'To Begin, Begin': Starting Eating Disorder Recovery One Step At A Time

brandy8983
Mar 18
3 min read

Starting Eating Disorder Recovery One Step At A Time

Often, the hardest thing to do is start.

When thinking about making changes in our lives, like starting to heal from an eating disorder, the path ahead can feel overwhelming and terrifying. It is unknown. What do I need to do to even start moving forward? What will that entail? Who will I be and what will my life look like if I were to reach a place of recovery? What does that even mean? So many questions and very few answers.

Starting Can Feel Overwhelming

There is also a ton of information out there nowadays - books, podcasts, practitioners, social media accounts, etc. All of them offering information on what you must do to move forward, or the ‘right’ way to do it. Not uncommonly, contradicting each other.

It is overwhelming.

When Overwhelm Leads to Staying Stuck

For many, when faced with overwhelm and fear, the tendency is to put what is overwhelming off, to think about something else, and plan to look at it later. This is not bad, this is human! And if you recognize yourself in this pattern, you are not alone. But, in the long run, if you never look at or begin the process of recovery, you will never get to a place of ease and freedom around food and your body. You must start to walk the path.

You Don't Have to Have It All Figured Out to Begin

This is why I love the quote by William Wordsworth that says: "to begin, begin." That simple.

You don't need to have a full plan or framework to move forward. You don't need to have a team of practitioners lined up, the right books on your shelf, be following specific social media accounts, or even feel a big desire or motivation to move forward (it is natural that this ebbs and flows, often starting with a tiny seed of curiosity). All you need to do is take one small step. You just need to begin. Maybe for some of you that is reading this blog and finding yourself on this website. Maybe it's sending an email to a support person or booking an appointment, being open to looking at what that support might mean. Maybe it's eating one bite more than you typically would, or talking back to that eating disorder voice one time today. Maybe it's considering that recovery could be an option, or even being curious about it.

Small Steps Are What Create Change

It's easy to discount the small steps because we often don't feel that 'counts' or is moving forward at all. We, as a society, have built up this idea of change as a grand moment where everything feels different, but that is rarely how change actually works. In reality, change occurs in the small, minute choices and actions of daily life where we do something slightly different. All of those little moments add up to something big. Overtime, they move the needle forward, start to rewire our brains, and open us up to possibility.

A Gentle Reminder

In order to begin, just begin. It doesn't matter where or with what. Just begin. Don't get lost in the big picture or needing to have things clearly mapped out. As hard as it is, try not to get tangled in the what ifs about the future. That will unfold in time, and you do not need to navigate it all alone. If you feel a slight pull or curiosity about wanting to explore life beyond an eating disorder, trust that. Healing is possible and life without the torment over food and body is worth it. Just take one small step today.

Just one.

To begin, begin.

If this post connected with you, I’m really glad you’re here.

I’m Brandy Mackintosh, a North Vancouver–based counsellor working with eating disorders and anxiety. You’re always welcome to reach out, learn more, or book a session if it feels right for you.