As I have been researching more strategies to calm a nervous system, one thing I keep seeing repeated is how routines or regular rituals can really help bring a sense of calm to your days and weeks. I have already written about what building blocks you need to create a supportive routine, but I wanted to come back to this topic because…

…the most common feedback I hear from clients is that these routines feel overwhelming, like another thing to add to your ‘to do list’, and that can have the opposite effect of calming your system.

Below I outline a number of small examples of routines and rituals you can try out and see if they work for you. And remember: you don’t have to be perfect at this! For one person, doing something every day can be helpful because of the frequency, for someone else doing one thing weekly gives them the wiggle room (aka permission!) to show up when they can.

• In the morning, create a routine that takes you from sleepy to energized. This can look like freshe
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I have been doing a deep dive into regulating a nervous system and how it can support myself and my emotional eating clients. But the thing I have found as I researched is that there is a lot of talk about the benefits of a regulated nervous system, but not a lot on the specifics of how to actually do that, so I wanted to break this down with real strategies you can use when you need them!

Your nervous system is a complex and important part of your body, but at base it is a communications highway (your brain, nerves, and spinal cord are all part of it, so it even kind of looks like a highway!). This means it gathers information from our senses, processes all this information, and then has the body react as it thinks appropriate.

It’s an important tool to keep us alive because it turns this information into action—from literally running away to digesting the meal you just had. But it can also jump to conclusions based on past events (like traumatic experiences) and immediately slip in...

Many of our patterns around food are based on our childhood experiences. Were you ever told to finish your plate before you could have dessert? Or maybe you heard your mom talk about “being bad” with certain foods. Sometimes, you might have snuck food to find comfort or you may have grown up in a home where there wasn’t enough to eat. All of this influences how you interact with food as an adult. Starting to look at your personal history can be a great way to start to understand your relationship with food and the underlying motivations behind them.

The journal prompts below start focussed on food and then branch out into more complex questions—go with what you feel comfortable with! Bookmark this blog post to come back to whenever you feel like diving into the next question. 

• What were some of my favourite foods growing up? How do I label them now (ex: “bad”, “junk food”, “forbidden”, “a treat”, etc.)?
• What are some happy memories I have around food? What do these memories make m
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One of the ways I have been supporting clients lately has been to add in nervous system regulation to the Attachment Therapy approach that usually takes place in a session. While I approach every client uniquely, I have noticed how powerful working on calming a nervous system is with clients who emotionally eat. Here’s why:

Emotional eating is all about the rush to cover up uncomfortable feelings. You get to focus on the food, embracing the automatic or numbing feeling of eating. But those exact uncomfortable feelings come up when you are triggered by stress, anxiety, anger, and more. We are taught that these are “ugly” emotions and should be stuffed down and not acted on. But by silencing these feelings, they only build and come to the surface in other ways (headaches and chronic pain for example).

When those hot, overwhelming, and uncomfortable feelings rush to the surface one of the most powerful things you can do is to pause. Check in and ask yourself why you feel this way and th...

No matter when it is—the start of the new year, another Monday rolling around, the first of the month—if you’ve been a dieter chances are you know that fresh start feeling. It can look like over-researching workout plans online, a frenzied clearing out of any “bad” foods from your house, and often engaging in a last supper binge. Does this sound familiar:

• You start out full steam ahead, laser-focussed on your new regime and positive that this is the time it will all click.
• Then you start to have cravings and life gets busy (not according to plan!) and you white knuckle through it, feeling deprived and frustrated.
• Then you “fall off the wagon” and beat yourself up for not being able to stick to your new habits.

This might be the loop you have been in for years

Of course, goal setting isn’t bad—I highly recommend setting them with self-compassion—it is the all-or-nothing motivation, the inner critic, that makes setting (and reaching) realistic goals difficult.

What if the goal ...

The winter months can bring low mood, even depression, as the cold and dark seem never ending. I’ve shared before some strategies to support yourself through this season, but I wanted to give you some things you can do to change your thought patterns or actions in a moment.

The best part? I’ve divided them based on level of effort. So, no matter if you have very limited energy or need to take a big step to change things up, think of the bullets below as a menu you can use whenever you need! Make sure to bookmark this post to come back to (these won’t just be helpful in the winter, but whenever you need to shift or shake your energy).

Low Energy

• Drop key words, a single line, or doodle in your journal.
• Close your eyes and take 4 to 5 slow belly breaths.
• Text a friend (you can keep it light like sending a link to an article or sharing something funny).
• Slow down and brew a cup of tea. Use your senses: smell the leaves, hold the warm mug in your hands, consider the taste as you si
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In addition to growing my one-on-one registered psychotherapy practice, over the years I ran emotional eating groups using pre-created content. I could see the power of the group concept, but the material wasn’t the right fit. So, I created The Quiet Craving, a program based on my experience of more than a decade of working with clients who emotionally eat and as a group leader.

I know that many people are hesitant about group therapy, especially when it comes to something as vulnerable as emotional eating. It is something that thrives when hidden and there is a societal belief that eating is “simple” and that you should “just be able to get a handle on it.” Bringing your experiences out in front of others can feel incredibly scary but, again and again, I have seen the transformational experience of group therapy for emotional eaters.

If you’re tired of emotional eating and intimidated by group therapy, this blog post is for you! Read through the powerful ways group therapy can trans...

No matter what you do for work, chances are it is a stressor in your life. Even if you enjoy your job, there might be tasks or colleagues you’d rather not deal with. Work is a necessity not just for income, but also purpose, goal setting, community, and future planning.

That doesn’t mean it isn’t stressful.

Below are a number of ways you can support your mental health as a worker.

Basic Maintenance Goes a Long Way

You might already know that routines, rituals, and structure can support your well-being, so focusing on identifying working hours (and rest or play hours), practicing good sleep hygiene, and implementing boundaries around your work phone or logging in can be incredibly helpful for supporting your mental health. It can also be helpful to create a transition ritual where you let your nervous system know that you are changing from work you to home you. Listen to a meditation app on your commute or change clothes as soon as you are home. These can signal to your body that it...

With the start of a new week, month, or year, it can be tempting to overhaul your life. This might look like starting a new diet, adhering to an intense exercise regime, doing a detox, or trying to white-knuckle your way to change.

How often have you tried this approach?

It isn’t a bad thing to want to change your habits, but how often does your motivation start out from a place of criticism or feeling not good enough? You can’t hate yourself towards change. Instead, coming from a place of compassion is a great way to soothe and support yourself!

Consider The Words You Use

When coming from a place of compassion, you don’t tear yourself down by picking apart your body or criticizing your abilities. This inner critic can be really mean! You can start by asking these two helpful questions when this inner voice gets loud. The next step is to start changing the words you use to talk about yourself. It doesn’t have to be fake or super positive, you can aim for neutral comments like “I am...

Social gatherings can be stressful at the best of times: they require your time, energy, money, and you have to figure out what to wear. Add in the expectation that someone will comment on your weight, what you’re eating, how you vote, or how you choose to live your life and the anxiety can build as soon as the event is on your calendar.

If you are already dreading a few get-togethers on your calendar, below are some helpful scripts you can use to shut down unwanted comments and criticism. Read through and choose which ones might be helpful to you. Feel free to bookmark this blog post or take a screen shot on your phone so you can come back to this anytime you need to feel empowered to redirect an uncomfortable conversation.

 Try being warm and polite:

• “It’s the holiday season, let’s focus on the positive. What are you excited about right now?”
• “Let’s keep things light today. Tell me something wonderful that’s going on with you lately?”

 Try being gentle but clear:

• “That is
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