Ever wondered how writing helps in eating disorder recovery? I'm excited that today, Anne-Sophie Reinhardt, is “Speaking From the Heart” and sharing her experiences with all of us. 

Anne-Sophie Reinhardt is an anorexia survivor, body image expert, author, and blogger at Anne-Sophie. She empowers you to achieve a healthier and more successful life by returning to your true purpose and values. Anne-Sophie has really inspired me on my journey. I connected with her last year and we've been friends ever since. I look forward to meeting her in person one day soon.  She has appeared on the blog before as a Profile of Perseverance and did a guest post on how to become a better blogger.  I was on her podcast "Your Life, Your Success" earlier this year too. Regardless of the medium used, Anne-Sophie speaks from her heart and empowers others on their journey! Blessed that we encourage each other. Read her interview below.

Why do you believe self-expression (speaking from the heart) is important?

Speaking from the heart is essential to live fully, be fulfilled and true to yourself. Negating your own voice will keep you from being truly engaged – physically and emotionally. For the longest time, I’ve tried to keep quiet and suppress my opinion, my voice, my message. I believed “who am I to share body-love? Who am I to have a blog?”. I was trying to keep myself small and I felt miserable. Giving myself the permission to speak from the heart felt like breaking free and finally stepping into the true me. I believe that every person has a message to share and if we all keep silent, we deprive this world of what it needs.

How has writing empowered you in other areas of your life?

Writing was one of the most helpful tools I used (and still use) in my recovery from my eating disorder. Purging my thoughts, letting go of fear and creating space for new, more positive ways of thinking about myself and my body gave me hope and paved the way to a healthier me. I started writing intuitively in order to help myself cope, but now I don’t think I could live without writing every day.

How did you find your authentic voice through writing?

I’ve found my authentic voice through writing by saying how and what I feel. I’ve earned a lot of criticism over the last couple of years for being honest and being me, but there’s no other way I’d want to live. Writing what’s going on in my head, actually creating words in order to make sense of what’s going on inside myself is the most freeing and most rewarding thing I’ve ever done. The more you write the more you’ll be able to tap into your true self and you’ll discover many things that’ll surprise you. Always be honest with yourself when you begin to write.

How did you develop the courage to stand tall (i.e., get the courage to share your writing)?

This also happened very organically. I never meant to share my writing with the public; it was initially just intended for my friends. Naïve, I know… My blog grew fairly quickly and I just went with it. When I noticed how much my truthfulness helped others, I just couldn’t stop. It’s quite addictive to help. ;)

When you have a hard time writing, what do you do to work through it?

I just start. Truth be told, I often have no clue what I’m going to write until I have written 100, 200, sometimes 500 words, but after the initial awkwardness is gone, it becomes clear what I want to say.

How did you find your support group?

I’ve found my support group online through many different ways. I connected in many groups, via podcasts and blogs. Just putting yourself out there will help you to connect with others. Sharing your truth will open many doors to connect with others online and offline.

Any advice for new writers/authors?

One of the most important things to do is to take action. It’s the hardest thing, but the most essential step you can take in order to change the world in your way. Yes, it’s scary to put your words out there, but the world needs to hear your voice. Do something now and then share it with others. You’ll be surprised how fast this gets addictive.

Thanks for speaking from your heart and empowering others around the world, Anne-Sophie! Keep up the fantastic work!

If you have any specific questions for Anne-Sophie about her writing process, please feel free to ask

One question that came to my mind after reflecting on what Anne-Sophie said was “How can we give each other permission in our daily lives to speak from the heart?” Many people struggle with this, so I’m reaching out to you all and asking for your input.  Looking forward to hearing your suggestions!

Thank you for reading and your presence at this beach retreat. You Rock! I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts in the comment section below.

See you at the beach!