Ho Ho Ho Hoping for Healthy Body Positive Holidays!

by Catherine Weingarten

     People in holiday movies have perfect hair and laugh in a good looking way and are so happy it’s the holidays!  But what if you don’t feel like that?  What if you feel like you look bad and dorkalicious over the holidays?  Well, you’ll be glad to know that you are not alone in this.  The holiday season can be triggering for many people: especially people who struggle with disordered eating and EDs. 

     There is so much pressure over the holidays to have the best time ever and to eat way too much food; which can be odd for people who are trying to rebuild their relationship with food.  Personally, I sometimes feel during the holidays that I am slipping back to bad patterns and maybe binging.  Why is it okay to eat too much just because it is a holiday?  But we really need to be easier on ourselves around holiday time.  Holidays should be a time to catch up with family members and learn about their odd 3d sculptures of cat faces or their new girl-friend who can tango.  They shouldn’t be a test to see if you can control yourself while others eat a ton.


            Here are some fun and trashy tips to help have a Body Positive Holiday!
 
  • Holiday Bro-  Pick a friend who knows that you struggle with body image to have on call in case you need a pep talk.  It is always super duper great to know someone knows what you’re dealing with and they are there for you.  During triggering times, it is helpful to know that you can get positive words from your holiday bro!
 
  • Do a Non Food Related Activity that a Beauty Pageant Contest would do- Volunteer at a homeless shelter, blog for a cool cause that does it for you, babysit for some of your cousins.  Doing good helps you focus less on yourself of course it also just makes you feel awesome!  Hopefully this will help you realize that the holidays are about more than food, but about connecting and reaching out to others!
 
  • Don’t Overbook/Be too Popular- Having 30 holiday plans within 1 week might sound hip but in actuality it can be supa supa stressful and can be triggering.  Prioritize you and do whatever you need to do to have a relaxing and trashy awesome holiday!  If that means sitting out from your grandmothers Christmas tree look-alike contest, then oh well!
 
RYB hopes these handy tips and tricks will make for a rockin' holiday season!

 

 

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