10 Self Care Essentials for Binge Recovery
When you're deep in the cycle of binge eating, self-care can feel like a luxury - or even a joke. You might think: “I can’t even get through the day without overeating… how am I supposed to journal or do breathwork?”
In many cases, binge recovery can be dramatically improved by regulating your nervous system. Because when your body feels chaotic and unsafe, food can easily become the only thing that soothes.
If you’re just starting your recovery journey, these gentle self-care practices can be essential tools to help your body feel safe enough to break the binge cycle.
Here are 10 essentials I recommend to all my clients when they're getting started:
1. Eat regular, balanced meals
Yes, this is self-care. Skipping meals or eating too little only just increases your stress levels - and makes binge urges worse. Eating enough, regularly, is one of the fastest ways to help your body feel safe again.
Try this: Aim to eat every 3–4 hours, even if you’re not “that hungry” yet.
2. Submerge your face in cold water
Sounds strange, but it works. Briefly dunking your face in cold water activates your diving reflex, slowing your heart rate and calming your nervous system.
Try this: Fill a bowl with cold water (add ice cubes if you like), hold your breath, and submerge your face for 10–15 seconds. Do this 2–3 times.
3. Journaling to check in
Writing down how you’re feeling can slow racing thoughts and help you connect emotions to binge urges.
Try this: Set a timer for 5 minutes. Ask yourself, “What am I feeling right now?” and just write - no filter needed.
4. Positive affirmations (even if they feel silly)
In the beginning, they might feel awkward or fake. But affirmations help interrupt the inner critic and shift your brain’s automatic responses over time.
Try this: Write down 2–3 affirmations you want to believe (e.g. “I’m learning to trust my body”). Repeat them to yourself each morning. You can check out some suggestions on this blog post here.
5. Calming, repetitive activities
Think colouring, knitting, puzzles, Lego. These kinds of activities give your brain something gentle to focus on and can calm your system without needing to fix or change anything.
Try this: Keep a few “soothing activities” in a basket nearby for evenings or stressful moments.
6. Time outside - even if it’s just 5 minutes
Fresh air and daylight regulate your circadian rhythm and cortisol levels. That alone can make you feel more grounded.
Try this: Step outside and notice five things you can see, hear or feel. Just being outside is enough.
💚 Want more support to break the binge cycle? Grab your free Binge-Free Guide here.
7. Boundaries around emotional overload
You don’t need to answer every message, fix every problem, or say yes to everything. Overwhelm fuels bingeing.
Try this: Give yourself permission to say, “Can I get back to you later?” or even just, “I can’t do that right now.”
8. Supportive human connection
Being around someone who feels safe helps to-regulate your nervous system. Whether it’s a friend, a partner, a therapist, or our Binges to Balance Academy group - connection matters.
Try this: Instead of isolating after a binge, send a message to someone you trust. Just a “Hey, today was tough” can lift the weight.
9. A bedtime wind-down routine
Lack of sleep increases stress hormones and makes binge urges stronger. A calming routine (even a short one) helps your body feel safe enough to rest.
Try this: Pick one simple thing - like 5 minutes of stretching or a guided body scan - to help you wind down.
Which one will you want to try this week?
Start small. These tools won’t fix everything at once, but they will help you gently build the kind of daily support that binge recovery needs.
💚 Ready to go deeper? Come join us inside the Binges to Balance Academy - your space to heal your relationship with food, feel calm in your body, and stop bingeing for good.
Or if you have any questions just drop me a note using the form below and I’ll get back to you with some strategies you can use straight away.