8 tips for dealing with eating disorders and the holidays
The holiday season doesn't have to be a time for anxiety. There are ways to stay strong on your recovery journey, even as you deal with holiday traditions, family gatherings, and meals.
1. Start a morning ritual of self-care
The way you wake up can make a big difference in how the rest of your day unfolds. Starting the day with some self-care can be a good way to return to yourself, your journey, and your goals, staying focused and centered even as the world around you brims with busyness, potential triggers, and distractions.
What you decide to integrate into your routine depends on what works best for you. Start the day with some healthy stretching or a yoga routine, journaling, meditation, breathing exercises, gratitude practices, or positive mantras. Planting a positive seed early in the day can help you maintain that attitude, no matter what the rest of the day entails.
2. Nourish your body leading up to the holidays
A holiday gathering filled with certain foods that might be triggering can be an especially scary thing to have on the schedule. It might stir up a desire to restrict calories beforehand, fears around potential binge eating behavior, or other unhelpful thoughts.
In these cases, sticking to your meal plan can be especially helpful. Eating nourishing meals and staying true to your routine whenever possible can help you navigate these occasions and remain focused on recovery throughout the holiday season.
Often, the holidays involve get-togethers where certain menus are prepared, and everyone is expected to eat together. In these cases, you can offer to bring a platter or dish of food you feel more comfortable eating or one that more closely aligns with your meal plan.
3. Create a support plan
One way to help you thrive during the holidays is to establish a support plan for when you are triggered. This plan may include coping strategies like reaching out to supportive people or your therapist, reaching out to a virtual care team, practicing positive self-talk, or engaging in healthy distractions like reading or listening to music.
You may want to discuss some ideas for healthy coping strategies with your therapist beforehand, especially if you know you'll be dealing with a triggering family member or the potential for diet talk around the dinner table.
4. Have an exit plan in place
Planning ahead can make it easier to deal with any potential situations that may arise at a holiday event. Creating an exit plan can be another beneficial aspect of your self-care practice.
The holidays can be extremely overwhelming, and sometimes even coping strategies aren't enough. You may need to take a break to refocus or gather yourself.
Ask your family where the holiday meals and celebrations will take place so you can figure out a calm location to go to ahead of time if the situation becomes unhealthy.
5. Seek support from your recovery community
Being around loved ones who may not understand your struggles can be an isolating and stressful experience. Seeking support from trusted members of your recovery community can be a good way to continue processing your emotions in a healthy way leading up to and during the holidays.
These people can help lift you up, validate your feelings, and listen with a nonjudgmental ear. Let your family know that while you are participating in holiday events, you are still focused on your recovery. At times, this may mean placing self-care above social expectations.
6. Approach every meal with mindfulness and pleasure
While a "surviving" mentality may involve figuring out how to get through a meal, a thriving mindset empowers you to approach each meal with pleasure and mindfulness. Remember that nourishing your body can be a joyful experience, too.
Prioritizing mindful eating means you are present and grounded in the moment without judgment. This includes before, during, and after eating. This type of mindset can significantly reduce stress related to complex eating situations, as well as promote gratitude and feelings of well-being.
7. Practice self-compassion and radical self-acceptance
Eating disorder recovery is not a straightforward path; there are often ups and downs and bumps along the way. If you slip up and experience disordered eating behaviors during the holiday season, try to respond with kindness, forgiveness, and a nonjudgmental attitude.
When slip-ups happen, it is important to speak with a support person or your therapist to help you get back on track. However, treating yourself with self-compassion can help alleviate feelings of shame and guilt that are so often tied to eating disorder behaviors.
Similarly, radical self-acceptance can help you accept your total reality, including any struggles you encounter. This can help you keep a healthier perspective during this time.
8. Focus on what leads to fulfillment
Although food is a major component of most holidays, it doesn’t have to be your only focus. During this time, you can help with other tasks, such as running errands, decorating, or taking care of children. You may also want to volunteer with charities or do other types of community work.
Of course, food brings everyone to the table, and embracing the joy and pleasure of meals can be a part of the holiday experience. However, at the end of the day, holidays are about connecting with loved ones. This can also be achieved through spiritual or religious practices or relaxing around friends and family. So, try to focus on what the holidays are really about: connecting with your loved ones.
A mentality of thriving instead of surviving
Much of the language associated with eating disorder recovery is centered around the concept of surviving triggering situations, such as the holidays. And while this language is not only valid but oftentimes, accurate, considering the life-threatening nature of eating disorders, it’s time to change the recovery narrative to one of thriving.
To thrive during eating disorder recovery means to grow and flourish, to learn how to be proactive in how you protect and arm yourself. Thriving means preparing for potential stressors and triggers instead of simply reacting to them when they arise. If you are constantly reacting to various negative emotions or situations that arise, it can feel like you’re scrambling to keep up. But when you take a proactive stance and make a self-care plan, you choose yourself. And what could be more empowering than that?
Within has revolutionized eating disorder treatment by creating a virtual program where you can connect with your clinical care team from home or on the go. Our program allows people to receive care wherever they need it, including when they are home for the holidays. If you are looking for compassionate care for disordered eating, call our clinical care team to find out how to get started.
