Being Present and Eating Disorders
Let’s be honest…
…most of us would love to be the kind of person who “lives in the moment.” You know, one of those magical unicorns who wakes up excited for the day, mindfully savors every bite of their avocado toast, and breathes through stress like it’s non-existent. But instead, we’re over here eating lunch in front of our inbox, wondering why we feel like a disembodied ghost hovering somewhere between a meeting and a meltdown.
Listen to the Episode Now
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In this episode, I’m diving into the messy, real-life struggle of being present, especially when it comes to food, body stuff, and the feelings we’d really rather not deal with. From binge-eating as emotional escape to zoning out mid-meeting, it turns out our disconnect from the present moment isn’t random... It’s learned, rehearsed, and maybe even a little protective.
And if you didn’t know, I’m not a mindfulness guru, so this won’t be your typical mindfulness sermon. In fact, it’s not about mindfulness at all (although some mindfulness techniques are useful in the process.) What we are talking about is why being present feels so hard—and how to gently, practically, and compassionately work our way back to the here and now... without turning into a walking meditation app.
In this episode, we’re talking about:
Why being present feels so hard.
How disconnection from our bodies, through restriction, binging, or overexercising, makes presence nearly impossible.
How food behaviors like emotional eating or bingeing often serve as coping mechanisms to avoid difficult emotional states.
How ignoring physical cues like hunger or fullness trains us to ignore the present moment entirely.
Why being stuck in the past (hello, rumination) or the future (hi, anxiety) keeps us from showing up in the now.
How presence isn't just about mindfulness practices.
Why most “practical strategies” for mindfulness fall flat if we haven’t dealt with what’s underneath: fear, shame, or lack of emotional support.
How to gently experiment with presence during neutral or low-stakes moments.
What it means to use your five senses—sight, smell, taste, touch, and sound—to reconnect with your environment and your experience.
How food, exercise, and emotional check-ins can become simple but powerful tools to rebuild your awareness.
Why journaling can help untangle what’s happening internally and bring more intention to the moment.
How building awareness in non-crisis moments helps us pause, reflect, and respond instead of reacting on autopilot.
How early life experiences and developmental messages taught us to disconnect.
Why self-compassion and curiosity (not judgment) are key ingredients in rebuilding our capacity to be present.
How presence isn’t about becoming perfectly calm or mindful all the time.
*Quick reminder that this will be our last episode until after Labor Day. Stay tuned for some oldies but goodies to get you by until September!
Tweetable Quotes
"I just don't wanna feel like I am dissociating my entire life." - Rachelle Heinemann
"Food is inherently soothing, and it works because it's distracting and soothing at the same time." - Rachelle Heinemann
"Without practicing in very neutral low-stakes moments, it's gonna be almost impossible for us to notice when we're triggered." - Rachelle Heinemann
"We really have to think about all of this in the context of our specific lives and what we need so that we can work toward a version of ourselves that lives in however much of the present moment we actually want to live in." - Rachelle Heinemann
Resources
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Related Episodes
Episode 170. The Perfectionist Paradox
Episode 167. How to Achieve Full Recovery with Ilene Fishman
Episode 147. Social Media and Eating Disorders with Lily Thrope, LCSW
Episode 146. Caring Less About What Others Think
Episode 115. How To Recover When Everyone Around You Is Dieting
Episode 90. How Do I Learn To Trust Myself? with Diane Barth
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Hey there! I’m Rachelle, the host of the Understanding Disordered Eating Podcast. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, I work with clients to make sense of life’s messy emotional experiences.
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