As we look toward 2021, many of us may take time to reflect on resolutions and intentions to carry into the upcoming new year. For those who struggle with disordered eating and poor body image, this time of year may be especially challenging due to the constant rhetoric and messages around programs designed for weight loss. If you are in recovery from an eating disorder, diet culture’s strong presence during this time may activate parts of you to feel ambivalent about your recovery goals. This is normal and this does not mean you are failing for having those thoughts. You are not alone!

Here are some New Year’s Resolutions and Intentions you can set for overall wellness that are not weight loss or appearance centric, which cover different domains of the Self-Care Wheel which can be found here.

Physical

Reclaiming your relationship to exercise by creating intentions around mindful movements, such as checking out JOYN. JOYN is a Health At Every Size (HAES) fitness streaming platform designed to engage bodies of all shapes, sizes, and abilities with a strong emphasis on joyful movement.

Psychological

Setting intentions around asking for and receiving support when needed. Therapy can be a great place to begin or continue this process as a goal for 2021. CARE has many clinicians who work with disordered eating, body image, and other mental health concerns.

Emotional

Taking time to allow yourself to experience and express your emotions. One way to begin this is to practice more self-compassion. In which ways can you show yourself grace when you are struggling? A great exercise to reflect on this is asking yourself how you would respond to a friend who is having a difficult time.

Spiritual

Spirituality can be defined as “seeking a meaningful connection with something bigger than yourself, which can result in positive emotions, such as peace, awe, contentment, gratitude, and acceptance.” Some intentions around this can include finding a spiritual community, incorporating meditation into your life, going into nature, and finding a cause you are passionate about to volunteer or advocate for.

Professional

Taking time off can be a great intention! 2020 has pushed many work/life balance boundaries, as many people transitioned into working from home. Some intentions to practice this domain of self-care could be focusing on taking breaks, including moving out of your physical workspace to eat lunch.

Personal

Taking intentional time to think about the way you want to feel can help you create goals. Finding a “Word of The Year” can help you think about personal goals you want to incorporate into your life. For example, if your word of the year is “Connectedness” you may think of intentions around reaching out to loved ones or those you would like to reconnect with. Or if your word of the year is “Adventurous”, you might discover a new hobby or plan a trip that makes you feel this way.

There are many different ways to be intentional about creating a better YOU in 2021, regardless of what your eating disorder voice or diet culture may have you believe about New Year’s Resolutions. Continue to take time to reflect on the different domains of self-care and ways in which these intentions can align with your recovery goals for overall wellness. You deserve it!