Journal Prompts for Eating Disorder Recovery
Written by CCTC Staff Writer
Journaling can be a powerful tool in eating disorder recovery. Writing can help you better understand your eating disorder, your relationship with food and your body, and also serve as a way to process recovery ambivalence or rediscover your motivation during difficult times. Journaling has proven to have mental health benefits including reducing anxiety and regulating emotions.
If you don’t know where to start, here are some helpful journal prompts to get started. Remember, you can start with these prompts and let your thoughts take you where you need to go. Letting go of expectations or pressure while journaling allows you to utilize this as the therapeutic tool it is intended to be.
If you think it would be helpful, bring your journal entry to a session with your therapist or dietitian to discuss what you wrote, or any difficult emotions or thoughts that arise while writing. Sometimes it can be helpful having your thoughts out on paper to share with your treatment team in moments you feel stuck or unsure what to talk about. You can also ask your therapist to give you topics that are relevant to where you are in your recovery process.
Journal prompts for exploring your relationship with food
Journal prompt #1
Do you remember a time where you had a neutral relationship with food? If not, what did your relationship look like then versus now? Do you remember what began to change your relationship with food? What type of relationship with food do you wish to have? What steps are you taking to achieve that better relationship with food?
This prompt can be a good way to reflect on what your relationship to food looked like before falling into the cycle of disordered eating, and what influences around you may have impacted your relationship to food whether it be societal, your family, your friends or any other contributors. Take time to think about the relationship you want to have with food. Is it free of judgment and rules? Is it being able to eat your favorite childhood snack? Next, look at what steps you may need to take and what you are ready to tackle now.
Journal prompt #2
What does having peace and freedom with food mean to you? What is currently stopping you from reaching these goals? What steps do you need to take to achieve that freedom?
This prompt allows you to define your own definition of food freedom that you can refer back to throughout the recovery process. Listing out the different thoughts and obstacles you feel are stopping you from achieving that level of freedom can help you discover what areas you want to work on. Discussing and planning next steps with your therapist or dietitian can help you make a plan of action to make progress in your recovery.
Journal prompts to explore ambivalence around eating disorder recovery
Journal prompt #3
If you woke up tomorrow without your eating disorder, how would you spend your day? Walk through your entire day from the moment you wake up, to the moment you go to bed. How would your meals look? Would you feel less concerned about your body? Would you see friends, family, or do something you enjoy? What would you do with the extra time you reclaim from your eating disorder? What differences do you see between your life lately and this day you write about?
It can be hard to imagine a life without your eating disorder when you are in the depths of it. You may feel unsure about recovery right now, and that is okay. Let this be a way to explore the possibility of what recovery may look like.
Journal prompt #4
Write out the pros and cons to your eating disorder. Do you feel depressed and/or anxious? Do you feel like you have withdrawn from your friends and social circle? Do you have days when you feel tired of your eating disorder? Is it impacting how you perform in school, at work, or how you show up in life in general? Now think about the ways your eating disorder serves you. Does it bring you comfort in moments of loneliness? Does it help you feel less stressed or anxious? Does it help you feel in control? Do these perceived pros have any consequences?
When you are contemplating giving up your eating disorder, it can be helpful to look at both the pros and cons of your eating disorder. The pros are a good way to identify what role your eating disorder serves in your life currently, to begin thinking about the other ways you may be able to meet those needs in recovery. Be open to whatever comes up in this journal exercise.
Prompts to help you stay motivated in eating disorder recovery
Journal prompt #5
What does recovery mean to you? Do you believe that full recovery is possible?
Every individual will have their own reasons for starting the journey of letting go of their eating disorder, and so the term recovery will also have a special meaning to each person. Explore what recovery means to you and what you hope to gain from this journey. If you do or don't believe in full recovery, explore why you think that.
Journal prompt #6
What motivated you to start recovery in the first place? What was the first step you took to begin this journey? What positives have you experienced from the recovery journey so far? In moments of relapse or slip, or when urges get difficult, what do you wish you would remember? What can you learn from relapse or slips?
Recovery comes with many ups and downs. In moments where motivation seems hard to find, reflecting back on why you started in the first place can give you a reminder of why you should continue. Instead of being hard on yourself for not being perfect at recovery (there is no such thing!) Ask yourself what you can learn from relapse or slips. Is there something you can do differently next time? What triggers are harder than others? What support can you ask for from your loved ones or treatment team? Return back to this journal entry when you need to reconnect with these words.
Prompts to explore your body image
Journal prompt #7
What negative body image thoughts bother you the most? When do you remember these thoughts and beliefs beginning to influence you? Was it something you learned from family, friends, or our culture? How do your disordered eating behaviors impact or connect to these body image thoughts? Are there certain triggers that worsen these negative feelings and thoughts about your body?
Struggling with negative body image can be difficult whether or not you struggle with an eating disorder. This prompt gives you the opportunity to reflect on what your current body image struggles are and when and why they maybe began in the first place. If you struggle with disordered eating, thinking about how your body image and disordered eating is connected can provide insight on what triggers you should work on addressing.
Related: 8 Tips to Navigate Bad Body Image Days
Journal prompt #8
Make a list of the common negative thoughts you have about your body that you repeat to yourself often. Then next to it, write out how you would respond to your best friend or a loved one saying these things about themselves. Then, compare the differences between the two statements. Why is there such a big difference between the way you speak to yourself and those you care about? In what ways could you begin changing the way you speak to yourself about your body? What do you need to work on to improve your body image?
So often we can become our worst enemies. When it comes to body image, we can be relentlessly harsh and critical. Reflecting on the large difference in what you would say about yourself vs the ones you care about can be an important reminder that working on changing your perspective and relationship with yourself is extremely important. Share this information with your treatment team to challenge these beliefs.
By spending time journaling on these topics, you are giving yourself the opportunity to strengthen your recovery. Be proud of yourself no matter where you are on this journey.
If you or a loved one is suffering from an eating disorder, take the first step today and talk to someone about recovery or simply learn more about the holistic, flexible eating disorder recovery programs we offer.