With the festive season quickly approaching, it can become a time where certain emotions arise such as anxiety, overwhelm, panic, guilt, shame and fear.
Although we may truly want to just be able to enjoy our time, it can be difficult as the festive season is a time that is focused around food and social interactions. Additionally, it is can be a busy time of year with little to no down time. We may find ourselves sitting in the unknown – the unknown of how we are going to navigate certain occasions regarding food, socializing and changes to our usual routine.
We can explore some ways in which you may be able to guide yourself and your loved ones through the festive season so that you can take the power back from your eating disorder (ED) and choose how you want to spend your holidays.
We would like to invite you to think about implementing strategies as early as possible. This may help you in feeling more in control and supported during festive events. And remember, gently introducing strategies one step at a time can help support you building your tool box and coping plan to stabilise ED thoughts and behaviours.