We don’t think about women or men in their 40s and 50s with eating disorders, but this is a common period of life where a person can continue to suffer from an eating disorder they’ve had for many years or develop one for the first time.
Deciding to retire from work is a major decision, one which many spend years looking forward to with an idealised image of freedom to do what one wants, travel, take up hobbies...
The start of a new year is a great time to reflect on our mental wellbeing in the previous year, what we did well, and what we could improve on going forward.
My clients and students regularly come to me saying they are exhausted and just trying to get to the end of their exams or the Christmas break. For most of us, this break is still a few months away and just continuing on and busting your gut to get to the end is not the best way to go.
It’s one of the first words we learn as infants. In fact, as parents, we actively encourage our infants and children to be able to say ‘No’. “Do you want this to eat? – No”. “Do you want to play with this? – No”. “Do you want to do this? – No”.
So, why is it so hard as adults to say no?
Have you ever listened to how you speak to your body?
How we feel about our body can affect our mood, self-esteem, eating, engagement in exercise, socialising, romantic relationships and anxiety. In extreme cases, a person with a very negative body image can develop an eating disorder, a severe mental health condition that affects a person’s mental and physical wellbeing.
