Hi!
I am Anne-Claire. And I am questioning how to even start writing this very first blog post. This is a typical thing about me. I ask questions (to myself and the world).
And think about them.
A lot.
After re-starting more times than I am willing to admit, I have settled on answering questions adapted from Carolyn Costin’s 8 Keys to Recovery from an Eating Disorder Workbook.
Why?
This feels structured. Directional. Safer.*
What surprised you the most about the process of recovery?
How human, capable & multi-layered I am (a human onion: many layers and cry-inducing.)
Do you have general advice to help with the process?
Get help soon. Be fiercely protective of your recovery. Show up consistently.
Reality check: it will take many small steps, repeated over time, and lots of patience to face the ups and downs. (and it is so worth it!)
What do I wish I had done sooner?
Ask for help.
Journal.
Stop using scales, throw clothes not meant for my body, and delete pictures I would use to body check and compare.
Favourite sayings or useful phrases
1. This too shall pass. (or "how to tolerate uncomfortable moments when you are a very impatient human.")
2. "Go as far as you can see; when you get there, you'll be able to see further." (T. Carlyle) (or "how to tolerate the uncertainty of what lies ahead without letting it be a barrier.")
3. Be here now. (or "how to stop overthinking.")
4. "Live the questions now." (a sentence from one of Rilke’s “Letters to a Young Poet”) (the last one on this list, yet the one that I carry closest to my heart and soul.)
What did you do when you felt like giving up?
I quit & used behaviours.
Then I learned that I disliked the consequences a whole lot more than the discomfort of being with the hard stuff in the moment.
So I learned to tolerate those moments. And to rest.
-
I skipped questions that deserve longer posts.
And there is more I want to say.**
I am human. First & foremost.
Yes, I am an ED recovery coach, a seeker, a partner, a sister, a yoga student (and teacher), a traveller (sometimes),…
But (and?) I am human. I am. I feel. I learn. I make mistakes. I stay curious. I change my mind.
And that’s ok.
That being said, I will (probably) write (mostly) about recovery, from my point of view as a coach with lived experience.
And I will also, always, write as a human, someone still walking the path of life and trying to figure it out.
As my clients know, I don’t consider myself an authority. I believe we hold our own answers, and that some questions are to be lived first (a lesson from Rilke!) I believe in the power of questions and of holding space for others to find their answers. I see myself as a guide whose role is to hold that space and share some of the skills, tools, and lived experience I am equipped with.
I hope that you find, here and there, pieces to explore your own recovery. And maybe life beyond.
I am coming to this work aiming to write and share. Not to be great, perfect, and always right. Because that has always proven to be limiting in my own life.
So this will be it.
My first blog post.
Hi. Welcome.
I hope you stick around & come visit me every once in a while.
💛
Anne-Claire
* Hey there, again. This is a little note to show how human we all are. See these words, right here, they are reflections of (recovered) me: just another human who seeks safety, and a certain sense of control through structure and direction.
** Note: This is what often happens, I find, with anything new: starting is the hardest. Once it gets going, things loosen up, and the ball gets rolling. Yes – this is totally applicable to recovery as well. #AlwaysACoach
Anne-Claire Jedrzejczak (she/her) is a Carolyn Costin Institute Certified Eating Disorder Recovery Coach, Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT500), and co-founder of The Recovery Collective. A former finance professional, Anne-Claire’s eating disorder recovery journey led her from the high-paced corporate world to the study of yoga, and eventually to eating disorder recovery coaching & mental health advocacy. She now guides others to meet their recovery goals, transform their relationship with food, their body, and themselves so they can live an authentic and fulfilling life.