I’m not sure if there is any worse feeling than the feeling of being stuck – the feeling of being in a state of paralysis, in a state of confusion and overwhelm, and what feels like never-ending self-sabotaging behaviors. Where your mind is going down this mental loop and spiral of self-defeating thoughts because you experienced a setback.

Because the reality is setbacks are a normal part of healing binge and emotional overeating and body image challenges. They’re a normal part of life.

When it comes to dealing with setbacks, it can be an incredibly daunting and overwhelming task, but with the right strategies, it can be transformed into a beneficial opportunity. So here are five strategies that can help you get back on track and make the most of a setback.

1. Reframe the setback.

It is essential to look at it from a different viewpoint, as a learning experience and an opportunity to gain insight. A little bit of tough love here, but we need to stop being mentally lazy. When our brain is going down these self sabotaging spirals, call yourself out! Tell yourself – “Nope, nope nope. We’re going to reframe.” By looking at things in a new way, you may be able to uncover new perspectives and make more informed decisions in the future.

2. Reassess what you’re focused on.

What is your focus towards your goals or towards your intentions? Sometimes we need to take a deep breath and reassess. Sometimes we need to focus less on trying harder and more on trying softer. 50% of the journey is active and intellectual. This is when we’re learning and we’re focusing on integration. The other 50% is passive – healing also requires play, pleasure, & rest!

3. Reframe your definition of success.

If our expectations of what success looks like create a lot of pressure, then it’s actually an unsupportive way to view the healing journey. I share these 6 indicators of success with my clients:

• Is the Intensity & frequency of undesired behaviors decreasing?
• Is my nervous system becoming more regulated. Am I living more in my window of tolerance? Am I less activated?
• Is my emotional intelligence improving? Am I understanding my emotions more?
• Is my self perception expanding? Am I viewing myself as more than a body, considering the many dimensions of myself?
• Is my mental dialogue, mental management, and mental collaboration improving?
• Are my relationships and interpersonal skills improving?

4. Reaffirm your identity as an action taker!

A belief is just a practiced thought. When you practice creating a new belief about who you think you are, and what you believe to be true about yourself, you are reaffirming your identity.

5. Judge each action you take equally.

When each action we take receives less mental weight, our successes are awesome but don’t define everything. Similarly, our setbacks don’t define everything. They get to just be a blip because now we know that we are action takers and we’re going to continue taking action regardless.

So I want to congratulate you on practicing these tips and mental reframes and getting out of being stuck. Setbacks are a part of life, a part of being human. But you’re no longer going to be debilitated by them!

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