One of the best parts of the holiday season is gift-giving. This season is filled with thoughtful generosity and present sharing. For many, the joy of gift exchanges is highly anticipated and planned. However, gift-giving can be challenging if you or someone you know struggles with food and body image distress. The holiday season can be incredibly stressful and triggering for those struggling, so it is vital to find gifts that relieve stress instead of amplifying it.
As temperatures drop and autumn draws to a close, shorter days and holiday breaks are just around the corner. Most people highly anticipate the last few months of the year. But winter can be a demanding time of year for some, especially those struggling with mental health. Holding yourself accountable during your recovery at this time of year can be challenging, but that makes it all the more important. Accountability during the end of the year is not only valuable but vital to maintaining recovery in the long run.
The holiday season brings Thanksgiving, followed by Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s! As such, the decorations come out, the gifts get wrapped, and family and friends plan gatherings to celebrate the festivities. However, assigning morality to foods can damper the holiday spirit for those recovering from an eating disorder.
A support system is vital to eating disorder recovery, especially around the holidays. If someone you love is struggling with or recovering from an eating disorder, your support can make all the difference. The holiday season is a wonderful time but can be full of anxiety triggers for people who experience food and body distress.
Dealing with unhelpful comments about food can be challenging, especially during recovery and holidays. What you choose, when you decide to eat, and how much you eat is nobody’s business but yours and your support team’s. Thankfully, you can prepare to respond to comments and cope with the feelings they bring up.
Finals season is coming up, which inevitably brings stress to students. As a student, you often juggle a packed schedule of exams, research papers, assignments, and other commitments at home or at work. When you are busy, it can be challenging to prioritize taking care of yourself, and you may feel like you are regressing in your ED recovery.
Getting through the holiday season with an eating disorder can be debilitating. The weeks approaching the holidays are often more nerve-wracking than anything else. While one day or dinner does not define your recovery state, your actions in the weeks preceding the holidays are critical in your journey.
Traveling for the holidays can be overwhelming, especially if you experience food and body distress. One of the best ways to approach seasonal challenges is to plan ahead. Overcoming difficult experiences and situations will help you build resilience in your recovery. And, when your holiday travel plans support your recovery, you can be fully present with those in your life during this special time of year.
This time of year brings a lot of connecting and reconnecting with friends and loved ones. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for this season’s quality time to come with uncalled-for food and body comments. Regardless of where you are in your recovery journey, these comments can be highly triggering and may bring many overwhelming emotions to the surface, often during moments intended to be celebratory.
Every November, as the leaves fall and the weather turns chilly, Thanksgiving arrives! Family and friends reunite to celebrate and reflect through homemade meals and seasonal foods. However, diet culture comments and conversations can take an unexpected seat at the table for those in recovery during the holiday season.
