How to Navigate the Holidays in Recovery

The holiday season is upon us, often bringing together families and friends for end-of-the-year celebrations. Although this time is focused on celebration and bringing people together, the arrival of the holidays can be stressful for those in recovery. The holidays are often centered around family traditions and cultural foods, which can be difficult to navigate during recovery. They can also potentially bring about stress and anxiety over conversing with family members. Despite these fears, there are steps that you can take to ensure that you can enjoy the holidays without feeling too overwhelmed. 

Prepare

Seeing family members during the holidays can come with premeditated stressors, so it is important to understand that it is okay to set boundaries for yourself. Often family members will unknowingly bring up conversation topics such as weight loss or dieting, which can be triggering for those in recovery. Preparing for some of these triggers will be helpful during the holidays, especially when attending holiday parties or family dinners when surrounded by family members. Having a support system ready and surrounding yourself with trusted family and friends can help you maintain these boundaries and navigate through any potential triggers during the holiday. Stepping away from the dinner table or a conversation and taking time for yourself is important if you start to feel overwhelmed. 

Focus on Intuitive Eating

The holidays are often heavily focused on food and the family traditions that surround them. For those celebrating Christmas, parties and feasts can often include special treats like eggnog and food focused activities such as decorating gingerbread. For Hanukkah there are the traditional Latkes, or other fried foods for the symbolism of the use of oil. For those in recovery, being surrounded by these foods can feel very stressful, but it is important to remember that there are no “good” or “bad” foods. Listen to your body and allow yourself to enjoy these foods if you feel comfortable doing so and if they bring you joy. 

Focus on Traditions

Although much of the holiday season can feel like it is focused only on food, it is important to remember other traditions surrounding the holidays. For example, if you celebrate Christmas, participating in non-food-related activities such as Christmas caroling or Christmas tree decorating can be a fun way to celebrate the holiday with your family in a more manageable way. For Hanukkah, singing songs or saying blessings can be meaningful ways to celebrate when eating traditional foods feels too overwhelming. Practicing mindfulness and gratitude will also help you focus on yourself during this time.

The holiday season can be an exciting time of the year, regardless of what you celebrate. Whatever you decide to do this holiday season, remembering to focus on yourself and what makes you comfortable is important, and it’s okay to step away and take time for yourself if needed. While the holidays can feel overwhelming, preparing for the holidays and focusing on your own traditions can help you better enjoy the holiday season. 

Sources

Cruze, R., & Andrus, E. (2013, December 11). Navigating the Holiday Season. National Eating Disorders Association. https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/blog/navigating-holiday-season

Insight on How to Celebrate Holidays Through Disordered Eating Recovery. (2022, November 4). Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/gift-guide-holiday-celebrations-through-disordered-eating-recovery

McGuire, J. (2016, December 7). Hanukkah and Eating Disorder Recovery: Maintaining Through Traditions. Eating Disorder Hope. https://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/blog/hanukkah-eating-disorder-recovery

Ringer, J. (2019, December 16). Tips and tools for handling eating disorders around the holidays | News. https://news.llu.edu/health-wellness/tips-and-tools-for-handling-eating-disorders-around-holidays

Zucker, T. (2016, December 22). 8 Tips for Eating Disorder Recovery During Hanukkah. National Eating Disorders Association. https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/blog/8-tips-eating-disorder-recovery-during-hanukkah