How do we keep moving toward accepting ourselves on hard days, when the pull of the eating disorder is strong, and the need to numb is overwhelming? This is a question I had to answer for myself and learned two keys: permission to have my emotions and small acts of self-kindness. Both have had a positive impact on my recovery, and I hope you find a gem here that resonates with you.

In our struggle to feel, be, and do “enough,” we often measure our self-worth by external sources like social media, to-do lists, or the scale. I get it — that was part of my eating disorder journey too, which I open up about in this blog. I also share what helped me to claim my “enoughness.” If you are exhausted from the constant effort to do and be “enough,” this blog offers some concrete ideas to help you release dependence on external factors that sabotage your self-worth.

For guest contributor Maria Scrimenti, her body was her project. She counted every calorie, did all the HIIT workouts, and “made it” in the Nashville fitness scene. She left all the popularity and her obsession with fitness behind to find her true worth and is now on a mission to help women do the same. Read Maria’s inspiring story.