COVID un-lockdown and eating disorders. The great destabiliser.

Just when you thought 2021 couldn’t get any worse, what with months of lockdowns (at least in Sydney, where I’m based), border closures and cancelled holidays… the lockdown finally stopped. Which was the point in time where we all cheer and leap joyously back into our newfound freedom, right? Except a curious thing I noticed in my work in eating disorder treatment is that coming out of lockdown seemed to actually be harder for many people than going into lockdown had been.

How is that possible, given that whinging about the awfulness of lockdown was an almost obligatory way to begin any zoom call made over the past 12 months? During lockdown, people struggled with social isolation, with loneliness, lack of excitement and stimulation, and just general cabin fever. However, many people also began to establish routines to get through the day. They found a rhythm of sorts, which eventually became familiar, and comforting in a time of uncertainty and fear.

In fact, for many of my clients with eating disorders, it’s become clear that many of the routines they developed to get through lockdown actually became very rigid.

It’s hardly surprising, when you consider how monotonous and repetitious the days became under lockdown. More than that, the lockdown prevented people from having to deal the “usual” nature of life. Uncertainty. Spontaneity. Social events. Barred from the natural practice-effect that usually comes from getting through daily life at work or study, the post-lockdown world has now become of source of strong anxiety for many.

Other post-lockdown events that triggered people with eating disorders:

  • Increased body image concerns in returning to seeing people in-person after spending so long in the bodiless world of “head-shot only” zoom calls.
  • Eating in public with friends.
  • Eating at work, which may lead to others noticing or commenting on odd eating routines or rigidly repetitive meal options.
  • Food rules and rituals having become more rigid in general.
“Headshot-only” workspaces, courtesy of COVID lockdown.

The end of lockdown brought the strength of these issues abruptly into the spotlight for many people.

Add to that the exhaustion that many are struggling with now our work days have extended to include early wake-ups and long commutes, and you have a potent space for lapsing on disordered eating.

Far from being joyful, a great many people are rundown and overwhelmed with the return to the big wide world.

So how do we navigate this unprecedented rough patch we’re all struggling our way through? There’s no glib answer – a lot of people will need to spend time working through the issues carefully with a qualified healthcare professional.

Strategies to help manage eating disorder anxiety post-lockdown:

  • Lower your expectations around what you “should” be achieving at the moment. Now lower them again. Better. 2021 is not the year to be striving for perfection.
  • Connect with others who you feel safe and who you can properly relax with. NB: this doesn’t mean “make more commitments to catch up with friends”, because that can actually add to the feelings of overwhelm. Instead, it means if you find yourself starting to feel overwhelmed, try and touch base with a friend and see if your mind calms down a little.
  • Let go of the old routine – what worked in lockdown probably won’t work for you moving forward. Think about what would help you get through the days optimally now. This probably means taking small steps to build confidence with social eating, planning meals and shopping a bit more, changing sleep and wake times, etc.
  • Don’t overcommit. Even if it’s with good friends, it’s easy to leave yourself drained of energy and struggling to bounce back at the end of the weekend.
  • Reconnect with the good. Don’t lose sight of un-lockdown being a potential source of excitement and stimulation! What did you miss most during lockdown? Maybe going to an art gallery or seeing a movie? Going shoe shopping when you could actually try on a physical shoe? Sitting at the beach (even if it it’s not in your LGA)? Set some small goals with intent to bring back the moments of joy that dropped off during 2021.

Good luck, and remember to keep handwashing!

Get in touch with the Bloom Nutrition & Wellness team!

© 2021 Bloom Nutrition & Wellness. All rights reserved. As always, blog articles from Bloom Nutrition & Wellness are not intended to replace individualised advice from a qualified healthcare practitioner. If you need support for disordered eating, you can contact the Butterfly Foundation helpline (1800 ED HOPE) for support or advice around practitioners, or you can make a booking with Bloom Nutrition & Wellness from our contact page.

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