Coffee Talk: Simple Pleasures

A few simple pleasures this past week:

• A warm cup of loose-leaf tea in the morning and before bed.
• Shout out to L and P for the birthday gifts that go hand-in-hand. I’m still making my way through the variety of selections, but I think the green teas are my favorite so far.
• Re-watching Grey’s Anatomy to unwind after work.
• How come Meredith never gave that Thorpe guy a second chance when she was ready to start dating? Just wondering. 
• Indulging in some retail therapy – got some new scrunchies, a new dress, and some makeup.
• After the purchase of the dress I realize that this is why my FBI agent keeps putting expensive brands ads on my Instagram feed. I’m the sucker that keeps clicking on the ads too so that probably doesn’t help. Will I regret these purchases? Hello no. I may not be able to wear the dress out anytime soon and I probably won’t do my makeup either, but maybe one day during this pandemic I’ll just say screw it and play dress up for kicks and giggles.

Coffee Talk: July Thoughts

Thoughts I’ve had recently:

1. Do I splurge and buy that $651 vanity? I don’t need a new vanity, but this one looks so sleek and sophisticated. It has a built-in section on the tabletop that would be perfect to hold my skincare products. There are two drawers that I can store backup products, makeup, hair-ties and scrunchies, and other miscellaneous items. But $651. Is it really worth it?
   
   
2. Should I buy a new bookcase? My current one is fine, but it doesn’t really match the rest of my furniture and that kind of bugs me. I’d also like a bookcase with option for storage to hold files, important documents, bills, etc. But again, like the vanity, does I really need it right now?
   
   
3. Am I in the right frame of mind to start working out on a regular basis again? I want to say recovery is going well, but that’s a lie – I mean I had that lapse a few weekends ago. If I start working out, will I be able to recognize when to stop and when I’ve gone too far? I’m scared that if I start working out regularly again that I’m going to slip back into old habits of over doing it to lose weight and stay “skinny.” My therapists say that I won’t know till I try, but when do I know I’m ready to try? How do I know?
   

Coffee Talk: Fight

My therapists say that humans are innately harsh on themselves – minus egotistical and self-absorbed people. They tell me that it’s normal to live in a state of wanting to constantly improve. Dr. J used to tell me each session, that my ability to recognize that I’m not “perfect” is what keeps me from being similar to a serial killer or psychopath. While that’s a comforting thought, it doesn’t make recovery any easier.

 

They say that my eating disorder has twisted my mentality into believing that not only do I need to be perfect – flawless – but also if I fail once at something, then I’m always going to fail. Dr. A says I’m holding onto my past experiences and focusing on the negative. I’m not seeing my previous attempts to beat my disorder as a positive indication of wanting to improve, but rather as a reminder that I’ve failed. She’s says I’m doing it with all aspects of my life. I’m letting one minor setback dictate the end result.