Your Ultimate Guide for Balanced Living

The holidays often bring opportunities to reconnect with friends and family, share familiar traditions, and spend time with people we love, but when you struggle with food, body image, or an eating disorder, the anticipation of gathering around a table can come with a lot of anxiety and stress. Learn how to navigate the holidays and get the support you need to protect your recovery.

Holiday gatherings often revolve around food. At the same time, conversations about dieting, weight loss and weight gain, “being good,” overeating, exercise, calories, and plans to “get back on track” after the holidays can become almost impossible to avoid. For someone who struggles with emotional eating, negative body image, weight concerns, disordered eating, binge eating, or an eating disorder, these messages can make the holiday season especially challenging.

The holiday season can be a joyful time, but it can also bring unique challenges for individuals in eating disorder recovery—and for the people supporting them. Food-centered gatherings, family expectations, and holiday traditions can trigger anxiety and old habits. Your support during this time can help your loved one navigate the season safely, while still enjoying connection and celebration.

The holiday season can be beautiful — days filled with connection, tradition, and gratitude. But for individuals in eating-disorder recovery, they can also bring up anxiety, pressure, and mixed emotions. The abundance of food, comments from family members, and expectations around celebrations can feel overwhelming rather than comforting.

Halloween can be a fun and festive time — costumes, candy, parties, and playfulness. But for many people in eating disorder recovery or struggling with food, weight, and body image, it can also bring up anxiety. Read more and learn how to reframe your thoughts and be more present to enjoy this holiday.