Most mornings, I write down ten things that I’m grateful for – and the first one is always for being in this body of mine. We take our bodies for granted and I have learnt how to forgive myself. I have learnt how to let go of my past and the trauma that came with having an eating disorder.

I understand that affirmations are not a cure-all for everyone suffering from an eating disorder. The cause of negative body image is complex and runs deep. I realise that in addition to positive self-talk, learning to forgive my family for their hurtful comments has played an important role in my recovery. I also had to accept that the women being presented to me in magazines and the media were not realistic portrayals of what all women look like, nor should we try to conform to changing ourselves to look a certain way. But affirmations did help me deal with these emotions and have played a key part in how I learned to feel self-love and happiness.

I have not picked up a magazine in years and I feel great now, just for being me. Positive self-talk has set me free from all the negativity in my life and I love that I can use affirmations to help other women who are going through similar experiences.

Eating disorder: “how affirmations helped me deal with negative body image”