As we approach the end of the year, here are five things that may have gone well in your recovery this year that have absolutely nothing to do with your body—and everything to do with your healing.

For many people in eating disorder recovery, the idea of exercise brings up mixed emotions. On one hand, movement can feel grounding and joyful. On the other, it may have been tangled up with compulsive behaviors, guilt, or pressure in the past. The truth is: exercise can have a place in recovery, but it looks different than diet culture presents. We’ll explore what safe and compassionate approaches to movement can look like as you recover.

Body neutrality in eating disorder recovery is about shifting your focus away from constant appearance-based thoughts and toward respecting your body for what it does. This perspective can be a helpful landing place or a stepping stone to loving your body.

One of the most common challenges face in eating disorder recovery is the experience of changes in the physical body. This can cause emotional distress and create recovery obstacles. Navigating these changes can be difficult, and it is a very important and necessary component of eating disorder recovery.

Set point theory is a concept  that explains the body's tendency to maintain a stable weight and physiological state, known as the "set point." This theory suggests that the body has a natural weight range that it strives to maintain, and that attempts to deviate from this range through dieting or other means of food and body manipulation can trigger a range of physiological responses that make it difficult to maintain weight loss or weight gain in the long term.

A common struggle in eating disorder recovery is having trouble with feeling hunger and fullness cues. There are physical and emotional components to this, and ways to become more attuned to your body’s cues.

Eating disorder recovery is hard – emotionally, physically and mentally. Just like there are pleasant and unpleasant days in general, this will show up in recovery too. Read on for 10 affirmations to help spark motivation in eating disorder recovery.