Why might I want to have a safety plan to cope with disordered eating?

If a person continues to experience symptoms of disordered eating over time, they may start to experience more intense and harmful thoughts, feelings and behaviours. For some people, disordered eating may be an early sign of an eating disorder. Eating disorders can lead to various physical health concerns (e.g. low heart rate, fainting, effects on growth, etc.). Recognizing when / how disordered eating affects your daily life and understanding what coping strategies / supports work best for you may help you manage disordered eating and reduce potential harm to your well-being. A safety plan can help you identify ways to cope and plan how to get support when you may need it.

How can I create a safety plan to cope with disordered eating?

Creating a safety plan ahead of time (e.g. when you’re feeling calm and in control of your thoughts, etc.) can help you understand yourself and what tools may be available to you for support when you’re navigating disordered eating. You may also find it worthwhile to ask people you trust to help you create your safety plan (e.g. a family / community member, professional counsellor, trained, volunteer crisis responder, youth group leader, Elder, etc.). The person(s) you trust may be able to offer perspective, provide suggestions and / or keep a copy of your safety plan for when you need it (if you’re comfortable with that).

It’s OK if your plan changes over time as you find coping strategies that work better for you, you discover new strategies or your situation changes. Your safety plan is unique to you and it’s OK if any prompts / examples offered in this article don’t apply to you. For your plan to be helpful when you’re experiencing disordered eating, we encourage you to make your plan as specific to you and your life as possible.

The image below shows one example of how you can format your safety plan. You can map out your plan in any other way that may work for you, too. Consider where you want to keep your safety plan so you can find it quickly when you need it. For example, you could keep / save it on a phone, tablet or computer (if you have access to one), in a notebook / journal or in places you may experience disordered eating thoughts / behaviours (e.g. in a kitchen, in a bathroom, by a scale, etc.).

You can tap on the link to the PDF tool below to fill out your own safety plan. You can begin by filling it out on your device and then save / print / take a photo of it. Or you can start by downloading it and then printing a copy to fill out offline. You can also come back to this tool any time if you’re unable to save / print a copy now.

Identify what may contribute to disordered eating for you

If you’ve ever experienced disordered eating before, you may be aware of some familiar patterns, situations and / or events in which you may start to notice disordered eating thoughts, feelings or behaviours (e.g. comments by others about your body and / or eating habits, exposure to content that shames certain body types, etc.). Understanding what stressors or events can contribute to thoughts / feelings of insecurity about your body and other difficult emotions could help you recognize when you may need to use your coping strategies or get support.

• Things that may bring up disordered eating for me:

Reflect on how disordered eating is affecting your life

It may be helpful to think about the ways disordered eating is affecting your daily life. Try thinking about all of the things that make you happy or hold meaning and importance to you. Consider how those things are potentially more challenging with disordered eating thoughts, feelings and behaviours. For example, participating in physical activities (e.g. your favourite sport / game, dancing, exercising, riding a bike, etc.) may be more challenging if your body isn’t well nourished. You may also find it more difficult to enjoy a spontaneous meal with someone you care about. These are just some examples of the ways disordered eating could affect your life. Your experiences are unique and you may identify other ways in which your thoughts, feelings and behaviours are affecting things in your life. Understanding where your values and actions don’t match may help you consider new coping strategies / actions that better fit with what matters to you. 

• Things in my life that are more difficult with disordered eating:

Notice signs that tell you when you may need support

It can also be helpful to identify warning signs that you may engage in disordered eating. Warning signs can be changes in your thoughts (e.g. thinking “I’m not good enough,” etc.), feelings (e.g. feeling worried, insecure, overwhelmed, etc.), behaviours (e.g. avoiding social gatherings that involve food, etc.) and / or bodily sensations (e.g. feeling hungry, etc.). It can also be helpful to consider what changes other people around you may notice, and how they can know when and how to offer support. Not all changes in your thoughts, feelings, behaviours and bodily sensations are signals that you’re engaging / may engage in harmful actions. But by recognizing your warning signs, you might know when it may be helpful to connect with your supports / use your coping strategies.

• Things that tell me I may need support (e.g. certain thoughts, specific feelings, particular behaviours, etc.):

Use your coping strategies to manage difficult thoughts / feelings in the moment

There are things you can do to take care of yourself, your body and your eating habits if you’re navigating disordered eating. Can you remember what’s worked for you in the past? It can be helpful to think about things you’ve learned / tried before that you can either try on your own, or with people you trust, to manage difficult thoughts / feelings in the moment. You may find it useful to have a list of go-to strategies you can choose from when you begin to notice your warning signs or you’re experiencing disordered eating. If one strategy isn’t feeling helpful in the moment, you can try another. Having a list to pick and choose from may help you to try a variety of strategies until you find the one you need. Here are a few ideas to consider that may help you cope with disordered eating:

• name your emotions (e.g. “I’m feeling sad, frustrated, anxious…,” etc.) to help you remind yourself you’re more than what you’re feeling in this moment and the emotions you’re experiencing will pass
• practise self-acceptance by trying to move your thinking away from the things you can’t change about yourself and reflecting on your body’s strengths and abilities rather than appearance 
• practise mindfulness by noticing your thoughts, emotions and the way your body feels without judgment
• distract yourself by doing something you enjoy or trying something new (e.g. drawing, connecting with nature, dancing, watching a TV show / movie, reading, attending a community event, playing a game, etc.)
• spend time connecting with someone you care about (in-person or virtually)
• change the way you talk to yourself by writing / typing / recording / etc. positive affirmations (uplifting phrases or statements) about yourself (e.g. “I am enough just the way I am,” etc.) and posting them in places where you can easily refer to them (e.g. stuck on a mirror, saved as a background on a device, etc.)
• take a break from scrolling if you haven’t been feeling good on social media (or try following a new account that inspires you!)
• ground yourself by focusing on a breathing exercise, releasing tension in your body and / or engaging in mind-body movements such as yoga
• journal about your thoughts

• Ways I can manage difficult thoughts / feelings in the moment:

Consider ways to create safer spaces for yourself

In addition to using your coping strategies to manage difficult thoughts / feelings, you may consider ways you can create safer spaces wherever you are.

It may be helpful to come up with a plan with someone you trust for how you can make your living space safer when you’re coping with disordered eating. This may include asking someone to limit your access to items that could be potentially harmful or contribute to disordered eating (e.g. substances used to purge, scales, etc.).

You may also consider how the people you spend your time with affect the way you feel. Notice how you feel after having social interactions with people in your life. Are there ways you can spend more time with people who you feel uplifted by, people who eat / enjoy a variety of different foods, nourish themselves when they’re hungry, accept their body as it is, etc.?

If being in your physical space feels unsafe, are there places you can spend time outside of your current space more regularly (e.g. a community centre, friend’s house, place of worship, library, youth centre, etc.)? You can try researching what community resources may be available nearest your location to help you discover potentially safer spaces.

If you’re spending time on the internet, you may also consider how you can create a safer virtual space for yourself. The types of media you engage with can affect your thoughts / feelings about your body, the food you eat and the choices you make. You might consider how you could remove / hide unhelpful content to create a safer online space for yourself. For example:

• blocking or muting accounts that promote weight loss, dieting or disordered eating
• unfollowing accounts that contribute to feelings of guilt / shame for your body / eating
• unfollowing accounts that share tips / information they aren’t qualified to give

You may instead follow accounts that celebrate the diversity of human experiences, share positive or neutral messaging about body image or share posts that get you excited, inspired, smiling or reflective. If you find yourself automatically opening social media apps even when you feel unhappy while on them, you can consider putting the apps in a subfolder on a separate page of your device, setting screen time limits for your apps or temporarily deactivating your account(s) to explore how it feels.  

• Things I can do to create safer spaces for myself:

List your personal / professional supports

It’s OK if you feel unsure, nervous, overwhelmed or any other emotion at the thought of sharing your experiences with the people in your life. And you don’t have to navigate these feelings / experiences on your own. If you find it difficult to manage your thoughts, feelings and / or behaviours, it can be helpful to know whom you can connect with for help when you need it. You can do this by mapping out your community of support and creating a list of people / services you can connect with when you’re finding it hard to cope on your own. Consider people who you feel comfortable opening up to whom you trust and feel respected around. An example of a trusted person may be a family / community member, teacher, person from your place of worship, Elder, friend, youth group leader, etc.

In your safety plan, you can even get specific with the role each person in your list can play (e.g. “this person is a great listener,” “this person helps distract me,” “this person can give me a ride to appointments,” etc.). You can also consider alternatives ahead of time in case your contacts aren’t available. You may want to consider how you can connect with each person (e.g. call / text, chat online, walk to their house, write them a letter, etc.). If you’re feeling nervous about connecting for support, you can prepare ahead of time by exploring how to have a tough conversation.

Not sure who to contact? You can use Kids Help Phone’s Resources Around Me database to search for support services that may be available nearest your area. Maybe connecting with a professional anonymously feels the safest for you — that’s OK. You can do this by contacting Kids Help Phone’s professional counsellors or NEDIC’s support workers and trained volunteers.

• People / services I can connect with for support:

“I appreciate your help. You did an amazing job, and I feel a lot better about my self image. I’m glad you volunteer to help people like me, because you do an amazing job at it.”

– person contacting Kids Help Phone

Where can I find more information, tools and coping strategies from Kids Help Phone?

Learn more about body image, eating disorders and disordered eating

Category Learn

Eating disorders: Tips for recovery

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Category Learn

25 messages of support about body image and eating disorders

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Category Learn

How to help a friend living with an eating disorder

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Category Learn

Eating disorders: Important things to know

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Category Learn

What is body image and why is it important?

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Category Insights

Mental health insights: Get data about disordered eating

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Discover more strategies to cope with disordered eating

Category Practise

Write a letter to the eating disorder

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Category Learn

Social media: Resources to support your mental health

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Category Practise

Practise meditation & mindfulness with these tips

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Category Practise

Calm your anxiety with this glowing fire body scan

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Category Practise

How to start journaling today

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Category Practise

Breathing Balloon

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Category Practise

Tension Release Exercise

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Category Practise

Kids Help Phone’s Wheel of Well-Being

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Find more resources and support for disordered eating

Category Learn

Our e-mental health services

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Category Learn

Need help now? Text our texting service.

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Call us

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Live Chat counselling

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Resources Around Me

Category Practise

How to map out your community of support

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Where can I find more information, tools and coping strategies from NEDIC?

• Types of Eating Disorders
• General Information
• Coping Strategies
• Help for Yourself
• Helpful Strategies for Supporting Someone With an Eating Disorder
• What Can The Helpline Do For Me?
• COVID-19 Care

Kids Help Phone would like to thank NEDIC for their contributions to this story and supporting youth mental health and well-being across Canada.

What are some things to consider when safety planning?

Before creating a safety plan, it may help to consider what information you may want / need to include in your plan. You can start by reviewing the questions below (you don’t need answers to all of them). Based on your situation, you can identify what information may be most helpful for you to become familiar with as you plan for your safety. If you’re not sure what the most important information for you to include in your plan is, you can check out Kids Help Phone’s safety plan tools below or ask someone you trust for help.

• Where can I keep my safety plan so it’s as easy to find and private as possible?
• When / where might I need to use my safety plan?
• When was the last time I felt “safe” or “safer?” What helped me feel that way?
• What are some signs that tell me things may be getting unsafe?
• What are my go-to coping strategies to manage difficult thoughts / feelings / behaviours?
• Who do I trust to talk to about what I’m going through?
• Who can I connect with when I need support, and how can I contact them?
• Where are some potentially safer places I can go when I don’t feel safe where I am? How can I get there? What might I need to bring with me?
• What do I hope / dream about for my life in the future?
• What are the emergency / community services nearest my area? How can I contact them when I need support?

Tip: When searching for emergency / community services that may be available nearest your area, you may also wish to research the terms of each service to learn more about what may happen if you access their support, who else could get involved (e.g. child protection services, etc.), their privacy policy, who you may have the right to be present with you (e.g. a First Nations band representative, a specific health-care professional / police officer (if available), etc.) and more.

How can I create my own safety plan(s)?

Are you ready to create your own safety plan(s)? You can tap through Kids Help Phone’s safety planning tools, tips and downloadable resources below (if they make sense for you and your situation).

How I can cope with thoughts of suicide Learn more about How I can cope with thoughts of suicide

My safety plan to cope with abuse at home Learn more about My safety plan to cope with abuse at home

My fill-in-the-blanks safety plan for any time Learn more about My fill-in-the-blanks safety plan for any time

My safety plan to cope with disordered eating Learn more about My safety plan to cope with disordered eating

At this point, we want to acknowledge there are other times, beyond those mentioned on this page or within these tools, in which you may feel unsafe. If you’re worried about your safety, for any reason, you can connect for free, 24/7, confidential support at Kids Help Phone.

How can I get more support with safety planning?

Feeling unsafe and not knowing what to do can feel overwhelming, confusing and even a little scary. You don’t have to figure it all out on your own, though. In the section below, you can tap on resources to get more information about contacting Kids Help Phone’s professional counsellors and trained, volunteer crisis responders for support with safety planning or anything else on your mind. You’ll also find resources to learn more about topics that may help you with safety planning, ways to connect with your peers and more.

Contact us

Category Learn

Need help now? Text our texting service.

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Category Learn

Call us

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Category Learn

Live Chat counselling

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Category Learn

Our e-mental health services

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Read more

Category Practise

How to identify a safe adult

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Category Learn

10 places to go if you don’t feel safe at home

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Category Learn

How can I talk to a parent/caregiver about something?

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Category Practise

How to map out your community of support

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Category Learn

Online dating: Safety tips

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Category Learn

How to take care of yourself when using substances

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Category Learn

What is abuse in relationships? 50+ signs.

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Category Learn

Family abuse: What it is and how to identify it

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Category Learn

Sexual abuse: How to get help and heal

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Category Learn

Eating disorders: Tips for recovery

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Category Learn

Cyberbullying: What it is & ways to address it

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Category Learn

Self-injury: What it is and how to cope

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Where can I learn more about safety planning?

You can find more tips and tools for safety planning from these organizations across Canada:

• Be Safe App by mindyourmind (mindyourmind)
• Ways to feel safer in the moment (talk suicide Canada)
• Coping tips (Bridge the gapp)
• Preventing suicide (Canadian Mental Health Association)
• it is a BIG deal (Canadian Centre for Child Protection)
• Tech Safety Canada
• About shelters (sheltersafe)

Whether you’re navigating a harmful situation, planning ahead just in case and / or supporting someone you care about, safety planning can bring up many emotions. No matter what you’re experiencing, you deserve to feel safe and thrive in your world. And you don’t have to figure it out on your own. Safety planning is an ongoing process and Kids Help Phone’s e-mental health services are available 24/7 to support you along your journey. No challenge is too big, and no feeling is too small.