Navigating the Holidays With an Eating Disorder: Gentle Guidance for Managing Triggers and Finding Support
The holiday season can be a tender and complicated time for anyone navigating an eating disorder. Celebrations often revolve around food, routines shift, family dynamics surface, and expectations can feel heavier than usual. If you are working hard in recovery, this season may bring moments of joy as well as moments of overwhelm.
As a counsellor who supports individuals healing their relationship with food and body, I want to offer some grounding guidance to help you move through the holidays with compassion and steadiness. Recovery is possible, and you deserve care, not pressure, throughout this time of year.
Create a Plan That Supports Your Recovery
Heading into gatherings without a plan can leave you feeling vulnerable to old patterns or triggers. An intentional support plan can help you feel anchored when stress arises. Consider:
Choosing a specific support person you can text or step outside with if things become difficult
Setting boundaries around food talk, especially if conversations about dieting or weight tend to show up
Planning your meals as best you can, especially if you are working with a dietitian or following structured eating
A plan is not about rigidity. It is about care, preparedness, and choosing what helps you feel grounded.
Be Mindful of Triggering Situations
Holiday triggers can look different for everyone. These might include comments about weight or appearance, unfamiliar foods, changes in routine, or being around people who diet openly. Naming your personal triggers ahead of time can reduce their intensity when they appear.
When you notice yourself becoming activated, try pausing to check in. A few deep breaths, stepping into another room, or reaching out to a supportive friend can help reset your system. It is okay to take breaks. You are not responsible for managing anyone else’s expectations.
Stay Connected to Your Body and Your Needs
Recovery invites you into a more compassionate relationship with your body. Listening to your needs can help you stay steady through the holidays. You might try:
Eating consistently, even when celebrations shift your routine
Resting whenever you feel tired, since fatigue often amplifies triggers
Choosing gentle movement if it supports your body, and resting when movement feels draining
Your body has carried you through so much. Nourishing it steadily is an act of care.
Let Go of Food Rules, Especially the Quiet Ones
Many people carry subtle food rules into the holidays. These might include beliefs about good or bad foods, what you are allowed to have, or how much you need to compensate later. These rules can intensify shame and create distance between you and your body’s natural cues.
Recovery invites you to soften these rules. It is okay to enjoy traditional foods, try something new, or eat simply because something tastes comforting. Food is nourishment, connection, culture, and memory. It is never a measure of your worth.
Shift Toward Gratitude and Self-Compassion
The holiday season can come with pressure to feel a certain way or participate in everything. Instead, try anchoring yourself in small, meaningful forms of gratitude. This might include warm conversations, fresh air, a quiet morning, or a supportive text. Gratitude can gently redirect your attention away from intrusive thoughts and toward what feels steady.
When recovery feels hard, speak to yourself with the same kindness you would offer someone you love. Holidays are challenging for many people with eating disorders. You are not alone, and there is nothing wrong with needing extra support.
Know That Support Is Always Available
If you find yourself struggling with food anxiety, urges to restrict or binge, or heavy body image thoughts, professional support can help you move through these moments with safety and care. Counselling offers space to explore your triggers, reconnect with your values, and build tools that help you feel more grounded during the holiday season.
You deserve a holiday experience that feels safe and connected, and you deserve support that honours where you are in your healing. Recovery is not about getting things perfect. It is about staying present, asking for help when you need it, and trusting that every small step matters.
If you are looking for more support as you move through this season, I am here.
My Favourite Resources
As a clinical counsellor and a survivor of an eating disorder, the following are a list of resources I go to or recommend to loved ones and clients around the holidays for extra support:
This blog post on setting boundaries around diet talk with friends and families
Not All Black Girls Know How To Eat by Stephanie Covington Armstrong
The Body Is Not An Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor
How to Love Your Body Podcast by Undiet Online
This Is Not About Your Body Podcast by Jessi Kneeland
About Moha and Eating Disorder Counselling
Hi, I’m Moha. I am a trauma-informed therapist who specializes in working with eating disorders and body image. We live in a world that is saturated with messages about what our bodies are supposed to look like. We are told that if we look a certain way, we can finally be “enough”. As someone with lived experience of an eating disorder, I know all too well that it is never just about food; rather it is about wanting to feel loved and safe, wanting to control something in an otherwise chaotic world, or wanting to finally feel like you are enough.
Before I was a therapist, I volunteered at the Looking Glass Foundation for Eating Disorders. Here, I directly connected with individuals of all ages, backgrounds, and sexual orientations, and learned that while our journeys may look different, our core struggles remain the need. We all want to feel seen and secure. Whether you’re wanting to make peace with food, finally giving up on dieting, or learning to accept yourself as you are, I promise to take this path together with you. From someone who has been there, recovery is possible.
I also acknowledge that we live in a fatphobic world. Intersecting identities and systems of oppression can make it even more challenging to focus on recovery for folks of colour who are in larger bodies. Together, we will equip you with tools to take care of yourself, and continue to live your life to the fullest. I operate from a Health-At-Every-Size, fat-positive, and body-neutral lens.
I offer a free 15-minute consultation to answer any questions about my process and to see if we might be a good fit!
