What Are Disordered Health Habits And Why Do They Matter?

When we think of "disordered" we oftentimes think of Eating Disorders.

We think of people either not eating anything, eating too much, or purging.

But there is so much more to eating disorders, past eating disorders and related conditions.

For the past couple of weeks, I have been working on a new niche, a new focus, for my business. I had a co-learning buddy encourage me to think deeper, to think outside the box.

I had this term pop into my head and it just felt right—disordered health habits.

I started asking people if they understood what that meant and it was mixed. I also had someone say I should change the term because she didn't know what it meant, which made me realize... That's the point.

I don't want everyone to understand what it means because it doesn't apply to everyone.

There were people who understood it. Chances are those are my people. I don't want everyone to understand it. I want my people to understand it. Someone who has never experienced disordered health habits wouldn't understand the term.

So, what is disordered health habits?

 For me, disordered health habits describe a set of unhealthy habits related to mental health or an eating disorder. But not just "unhealthy" as in not exercising or eating a couple of McDonald's cheeseburgers. You know the kind that's like "yeah, that's probably not great but not a big deal."

When I say unhealthy I mean the kind that can be clinically diagnosed (whether it was actually diagnosed or not is beside the point). The kind that is on the extreme end, the kind that is connected to an obsession.

Things like drug and alcohol addiction, weighing yourself 6 times a day, having 3 or more workouts a day with the intention of getting rid of all the calories you ate, too dangerously low or dangerously high amounts of food, experiencing body dysmorphia, cutting, etc.

Why is it important to distinguish between "unhealthy" and "disordered" health habits?

 The mindset, emotions, intentions and behaviours are quite different, therefore, the aftermath is very different.

One person can step on a scale, realize they're up 10 pounds and say "I need to eat a little better" get off the scale and be fine. A person with a history of disordered health habits might step on the scale and see the same thing and think "I need to not eat for a week and have long and intense runs every day. I am worthless. How did I let this happen."

The management of the two is very different.

Why does this distinction make a difference in life, work or business endeavours?

Just because you're in recovery does not mean you're cured.

You can heal, you can gain the weight back or slim down, you can stop doing drugs and alcohol, you can stop engaging in your self-injurious behaviours, you can be happy and have a good relationship with food and exercise and still experience a trigger and even if just for a moment, go back to that place.

I find that I can look at myself one day and think "I absolutely love myself, my body is amazing, I am so grateful for all it does, I love food" and the next day look at the exact same body and burst into tears. 

Does this stop me from showing up to my fullest potential in life and business? Absolutely it does. One minute I love myself so much that showing up on video and talking with confidence is easy and the next I hate myself so much I can't even fathom doing that. I hold back, I play small, I shrink and pour myself into my Virtual Assistant work.

I also often struggle with doing certain health programs or following certain programs and diets because the strategies encourage and trigger my ED ideologies and it is just too easy to slip right back into the obsessions.

Your history does make a difference. I know lots of people say you shouldn't let the past define you or forget about the past but I feel like that's a very short-sighted and oversimplified thought. It doesn't acknowledge the struggle many people face, the programming and ingrained thoughts and the morphed view that has become the reality.

If you are in the disordered health habits boat and feel that since you are in recovery you should be able to get through your day, you shouldn't have those thoughts anymore and that your work or business success shouldn't be impacted by this, just remember, you are not alone. You are on an incredibly difficult journey and it is amazing how far you've come.

People don't realize how much work you have to do to get through the day so if you have some thoughts that poke through the cracks of the foundation you have been building know that it's okay.

Your wellness journey is yours. It's unique, it's beautiful and it doesn't have to be the same as anyone else. You deserve something personalized. Something that's your own, that you created and that works for your needs.

If you're ready to excel in your business, increase your profits, increase your work performance, get that raise, then this personalized wellness plan is for you.

Grab your free copy today!