{"id":6323,"date":"2020-09-11T15:20:58","date_gmt":"2020-09-11T15:20:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/connected\/?p=6323"},"modified":"2020-09-11T15:21:06","modified_gmt":"2020-09-11T15:21:06","slug":"resetting-your-body","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/connected\/2020\/09\/11\/resetting-your-body\/","title":{"rendered":"Resetting Your Body"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As COVID-19 has spread, a growing number of people\u2019s mental health has negatively been affected \u2013 not so much by the virus itself \u2013 but by the response to it. Dr Paul Jenkins, Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology at Reading, explains how those with eating disorders have been impacted.<\/span><\/p>\n

Recent studies show many people with conditions such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorders experienced a worsening of symptoms<\/a> as well as increased anxiety<\/a> in the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak.<\/p>\n

\"\"Dr Jenkins from the School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences<\/a>, focuses on how we can support people who are struggling with their eating and mental health during the pandemic.<\/p>\n

He explained: \u201cIt\u2019s too early to state conclusively the reasons for why these conditions have worsened, but it\u2019s clear the pandemic and subsequent containment measures have disrupted everyday activities and changed routines. This may have left people feeling out of control, which can influence eating behaviour.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cOn top of this, the stress of living in the shadow of a life-threatening virus and even greater barriers to accessing treatment may have resulted in a greater focus on weight and shape. This in turn may have brought about changes in eating behaviour, such as \u2018stockpiling\u2019 certain foods or using food for emotional comfort.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cGiven these challenges, I want to focus on how to support people who are struggling with their eating and mental health. These are some practical steps that anyone can take to mitigate the effects of the recent upheaval, which can be considered in addition to formal interventions provided by healthcare professionals.\u201d<\/p>\n

Regaining control<\/h4>\n

Dr Jenkins explains that one way to start the process of reasserting control is to re-establish structure, which will not only help manage the process of eating itself, but will also promote consistency and a reliable schedule across several areas of life \u2013 something many of us have struggled to find during lockdown.<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cTry creating a plan for eating that follows some simple guidelines around regularity \u2013 for instance, breakfast-snack-lunch-snack-dinner, no more than four hours apart. This may result in greater insulin sensitivity [where our cells use blood glucose more effectively] and help with healthy weight control.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s also some evidence from treatment studies that regular eating is associated with early decreases in behaviours such as binge eating. There are also likely to be wider benefits, too. For example, sleep and eating are closely interrelated.<\/p>\n

\n

“The key to keeping both healthy is consistency: sticking to a regular sleep schedule can help with regular eating and vice versa.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Social eating<\/h4>\n

The restrictions imposed in response to the pandemic have also put constraints on our social lives. Dr Jenkins advises that achieving stability in one\u2019s life (where eating is not the sole focus) can help reignite social interaction and also occupy the mind when concerns about eating, weight or shape arise.<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cFor many, leading a more restricted life under lockdown will have internalised worries, taking away the unique pleasure of social eating and elevating current stressors.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cReturning to a life where mealtimes forge connections with others and where \u2018real life\u2019 can be seen \u2013 warts and all \u2013 will help overcome some of the psychological risks posed by the lockdown. For those shielding or otherwise unable to go out, consider arranging a meeting online.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Handling stress<\/h4>\n

Dr Jenkins also highlights that positive and effective ways of dealing with stress can help when things don\u2019t go to plan.<\/p>\n

He explained: \u201cThe exact nature of coping can vary [common strategies include mindfulness, arts and crafts, exercise, gardening and other hobbies] \u2013 the key is to find something that works for you.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cWhen dealing with eating problems, one has to be careful that coping strategies [particularly those involving exercise, even something as seemingly innocuous as walking the dog] are not \u2018hijacked\u2019 to manipulate weight.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

“Pairing them with social activities [such as going for a walk with a friend and ending with a drink and a snack as part of planned eating] can both reduce the harmful effects of disordered eating and promote the benefits of social interaction.\u201d<\/p>\n

Manage unreasonable expectations<\/h4>\n

Our relationships with our bodies are complex. Dr Jenkins stresses that the effects of the pandemic may have brought about a focus on ourselves like never before, which will have exacerbated body image concerns for many.<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cCreating new ways of coping [or, perhaps, returning to old ways] may be a particular relief after a period of \u2018hustle culture\u2019, in which lockdown has been perceived by some as a time to do more, not less. People\u2019s bodies are not immune from such pressures and demands, with the lockdown creating new expressions such as the \u2018Quarantine 15\u2019 [a reference to the number of pounds people might gain during isolation] and memes related to the association between quarantine and weight gain.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cMessages around weight and expectations of excessive productivity can be particularly stressful for those with eating concerns, and result in a vicious cycle where vulnerable people either turn to food or away from it to manage impossible demands.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cNurturing a healthy relationship with your body [and, by extension, yourself] is key to managing disordered eating. Indeed, many of those who recover from eating disorders cite the capacity to be kind and compassionate to themselves as the \u2018final stage in the process of recovery\u2019.<\/p>\n

\n

“Many therapeutic approaches argue that recovery from an eating disorder is found through pursuing a healthy way of life, citing research suggesting that over-focus on our bodies can directly affect eating behaviour.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cFor those suffering with eating disorders, there are several evidence-based treatments available. Many current treatments align with the suggestions above. For example, approaches based on cognitive behavioural therapy or family-based therapy [both recommended psychological treatments] encourage healthy, planned eating and cover issues such as managing emotions and social-skills training.\u201d<\/p>\n

For more information about these treatments \u2013 including how to access help \u2013 speak to a healthcare professional.<\/p>\n

Find out more<\/a> about Dr Jenkins\u2019 research.<\/p>\n

This article was first published in <\/em>The Conversation on 17 August 2020<\/a><\/em>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As COVID-19 has spread, a growing number of people\u2019s mental health has negatively been affected \u2013 not so much by the virus itself \u2013 but by the response to it. Dr Paul Jenkins, Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology at Reading, explains how those with eating disorders have been impacted. Recent studies show many people with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":170,"featured_media":6278,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false},"categories":[3],"tags":[85,26,93,28,37,41,95,94,87],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nResetting Your Body - Connected<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Dr Paul Jenkins, Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology at Reading, explains how COVID-19 has impacted people with eating disorders.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/connected\/2020\/09\/11\/resetting-your-body\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Resetting Your Body - Connected\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Dr Paul Jenkins, Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology at Reading, explains how COVID-19 has impacted people with eating disorders.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/connected\/2020\/09\/11\/resetting-your-body\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Connected\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-09-11T15:20:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-09-11T15:21:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2020\/09\/shutterstock_image.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"550\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"juliasmalley\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"juliasmalley\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/connected\/2020\/09\/11\/resetting-your-body\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/connected\/2020\/09\/11\/resetting-your-body\/\",\"name\":\"Resetting Your Body - 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