Text Link

Learn more about the results we get at Within

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Learn more about the results we get at Within

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

8 helpful tips for navigating eating disorder recovery during the holidays

No items found.
No items found.

Eating disorder recovery is full of ups and downs, successes and setbacks, and one of the most challenging times can be during the holidays. No matter your religion or traditions, food is often a focal point of holiday celebrations. Add in the stress of getting together with family and friends, and it’s easy to see how triggering the holidays can be for those in eating disorder recovery. If you’re recovering from an eating disorder like anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating disorder, here are eight tips on how to care for yourself during this stressful time.

4
 minutes read
Last updated on 
March 15, 2023
8 helpful tips for navigating eating disorder recovery during the holidays
In this article

1. Create a self-care routine and practice it before the holidays arrive

If you don’t already have one, now is the time to create a morning self-care routine that works best for you and takes your needs into consideration. Maybe you wake up and journal or maybe you do yoga and recite positive affirmations. Whatever it is, commit to doing it every day. Creating this practice will set you up for success when the holidays roll around. And you can turn to this morning self-care routine as a means of grounding even while traveling over the holiday season.

2. Make a support plan

You don’t want to find yourself triggered without a plan in place to help you cope with unwanted emotions or thoughts. Note what coping skills work for you and integrate them into a plan you can turn to in times of need. You might want to call a friend in recovery, recite affirmations, listen to music,  have a book on hand to read, or spend some time outdoors.

3. Lean on your support systems

Eating disorders can be isolating enough as it is. Now is not the time to power through the hard times alone. When you are feeling stressed or upset, reach out to trusted members of your recovery community.

4. Create a list of coping statements

In preparation for the holidays, you’ll want to create a list of coping statements and positive affirmations you can use in times of distress. This list will differ from person to person, depending on what statements resonate with you. Here are some examples:

  • My well-being doesn’t depend on my weight, size, or shape
  • I refuse to define myself by my past
  • My self-esteem has nothing to do with what I eat or don’t eat
  • I will treat my body and myself with respect, love, and kindness
  • I deserve to be happy and to feel fulfilled
  • I will nourish my body with delicious and nutritious food
  • I don’t need to exercise to earn or burn off a meal
  • Every day I am stronger and healthier
  • Today and every day, I will stand up for myself
  • I will abandon unhealthy and destructive behaviors
  • I will appreciate and love myself, just as I am
  • I will be patient with myself, even when I slip up
  • I will trust the process 
  • I won’t demand perfection from myself
  • I am not defined by my eating disorder
  • I will reach out for help when I need it
  • I can’t control others, but I can control my outlook and my attitude
  • I won’t compare myself to others
  • I will release the negative thoughts and feelings that don’t serve me
  • I am not a failure if I return to old habits
  • Every day is a chance to grow and heal
  • I will take the time to appreciate myself

5. Practice self-compassion and radical acceptance

Radical acceptance involves accepting your reality, both the good and the bad, including your eating disorder journey. You can’t change the fact that you are in eating disorder recovery and have had a broken relationship with food and eating in the past. What you can change is your attitude about it—you can grant yourself grace, compassion, and forgiveness. Self-compassion involves responding to mistakes with the kindness you may reserve for a loved one.

6. Have an exit plan

Though you have a support plan, there may be times your coping strategies don’t work or you aren’t able to properly use them. That’s why it’s important to have an exit plan you can use to separate yourself from a triggering situation. Ask your loved ones where holiday meals are going to take place in advance so you can create a strategy for escaping. This may look like excusing yourself to take a call or go on a walk. Use this time to refocus and ground yourself. 

7. Practice mindfulness and gratitude

Prior to the holidays, if you don’t do this already, try to begin approaching every meal with mindfulness and gratitude. Mindful eating involves using all your senses to experience the meal. It involves taking your time and noting the texture, scent and taste of what you’re eating and noticing how you feel while eating, both good and bad feelings without judgment. You can also take this time to express gratitude for where the food came from, those who prepared it, and the fact that you have food to nourish and fuel your body.

8. Return to treatment, if necessary

Eating disorder recovery is not a linear path.It’s different for everyone, and sometimes we experience slip-ups or return to old patterns of eating and movement. And that’s okay. What’s important is that we recognize when we need professional treatment. Returning to eating disorder treatment doesn’t mean we’ve failed; it simply means we need extra support right now. And recognizing that is a form of self-care and self-love.

Disclaimer about "overeating": Within Health hesitatingly uses the word "overeating" because it is the term currently associated with this condition in society, however, we believe it inherently overlooks the various psychological aspects of this condition which are often interconnected with internalized diet culture, and a restrictive mindset about food. For the remainder of this piece, we will therefore be putting "overeating" in quotations to recognize that the diagnosis itself pathologizes behavior that is potentially hardwired and adaptive to a restrictive mindset.

Disclaimer about weight loss drugs: Within does not endorse the use of any weight loss drug or behavior and seeks to provide education on the insidious nature of diet culture. We understand the complex nature of disordered eating and eating disorders and strongly encourage anyone engaging in these behaviors to reach out for help as soon as possible. No statement should be taken as healthcare advice. All healthcare decisions should be made with your individual healthcare provider.

Resources

FAQs

Further reading

How to maintain a healthy eating schedule in college

College can be one of the most exciting transitions in a person’s life. For many, it provides the first...

Self-help for anorexia nervosa

With its ability to significantly impact a person's psychological and physical health, anorexia nervosa...

What to do if you feel like binge eating

Binge eating disorder (BED) is the most common eating disorder in the United States, with an estimated 2.8...

How to tell your parents you have bulimia

If you've been struggling with eating, binging, and purging behaviors, or a poor body image, you may have...

Using self-compassion and radical acceptance to overcome perfectionism in eating disorder recovery

Perfectionism is a trait many people can have and is associated with eating disorders. And often...

8 foods that boost serotonin

Knowing how to increase your serotonin levels can have several benefits to...

6 tips for redirecting and deflecting discussions about weight and diet

We live in a culture in which diet culture is extremely pervasive. We...

19 tips for meal planning during eating disorder recovery

Returning home after an eating disorder treatment program can feel...

8 helpful tips for navigating eating disorder recovery during the holidays

Eating disorder recovery is full of ups and downs, successes and setbacks, and...

Self-help and eating disorder treatment

Human resolve can be a formidable force in any endeavor. Recovering from an...

What is radical self-love?

Loving yourself is one of the most radical acts you can do in a society that places...

Why you should ditch the “new year, new you” mentality

It’s that time of year again. Everyone is making New Year’s resolutions, even...

How to thrive during the holidays while recovering from an eating disorder

The holidays are just around the corner, and given the rollout of vaccines...

How to overcome shame in eating disorder recovery

Shame is extremely common among people struggling with eating disorders...

How to shop for clothes in eating disorder recovery

It’s natural to gain or lose some weight during eating disorder treatment as...

Can you exercise during eating disorder recovery?

Exercise is a great way to promote physical, mental, and emotional well...

Horticultural therapy: How gardening can aid in eating disorder recovery

Horticultural therapy, sometimes called "hortitherapy," is a type of experiential therapy where patients...

7 reasons to embrace movement in eating disorder recovery

Many people in eating disorder recovery struggle with an unhealthy relationship...

12 tips for traveling during eating disorder recovery

With the world opening back up, for some people that means traveling, whether that...

Further reading

No items found.