Navigating Disordered Eating Triggers During the Holidays, Part 2

 We are over halfway into the holiday season and at this point, you may be feeling overwhelmed or anxious. Navigating disordered eating triggers is a daily effort, and the holiday stress may be making this more difficult. This week we are discussing three more strategies that can be helpful during this time.

 Social Media and the Pressure of Perfection

During the holidays, social media is flooded with images of perfectly styled tables, happy families, and holiday fashion. This constant stream of curated, idealized images can lead to body comparison and feelings of inadequacy. It can also bring up feelings of shame and despair.

Trigger: Body Comparison and Unrealistic Standards

Scrolling through social media can make you feel like your body doesn’t measure up to the "ideal" you see online, which can lead to unhealthy body image thoughts and disordered eating behaviors, like excessive dieting, exercising, or bingeing.

Strategy: Curate Your Feed

Take control of your social media experience by unfollowing or muting accounts that promote unrealistic body standards or diet culture. Follow accounts that promote body-neutrality or body-positivity and that validate your experience. Finally, try removing social media apps from your phone so it is more difficult to access them. Limiting your time on social media also allows you to be more present during your real-life holiday experiences and helps you avoid harmful messaging.

Emotional Eating Triggers During Holiday Stress

The holidays can be emotionally overwhelming. While they can bring joy, they can also bring up feelings of stress, grief, or loneliness, which may lead to emotional eating.

Trigger: Emotional Stress and Coping with Food

Food is often used as a way to cope with difficult emotions, especially during the holidays. When emotions feel unmanageable, those with disordered eating habits turn to food, dieting, weight loss, and exercise to avoid or manage the emotions. Emotional eating during the holidays is common, but it can be triggering for those who are struggling with disordered eating.

Strategy: Healthy Coping Mechanisms

When possible, take some quiet time alone to check in with your emotions. Ask yourself what you are feeling and be curious about what your emotions are telling you. If you feel overwhelmed or dysregulated, engage in coping mechanisms such as journaling, meditating, or confiding in a trusted friend or family member. Taking a walk outside is another way to recenter yourself. This is a challenging time so, above all, try and be gentle with yourself.

The Holiday Focus on Appearance and “New Year, New You” Messaging

The end of the year often comes with the pressure of setting resolutions, many of which focus on body changes, weight loss, or dieting. The onslaught of “New Year, New You” messaging can make individuals feel like their worth is directly correlated to their weight or physical appearance.

Trigger: Diet Culture and Weight Loss Pressure

Media outlets often highlight quick fixes for weight loss and promote unrealistic, unhealthy beauty standards. These messages ca make people feel pressured to focus on dieting, restricting food, or overexercising during and after the holidays.

Strategy: Shift the Focus to Health, Not Appearance

Instead of making weight loss or appearance-related resolutions, focus on goals that promote overall well-being, such as mental health, self-compassion, or enhancing your social connections. Embrace a more holistic approach to health by prioritizing nourishing your body with balanced meals and engaging in movement that feels good—going on walks and practicing yoga are two places to start.

Conclusion

The holidays can be a difficult time for individuals with disordered eating, but by checking in with yourself and engaging with self-care, it’s possible to navigate this season with less stress. Focus on self-compassion, social connection, and staying present in the moment. If you find that triggers become overwhelming, don’t hesitate to seek support from a trusted mental health professional.

Navigating Disordered Eating Triggers During the Holidays, Part 1

The holidays are often seen as a time of celebration and spending meaningful time with loved ones. Yet, for many individuals struggling with negative body image or disordered eating behaviors, the holidays can present a minefield of triggers. The combination of food-centered gatherings, social events, and societal pressures can intensify eating-related anxieties and self-criticism. Emotions are also heightened during the holidays, and when emotions become overwhelming, many of us turn disordered eating behaviors to manage them. Understanding what our triggers are and developing strategies to manage them is necessary for maintaining emotional well-being during this time. In this post, we’ll explore some common triggers for disordered eating during the holidays and share tips on how to navigate them in a healthier way.

The Pressure of Holiday Feasts and Food-Centered Events

For many, the holidays are synonymous with food—large meals and endless desserts. While food is meant to be enjoyed, it can also bring stress and anxiety for those struggling with disordered eating. Many are also away from home during the holidays and often not in control of the food that is served. All these factors can lead to feelings of overwhelm and stress.

Trigger: Mealtimes

Holiday meals are often larger and richer than usual, and this can trigger feelings of guilt, shame, or anxiety about eating. People with restrictive eating habits or those who struggle with binge eating may worry about not staying in control.

Strategy: Practice Mindful Eating

During mealtimes, try to be present in the moment. Practice mindful eating by eating slowly and savoring each bite; notice the taste and texture of each food. Listen to your body’s hunger cues and notice when you are feeling hungry and when you are feeling full. Focus on the enjoyment of the meal and pay attention to how you feel before, during, and after meals. And remember that different types of food are not good or bad, they are simply food. However, improving body image can significantly enhance self-esteem. When we learn to accept and appreciate our bodies, regardless of their shape or size, we can develop a deeper sense of self-worth that isn’t dependent on external validation. There isn’t a quick fix, but there are some helpful ways to engage with your body image in a different way. 

Lack of Routine and Structure

Holidays often disrupt regular routines. Traveling to see loved ones, attending holiday parties, and managing schedule changes can lead to inconsistent eating patterns. For those who rely on structure to manage their eating habits, this lack of routine can lead to increased anxiety, overconsumption, or restricting food intake.

Trigger: Disruption of Routine

For individuals with disordered eating habits, the disruption of regular meal schedules can lead to heightened stress. The lack of structure of normal mealtimes may lead to eating more due to fear of not having access to food later or avoid eating altogether.

Strategy: Create a Flexible Routine

While flexibility is key during the holidays, you can still try to maintain a balanced routine. Try to incorporate the parts of your routine that you are able to. For example, going to bed and waking up at similar times, or going on a daily walk, if that is what you are used to. If you have a regular eating schedule, it can be helpful to bring nourishing snacks to eat if you get hungry between meals. Continue to engage in self-care practices that are helpful to you, such as journaling or meditation. Think ahead in order to accommodate your needs, but remember be kind to yourself if things don’t go the way you planned.

Family Dynamics and Unwanted Comments

For many, family gatherings during the holidays come with both the joy of spending time with loved ones and the stress of navigating family dynamics. Unfortunately, some family members may inadvertently make comments about food choices, weight, or appearance that are harmful, especially to someone struggling with disordered eating or negative body image.

Trigger: Comments About Weight, Appearance, and Eating Habits

Whether it’s a passing remark about how much you’re eating, unsolicited comments about your body, or pressure to eat more or less than you feel comfortable with, these situations can trigger feelings of shame and anxiety or lead to disordered eating behaviors.

Strategy: Set Boundaries and Practice Assertiveness

Setting clear boundaries with family members about your body and eating habits can help mitigate harmful situations. If someone comments on your weight, appearance, or eating behaviors, politely but firmly explain that you prefer not to discuss these topics and that such comments are unhelpful. It can also be beneficial to proactively communicate your needs to family members and ask them ahead of time to avoid making comments about physical appearances, food intake, and dieting. It is important to note that comments that some people consider to be compliments can be harmful to someone struggling with disordered eating. Finally, this is a time to lean on social connections who are supportive and understanding of the challenges you are experiencing.

Putting It All Together

This can be a challenging time of year, but putting these strategies into practice can help alleviate some of the anxiety around eating habits during the holidays. The most important strategy is to practice self-compassion and give yourself grace during this time. Check back next week for more strategies.

Claire received her MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. During her master’s program, she worked with college students and young adults on a variety of topics including body image, disordered eating, family and relationship challenges, trauma, anxiety, depression, and life transitions. Claire uses a person-centered approach to counseling and focuses on creating a genuine connection with clients, understanding their unique life experiences, and being a companion on their path to healing and finding peace. She believes that with adequate support, all people have the capacity to grow and become more fully themselves. Claire’s practice is trauma-informed and she attends to clients’ unique cultural identities in the counseling space. She lives in Charleston and enjoys music, reading, traveling, and quality time with loved ones.

About Me:

What's your professional background?

I worked in the corporate world for several years before changing careers and going back to school to pursue a counseling degree. I have mostly worked with young adults on a college campus, but I look forward to working with people of all ages and backgrounds as I continue in my career.

What do you love about your work?

I love understanding each client’s unique story. I greatly appreciate the strength and vulnerability it takes to come to counseling and do my best to honor that effort with compassion and commitment to the counselor-client relationship.

What drew you to becoming a therapist?

Going to counseling when I was younger was very impactful in my life. Since that experience, I have felt inspired to support others in the same way that I was supported, and to share the hope that things can get better.

What’s your specialty?

I work with clients experiencing many different challenges, but I have a special interest in working with clients with body image concerns, disordered eating habits, and relational challenges.

What’s your treatment style?

It is a collaborative approach based on empathic listening and building a genuine therapeutic relationship. I provide a nonjudgmental space and together my clients and I decide what would be most helpful for them during our time together.

Most likely to discuss during a treatment?

Interpersonal relationships. We are relational beings, and I believe that the relationships in our lives, both past and present, can impact how we see ourselves and how we cope with our life experiences. 

Hobbies outside of work?

I love reading, going to concerts, exercising, and traveling.

What is your favorite self-care practice/coping skills?

Going on walks, pilates, breathwork, and intentional time spent with friends and family.