoughts about the challenge of the week!
Challenge for Week of January 8th, 2018
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Try at least two homemade meals for dinner that I do not know the exact calories of, eating intuitively and enjoying flavors rather than worrying about caloric content
Challenge for Week of January 15th, 2018
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Survive. Survive change, in whatever capacity that may be. For me, survive my Brand New Start, my first week back at college.
Challenge for Week of January 22nd, 2018
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Turn surviving into thriving. Pick an area of struggle and really focus in on it this week, conquering it in any way that you can. For me, I will work on variety and comfort with food by eating at least one meal at college and packing something new with my lunch every day.
Challenge for Week of January 29th, 2018
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Dedicate time to self-exploration. Explore. Uncover the mysteries of your eating disorder or personal struggle. For me, I will continue to explore the reasons for my eating disorder by journaling and making sure I am open and honest with others about my thoughts, feelings, and discoveries.
Challenge for Week of February 5th, 2018
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Start your impossible. Prove that your recovery is absolutely possible. Start with one small step, whatever that may mean for you and your recovery. For me, I will focus on walking less each day to give my body the necessary care and rest it needs for physical and emotional recovery.
Challenge for Week of February 12th, 2018
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Make a list of promises to yourself. Promises for self-improvement, that lead you to the life you truly deserve, the life you truly wish to live. For me, I will type out a list of the promises I included in my weekly update and have this list available to me at all times, reminding me of my ultimate promise to myself: full, true, beautiful recovery.
Challenge for Week of February 19th, 2018
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Use the power of words to drive your recovery. Find hope in the words that surround you, whether that be in books, magazines, television, radio, or song lyrics. Write all recovery oriented messages that you encounter down and keep this list of motivational words with you to inspire your recovery.
Challenge for Week of February 26th, 2018
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Let's get real. Let's make the absolute most of National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. Everyone can make a difference, so I challenge each and every one of you to dedicate as much as you can to the ultimate goal of creating a world without eating disorders. Every effort is significant and has the potential for incredible change. Let's stand together and fight for a world free of silence and stigmas and, ultimately, a world free from eating disorders.
Challenge for Week of March 5th, 2018
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Begin. Use the momentum that you gained during NEDA Week to feed your recovery. Pick a challenge that you know will help get you closer to your ultimate goal of recovery and place extra focus and energy into conquering this challenge with the strength we collectively gained during NEDA Week. For me, I will work on decreasing my walking both on campus and at home in order to move forward both physically and mentally, ultimately aiding my journey to full recovery.
Challenge for Week of April 9th, 2018
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Continue. Once successfully completing a goal that you have dedicated the time and energy to achieving for your own recovery, use this momentum to keep moving forward. Let yourself be proud of the progress you have made and write down all of the ways that this step in recovery is bringing you closer to your life. Allow yourself to use the strength you have developed in starting your recovery to continue conquering your goals, one step at a time. For me, I will work on meeting the caloric needs my body needs to reach recovery 100%, reminding myself that the more nourished my brain and body are, the happier, healthier, and freer my life will become.
Challenge for Week of April 30th, 2018
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Start the process of letting go of calorie counting. Pick several foods to stop weighing/measuring/counting. Start to go out to restaurants that do not have the calories posted. Listen to my cravings and hunger cues instead of determining my food choices based on calories.