Normalize Your Needs: Social Media

Why We Took a Pause from Social Media

Social media makes it so that at any given moment it’s likely you have 18 different conversations going on at the exact same time. Between WhatsApp and iMessage chats, Facebook groups, emails, and Instagram direct messages, our phones have made it more possible than ever before to find so many ways of connecting.

social media

But could there be such a thing as too much connection?

For a while, we were feeling overwhelmed by this idea and the belief that human connection, interaction, and relating are the core of what we practice. Because we live by our values outside of our session walls, we decided to take a break from social media to take care of ourselves and refocus our attention and resources to our in-person community.

Why We’re Back on Social Media

Similar to the process of becoming an Intuitive Eater where we let the pendulum swing from restriction to feeling out of control and then find an easy middle, we’re finding our way back to an aligned relationship with social media. You may find it beneficial to do the same for yourself. The break gave us the opportunity to reflect on our intention, and that is to provide valuable resources for the mental health community. Since many of our community members are Jewish, we thought Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, would be a timely re entry back to social media. On the anniversary of the day the world was created, we’re reaffirming our commitment to create a world that does not:

Worship thinness and equate it to health and moral virtue
Promote weight loss as a means of attaining higher status
Demonize certain ways of eating while elevating others
Oppress people who don’t match up with it’s supposed picture of ‘health’

Christy Harrison

Normalize Your Needs: Fasting

Because the above message is intensely amplified through social media, be sure to curate the content you consume so that it aligns with your values. Unfollow accounts that catch you in comparison mode. Remember, this season is all about preparing you to be your best self which starts with making choices based in self love. Sometimes that means deviating from societal norms to do what’s in your best interest.

Which brings us to another consideration. Whether you are Jewish and celebrating Yom Kippur, or gentile and illusioned by the intermittent fasting trend, let’s pause to consider the implications of fasting. While many feel that fasting helps enhance spirituality and intensify focus on prayer and repentance, it can also bring on many triggering feelings for those who have a complicated relationship with food.

Fasting has a number of physical and mental side effects including:

Hunger and cravings
Headaches and lightheadedness
Digestive issues
Increased stress, anxiety, depression levels
Increased likelihood of overeating or binge eating
Irritability and other mood changes
Fatigue and low energy
Sleep disturbances
Risk of developing or aggravating an eating disorder

If you are someone who has a family member with an eating disorder, has perfectionistic tendencies, or an unstable mood, you should absolutely refrain from participating in fasting. In fact, for those with eating disorders, eating on Yom Kippur is considered a mitzvah, or a commandment. There are many alternatives to fasting that are still reflective ways of observing the holiday. This Yom Kippur, in lieu of asking for confessions of wrongdoing, consider what you are already doing and want to do more of. Incorporate a ritual to make each time you eat meaningful.

Ultimately, these High Holy Days are about connecting with family and friends, and deciding what you want to write in your book of life for the coming year. That begins with making choices that best support your body and mind. If you would like professional support on your journey to a healthier relationship with food and your body, we’d invite you to contact us to learn how we can help.