by Lisa Cybaniak
One thing that really interests me is the shift in mindset people get just before they decide to change their life. We all have that moment, and no matter how much we want things to change, until we are ready, evident in “the shift”, change just isn’t going to happen.
But once the shift in mindset has happened and the work has gone into changing your circumstances and life, how do you cope day-by-day? Especially when we’re talking about something like an eating disorder, OCD, or post-traumatic stress disorder. I mean, the triggers are still going to be there, so how do you adjust so that those “triggers” don’t actually trigger you?
Jess Bramhall is going to share her daily coping techniques that do just that – prevent her triggers from actually triggering her.
Meet Jess Bramhall
Jess was brought to the brink of death four times by her eating disorder and was diagnosed with sever osteoporosis at the age of 21. She was even asked to plan her own funeral! In 2010, when Jess was 28, she arrived at City Hearts, dragged there by her mum to join a residential programme called Restore. She weighed four stone due to her eating disorder, OCD, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, and was adamant nobody could help her. In fact, she was convinced she couldn’t do life.
Thankfully, her experience at City Hearts was different from all the other treatment she had received. They believed in her and treated her as an adult. And in doing that, Jess finally began to see that she could be helped.
Now, she’s a Health and Wellbeing support worker at the very place that saved and changed her life, helping others find freedom from their own fears. And she’s on the show today to share not only her story of battling and recovering from anorexia and more but gives her top tips on coping day-to-day.
Are you ready to meet Jess Bramhall, who just may be the most inspirational person I’ve ever spoken to? I mean, I just can’t get enough of her, her story, and her message. She has literally changed the entire course of her life. And she’s ready to share her daily coping techniques.
So, let’s dive right in!
Don’t suffer alone
Like some of our other guests in the past, and I’m sure in the future, Jess’ top tip is to talk to someone. If counselling or therapy doesn’t feel like the right fit, then speak to a friend or family member.
Having someone you can chat with about your daily stresses can be very healing and can go a long way to preventing a triggered response.
Do more of what you enjoy
Take the time to truly understand what you enjoy doing – the things that calm you and put a smile on your face. Once you are clear about these things, try to do more of them, especially when you’ve had a difficult day or are triggered.
Self-care is a big trend right now for a reason – it works!
Try new things
Jess really takes this tip to heart, for good reason. After battling anorexia for so many years, Jess now bakes, cooks and runs on a regular basis in order to calm her mind and prevent triggers.
Who would have thought a former anorexic would change her relationship with food to that extent?
The only reason she discovered these coping strategies was because she was open to new ideas and trying new things.
Never give up on yourself
This one seems self-explanatory, but that doesn’t make it any less important. Jess had given up on herself for years. That was mainly due to all the experience she had in the NHS system – experience that didn’t seem to be effective for her.
She was depressed, felt like just a number and a failure. She ended up in the program that changed her life not because she thought they could help. In fact, she was convinced no one could help her – that her anorexia was bound to end her life, eventually.
But when she walked through those doors at City Hearts and saw for herself how different their approach was, she had a decision to make. Should she give up on herself and not put in the effort to heal, learn and grow, or should she decide to fight back and save her life?
She chose the latter and is a now leading a completely different life. And so can you. Don’t give up on yourself. Find what will work for you, no matter how long it takes.
More from this episode
Jess and I talk about so much in this episode. Of course, Jess goes into more detail on her top tips, and the role that control played on her anorexia. She also talks about why traditional therapy and the help she received through the NHS wasn’t effective.
I’ll give you a teaser: It was because her anorexia wasn’t about food, or the image she saw when she looked in the mirror. Rather, it was because of her need to control the food she was eating.
Press play on the episode above – you don’t want to miss this!
Follow City Hearts on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, or learn more from them on their website. Follow Jess on Facebook and Instagram.
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Voice over credit: Shari Vandermolen. Shari is offering a free download of one of her songs to the fans of the Life Like You Mean It podcast! Just visit www.GiftFromShari.com and tell her where to send it. Shari’s debut album is available for streaming on all the major platforms including Spotify and iTunes.
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