EDAW13: Go! Live! Choose Recovery!

Just a quick 45 second message:

EDAW13: Wednesday Warrior

This week's usual Wednesday video is up. The topic this week is "How You Can Use Your Voice." It's meant to be directly associated with Eating Disorder Awareness Week...but you know what? The best way you can REALLY use your voice is below... and it's important during EDAW and beyond.

EDAW13: Motivational Mash-Up!

Here it is - a BRAND NEW Motivational Mash-up for Eating Disorder Awareness Week. If you're in need of some kindhearted encouragement, this is for you.

EDAW13: Don't Wait, Accept the Invitation

It's brief. If you have 2 minutes, watch. And remember.

And don't forget to participate in Arielle's EDAW Giveaway if you want to win 1 of 4 eating disorder awareness bracelets. Details (and photos) here: http://tearstowords.blogspot.com/2013/02/arielles-eating-disorder-awareness.html

EDAW13: Sisterhood United

Those of you who have watched my Wednesday videos for years are probably aware that I am part of a collaboration on YouTube with other fantastic women who are working to help those with eating disorders. This weekend, I had the honor and privilege of being with Jenn (who makes videos on Saturday) and Rachel (who makes videos on Thursdays), as well as Caroline (who used to make videos for the channel years ago). I was also in the presence of another great activist, Kendra from Voice in Recovery.

For Eating Disorder Awareness Week, I plan to post a video every day. Day 1 of EDAW, you get this:

a beautiful video of 3 sisters from various locations coming together to laugh and smile and be silly. The friendship I have with Jenn is unparalleled and is only blossoming more and more. The friendship I have with Rachel has been 6 years running...and I only just met her on Saturday...because she lives in the UK. It's amazing that it finally happened.

While this video is extremely informal and has nothing to do with eating disorder advice, it's motivational in a simple way: it's 3 recovered women enjoying each other's presence, celebrating not only Eating Disorder Awareness Week, but friendship, sisterhood, and a life of FREEDOM!

You can have this.

Arielle's Eating Disorder Awareness Giveaway

I'm having a giveaway. Get ready!

Watch the brief video for instructions and get to it! :-)
Items provided by Noor's Handmade Products

I'm having a giveaway - to participate, send me a YT message, email, FB message, tweet, blog comment, or video with your brief awareness story!

Positive Changes

Hey, girls! You Need to Hear This!

I received an email from someone asking for advice on how to talk to a 12 year old girl about body dissatisfaction, comparisons to others, and negative self-worth. It got me thinking - like REALLY thinking - so I filmed an 8 minute video, specifically for girls. You know...those wonderful little creatures who grow up to be women. Do you have a daughter? A grand-daughter? A niece? A little sister? A student? If there is any girl in your life, this is what I want to tell her. This is what she needs to hear. It's not about eating disorders. It's about self-love. It's about life.

Anxiety Solutions

This week's video is on Anxiety Solutions. Anxiety often accompanies an eating disorder...and even recovery from an eating disorder. I discuss some useful tools for managing anxiety and remembering that you don't have to give anxiety all your power.

Stopping Yourself in the Midst of a Bad Decision

Last week, I talked about ways to stop yourself in the midst of a bad decision. I made a video in which I discussed some concrete ideas for re-training yourself, re-directing yourself, and understanding that what you're doing is destructive. The video targets unhealthy behaviors like binging, purging, and obsessive weighing on a scale. I recognize that not everyone with an eating disorder utilizes these unhealthy behaviors, as eating disorders are varied and as individual as the people who struggle with them... but I also know that many, many people out there are looking for applicable ways to help stop these behaviors.

Don't be hard on yourself. Allow the learning process. Don't berate yourself for failures. Instead, take pride in small accomplishments and in the very act of trying to change your bad behaviors. Effort is commendable.

I hope you can find the video helpful: Stopping Yourself in the Midst of a Bad Decision