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When I was in eating disorder treatment, one of the most important things they taught me was how to integrate the five senses into recovery.
What do I mean by that?
Well, all the rumination and obsession about eating or eating disorder behaviors takes place in one part of the brain. When you trigger one of the five senses (sight/touch/taste/smell/hear), you light up a different part of the brain, and you feel more grounded.
This is why a lot of ED programs will have you create a “DBT box”. What is this?
You take any old box, and fill it with things that please the five senses. For example – you might have a piece of paper with your favorite perfume on it, a picture of your grandmother, a bracelet that’s made up of little bells, or favorite quotes. And you open it up whenever you’re feeling stressed or triggered.
In everyday, practical life, this stuff works wonders too. Think about how you feel after taking a shower and treating yourself to a luxurious new body lotion afterwards. You feel like a million bucks, right?
My new favorite is Sonia Kashuk’s Yellow Alluriana body butter from Target. It has matching shower gel and other delicious shower-time must-haves! You can find more here.
What’s your favorite scent that calms you down? Is it perfume, or something from your childhood, like the smell of your mother’s cookies baking?
How do you incorporate the five senses into your self-care?
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