10 Tips for Getting Through the Holidays in Recovery
Let’s face it, the holidays are an incredibly stressful time for everyone. But if you are on your journey of recovery the holidays can pose some extra difficult experiences and situations. Here are 10 tips to help you get through the holidays while continuing on recovery.
Ignore Diet Culture
Easier said than done I know. But trying to limit exposure to things like “new year new you” activities, resolution setting, etc. can be very recovery focused. The you who got through the past year is a great version of you! She/he/them deserves to be taken care of into the new year.
Remind yourself that diet culture exists only to put us down and make money off of us.
2.
Give Yourself Permission to Eat
The holidays are a time to be present with family and friends and to make memories. Give yourself the space to eat, whether it be the foods that your family has made, or something that you have brought yourself. I encourage my clients to explore what feels safest to eat, what meets their needs, and what will most likely result in them being able to be present.
3.
Notice Your Body’s Cues
Try and take note of your 5 senses to ground yourself during stressful situations. Discuss with your treatment team members what you discover. Review what coping skills may be useful to plan for using during the holidays.
4.
Eat Consistently
Do not skip meals or snacks. Approach the day per your meal plan from your treatment team. Do not attempt to “save up calories” or “make up calories”. If needed, develop a plan with your team members about what the holiday will look like food wise and what your plate needs to look like.
5.
Focus on Flexibility
All or nothing thinking really engages the eating disorder mindset. Remind yourself that you are allowed to have flexibility in your life. Continue to focus on the fact that there are no good or bad foods, just foods. If you feel like you engaged in a behavior that is not entirely recovery focused or beneficial for you, that’s okay! Dust your shoulders off, process the emotions that come up, and continue on. One behavior does not make or break the day, week, month, year, etc.
6.
Set Boundaries
Family and friends can be pretty jolly over the holidays and forget that some of us like our boundaries to be respected. Practice setting boundaries, holding boundaries, and having conversations with your treatment team leading up to the holiday festivities. Protecting your recovery space is important all year round!
7.
Create a Holiday Bill of Rights
You have a right to set boundaries.
You have a right to eat foods that nourish your body without judgement.
You have the right to take additional portions without the need for explanation or justification.
Try creating a few of these to remind yourself of your boundaries and rights heading into the holidays.
8.
Have a plan
Discuss with your support network how they can support you if things get difficult. Have a family member or friend assigned to check in with you throughout the day.
9.
Do not skip your appointments
Recovery does not stop just because the holidays have come around. Be sure to continue scheduling your appointments with your treatment team and avoid skipping sessions.
10.
Look into additional supports
Many providers and groups hold meal support sessions and support groups throughout the holiday months for folks. Be on the lookout for these types of things if you think they may be helpful to you.
We’d Love to Hear From You!
Note to Self Nutrition LLC is an outpatient dietetics practice specializing in the treatment of eating disorders, women’s health and fertility including PCOS, endometriosis, and hormonal imbalances, diabetes and prediabetes, disordered eating, along with other chronic health conditions such as heart health, hypertension, and kidney disease. Owner and dietitian Lauren Hirschhorn-Tieu is passionate about empowering individuals to build trust with their relationship with food and their body. Lauren provides multiple services including nutritional counseling, recovery coaching, supervision and nutrition presentations. In person availability is offered in Denver. Virtual telehealth services are offered in Maryland, Virginia, Washington DC, Colorado, and Florida. We would be honored to join you on your journey to discovering food and body peace!
Contact us for more information regarding our services offered. To schedule a discovery call please visit this link. Be sure to visit our website and sign up for our newsletter at the bottom of the page.
