Stay Attuned ™: The E-zine for Nourishing ConnectionsYour journey to freedom from food and weight struggles presents an opportunity for not only a new relationship with food, but also a new relationship with yourself and others. Ultimately, it is a journey of nourishing connections with yourself, others--and yes--even food. Stay Attuned™ is committed to supporting you in this journey and to helping you develop nourishing connections that will last a lifetime. Remember, a journey always starts with one small step.... From fellow travelers,
Nourishing Nuggets"Asking for help does not mean that we are weak or incompetent. It usually indicates an advanced level of honesty and intelligence" ~ Anne Wilson Schaef "Refusing to ask for help when you need it is refusing someone the chance to be helpful ." ~ Ric Ocasek Reflections for Staying AttunedIt is human nature to need company, connection, empathy, understanding, and support. If our needs are not met for a period of time, we develop coping mechanisms, one of which is emotional eating. Using food for company or to calm down can be very effective for a while. But if we want to let go of emotional eating, the first step is to become aware of our needs without judging them, and the next step is compassionate self care to meet those needs. Often, this means asking for help. That’s right—asking for help! Asking for help is not the easiest thing to do. Acknowledging that we have certain needs is already difficult; reaching out for help can feel daunting. Asking for help means letting someone else into our lives, admitting we cannot rely solely on ourselves. It means entering into a silent agreement with someone else, saying essentially, "I trust you enough to show you that I have needs." Asking for help can bring up the fear of rejection or of looking foolish. Sometimes it seems easier to just ignore the fact that we have needs. Not asking for help can feel safe, comfortable, and uncomplicated. We can stay within our comfort zone and maintain our "I can handle this" belief. Unfortunately, not asking for help can make things worse in the long run. We end up over-extending ourselves, trying to accomplish everything. Our health becomes compromised from too much stress and too little sleep. We miss out on the chance to experience supportive connections with others and the benefit of someone else’s perspective. And we may rely on the short-term benefit of using food to "help" with energy, stress, and comfort. But, if we can feel the fear and reach out anyway, the support and empathy we all need and deserve becomes possible. As our needs are tended to, our need for emotional eating decreases. As we ask for help and risk developing nourishing connections with others, we transform not only our relationship with ourselves and others, but with food as well. And these long-term benefits are well worth the risk. Stay Attuned TipToday, tune into your needs. Maybe you need help carrying something? Or you need to talk through a problem. Maybe you want company for your walk? Pick a need, big or small. Ask a good friend or even a stranger for help. Notice how you feel before, during, and after this risk. Stay Attuned Affirmation "I am empowered and nourished when I ask for help.." What's New at Nourishing ConnectionsWe had our need for broadcasting body acceptance (and living life now) met by Joy Nash and her funny, powerful video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUTJQIBI1oA.Feedback and ClosingWelcome to our new subscribers, and hello to current members! Stay Attuned™ exists for you. If you have ideas for topics or feedback (did you try an idea? how did it go?), please write us at dr.k@nourishingconnections.com. Spread the WordFeel free to forward this E-zine to others. We just ask that you keep the E-zine intact, including contact and copyright information. For any other use, written permission is required. And thank you for sharing Stay Attuned™! Subscribe or UnsubscribeTo subscribe (to join), email join-stayattuned@list.nourishingconnections.com. To unsubscribe (be removed from list), email leave-stayattuned@list.nourishingconnections.com. Delivery Problems If you experience delivery problems, check here. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Stay Attuned™ is written by Karin Kratina,
PhD, RD © Copyright 2007. Dr. Karin Kratina and Amy Tuttle. All rights reserved. ~~~~~ DISCLAIMER: This information is not intended to constitute a professional
relationship between Karin or Amy or the reader, nor is it intended as therapy
or counseling. Be sure to consult a qualified professional if you require
medical or psychological services. |