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Coping Tips & Suggestions

Area/Focus Potential responses
Life
  • Maintaining daily routines and structures, day planning and enjoyable activities
  • Playing or relaxing with family
  • Opportunity to learn new things
  • Keeping a diary of positive situations
Food
  • Challenge unhealthy food-related cognitive distortions
  • Practice exposures to challenging foods
  • Reassessment of meal plans and flexible meal planning
  • Use self-compassion toward current struggles
  • Encourage focus on body functionality
  • Mild physical exercise, yoga, relaxation, meditation, mindfulness
Treatment & support
  • Online groups, guided self-help, email, text, e-mental health interventions
  • Addressing symptoms of depression and anxiety to help manage ED symptoms
  • Personalised preventive treatment and therapy to address vulnerability factors linked to stress and pandemic implications
Social & self
  • Activities that benefit self-worth
  • Monitoring feelings, meaning and impact of peer interaction
  • Increasing valued activities and helpful social connection, connection with peers online
  • Virtual social contact (friends)
Setting boundaries
  • Media consumption strategies – limit exposure, reduce appearance-related consumption, adjust social media feeds, think critically about images/messages

Sources: Baenas 2020; Schlegl 2020a; Schlegl 2020b; Cooper et al 2020