Navigating the Holidays
The holidays are here! This means family, friends, gifts, games, and wonderful delicious foods. Some may be overwhelmed with joy thinking of the warm spiced pies, herbed stuffings and buttery squash. While others may sense a feeling of dread or a dark cloud approaching. When you notice this feeling, we invite you to give yourself permission and room to acknowledge the thoughts and feelings that you are experiencing. Then, make a plan rooted in self-care. It is very hard to enjoy the pleasures of the holidays when you feel overwhelmed with negative thoughts around food and body image. Try using these mindful eating tips to help alleviate some stress during this holiday season:
Avoid skipping regular meals and snacks.
Give yourself permission to fuel your body with consistent nutrition before and after larger, planned meals. Restricting or skipping meals could lead to feelings of chaos with an increased urge to binge and ignored interoceptive awareness cues (such as hunger, fullness, and thirst) when approaching the larger meal of the day. So regular meals and snacks are a must!
Give yourself permission to eat everything that you love without judgment.
Acknowledge your taste and pleasure response to food (likes, dislikes, neutral) without judgment. This may look like trying new foods and either continuing to eat to reach a level of satisfaction, or politely saying no and deciding to not finish it. Allow yourself to fully enjoy the foods you love, but also allow yourself to say no to the things that are not as satisfying or you may not enjoy the taste of.
Make a plan if you feel as though this will help you. Pre-decide which foods you feel comfortable with and which “fear foods” you may want to challenge yourself with or maybe ones you do not feel comfortable with at this time.
Eat as much as you want.
Note for folks with a disordered relationship with food: we are talking about eating as much as your authentic self wants, NOT your eating disorder. Sometimes that amount is decided by your care team or a loved one; lean on them to help your body be nourished!
Remember, you are the gatekeeper to your thoughts and hunger, and no one knows you better than yourself. There are no “good” or “bad”, “healthy” or “unhealthy” foods, because food holds no moral value and all food contains nutrients. However, there are certainly foods that you like and ones you do not like for a multitude of reasons. Depriving yourself of the foods that you love will only make the cravings more intense. By granting yourself unconditional permission to enjoy your favorite foods in any quantity that you want, when you want, you are showing yourself an act of love and gratitude for your body letting you know what you want and when. You have the right to eat food without apology.
All foods provide your body with nutrients. During the holidays, there is nothing more important than focusing on choosing foods that you enjoy! You have the right to enjoy your meal without judgment or worry about the calories eaten.
Allow yourself to take a break from both eating and family.
Slow down your bites to allow yourself to savor the flavor and textures of your food thoroughly. Assess your thoughts, emotions, and fullness while eating. If you want to eat more because you are hungry or simply love the taste, have more. If you are full, you can take a break.
Also, this means pre-planning healthy boundaries to ensure a positive mentality. For example, deciding to not partake in conversations with your family that may negatively impact you, including diet talk. Allow yourself to walk away from unhealthy conversations and do something else that brings you joy. You do not need to offer an explanation. However if it is too uncomfortable to not offer an explanation, some socially acceptable reasons for abruptly leaving may include needing the restroom or stepping away due to a headache.
You can also pre-plan family activities together in order to have a plan of what you will do when not eating. After all, the holidays are also about family!
Talk to yourself kindly.
Allow yourself to acknowledge any emotions or thoughts that you may be experiencing. Feeling negative emotions does not mean that you have failed, it means that you are human. We all are vulnerable to our negative emotions, especially around the holidays. It is ok to feel this way. Rather than letting it consume you and ruin your day, take some time to acknowledge how you feel and talk to yourself kindly and show compassion.
Give yourself permission to ask for help.
You do not need to navigate the holidays alone. Talk with someone close to you including friends, family, your therapist, or your dietitian.
Overall, remind yourself that the holidays only come around once per year. Making a plan for yourself and incorporating loved ones can help to guide you through the holidays and fully enjoy your time with friends, family, and food. Stay safe with your loved ones during these times.