Summer can be a season of light, warmth, and freedom, but for those in eating disorder recovery, it can also stir up a unique set of challenges. As a therapist who works with individuals in various stages of recovery, I’ve seen how the summer months can bring both progress and pressure.
Whether you’re navigating vacation plans, struggling with body image in warmer-weather clothing, or feeling off-routine, it’s important to know that you’re not alone, and that it is possible to maintain recovery while still enjoying the season.
Here are some common summer struggles and tips to support your recovery through them:
1. Body Image Distress & Bathing Suit Anxiety
Warmer weather often means less clothing and more skin on display, which can trigger body image distress, especially when swimsuits, tank tops, and shorts enter the picture. This discomfort isn’t vanity; it’s a real emotional challenge for many in recovery.
What can help:
- Ground yourself in your values. Ask yourself: “What does summer mean to me beyond appearance? Connection? Joy? Adventure?” Try to redirect your focus there.
- Use neutral language about your body. Instead of judgments like, “I look gross” or “I shouldn’t wear this,” practice saying, “This is my body today, and I deserve to be present.”
- Challenge comparison. Everyone has a body, and the “perfect” body doesn’t exist. Try shifting your gaze from how bodies look to what bodies do – laugh, swim, dance, rest.
2. Changes in Routine
Summer can disrupt the regular structure of school, work, or therapy sessions. While some flexibility can feel freeing, too much of it might create uncertainty around meals, movement, or support.
What can help:
- Create a loose structure. Even if your schedule shifts, anchor your days with consistent mealtimes, sleep routines, and self-care practices.
- Stay connected. If you’re traveling or stepping back from regular sessions, talk to your treatment team about virtual check-ins or journaling prompts to stay grounded.
- Keep recovery tools accessible. Whether it’s a DBT skill, a grounding exercise, or a playlist that centers you, have your tools ready, especially when routine is off.
3. Travel and Eating in New Environments
Vacations or weekend getaways can be disorienting when you’re in recovery. Unfamiliar food, spontaneous plans, or eating with others may stir up anxiety or urges to fall back on disordered behaviors.
What can help:
- Plan ahead, but with flexibility. If possible, research food options, pack snacks you trust, or talk to a support person about your concerns.
- Practice presence over perfection. Traveling is an experience, not a test. Focus on the moments – scenery, connection, memories – not just the meals.
- Name your needs. If you need to step away, take a breath, or speak up about your limits, that’s a strength, not a setback.
4. “Summer Body” Culture & Social Pressures
The messaging around “getting your body ready for summer” is loud and relentless. Ads, social media, and even casual conversations can feed into the toxic idea that your worth is tied to how you look in a swimsuit or selfie.
What can help:
- Curate your content. Unfollow or mute accounts that promote diet culture or body comparison. Follow those that support body neutrality, intuitive eating, or recovery.
- Call out harmful messages, internally or externally. Saying, “That’s diet culture, not truth,” can be a powerful mantra when you encounter toxic talk.
- Remember: your body doesn’t have to change to enjoy the season. The goal isn’t to fit into summer – it’s to let summer fit into your life, recovery included.
Recovery in the summer isn’t about avoiding every challenge – it’s about learning how to face them with the tools, support, and self-compassion you’ve built along the way. It’s okay to have hard days. It’s okay to ask for help. It’s okay to protect your peace, even if that means skipping the beach party or packing your own snacks.
Therapy can be especially helpful during this time; it can provide a space to process body image struggles, practice coping skills, and stay connected to your recovery goals. You don’t have to navigate the season alone.
This summer, may you give yourself permission to be present, to protect your progress, and to choose recovery – even when it’s hard. Remember, you are worthy of joy, no matter the season.
