Written By: Danielle Widmann, LMHC
When it comes to the holiday season it is often expected to be a time of happiness, connection, and celebration. But, for those in eating disorder recovery, it can also bring a unique mix of stress, overwhelm of emotions, and exhaustion. Gatherings during this time often revolve around food, routines shift, and conversations can drift into uncomfortable territory (unfortunately). If the holidays feel complicated for you, you’re not alone and there is no “right” way to get through them.
What Makes the Holiday Season Particularly Difficult in Eating Disorder Recovery?
- This season tends to be filled with food-centered gatherings. Meals, desserts, and conversations about food often become the focal point, which can naturally heighten anxiety for anyone navigating eating disorder recovery. Being surrounded by food more frequently, especially in social settings, can bring up fear, pressure, or a sense of being watched.
It may help to remind yourself that anxiety does not mean you’re doing anything wrong or failing at recovery. It’s a common response to a challenging situation. Some people find it grounding to eat consistently before and after events, bring a trusted or familiar food, sit near supportive people, or give themselves permission to step away if things feel overwhelming. You are allowed to prioritize your comfort and care.
- The holidays can shake up the routines that often help recovery feel safer and more steady. With travel, full calendars, and social gatherings, it can become harder to slow down and truly listen to your body or honor what you need. Old family dynamics may resurface, and diet culture has a way of creeping in this time of year. Whether it’s through through offhand comments, jokes, or “helpful” advice that doesn’t actually feel helpful.
It can be supportive to identify a few anchors you can return to, even when everything else feels different around you such as, regular meals or snacks, a familiar morning or evening ritual, or a brief check-in with yourself to ask, “What do I need right now?” Small points of consistency can offer a sense of safety when routines are disrupted.
- There can also be a quiet sense of grief. You might notice sadness about past holidays shaped by your eating disorder, or a longing for traditions that no longer feel supportive where you are now. If this comes up, it doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong. It simply means you’re human, and you’re paying attention to what matters.
When grief shows up, it can be helpful to acknowledge it gently rather than pushing it away through journaling, talking with someone safe, or simply naming it to yourself. You might also consider creating new traditions that feel more aligned with where you are in recovery, even if they’re small. Both grief and growth can exist at the same time ( I love being able to hold space for two things that can exist or be true at once).
Navigating Conversations That Feel Unhelpful or Difficult ( & Helpful Boundaries to Set)
Comments about bodies, weight, or food often show up casually and often during the holidays. Hearing these remarks can stir up comparison, self-doubt, or old urges especially when already navigating a season that asks a lot of those in eating disorder recovery.
Setting Boundaries: You are allowed to protect your peace and your recovery. This can look different depending on the situation and what feels safest or most accessible in the moment. Sometimes it might mean gently changing the subject or redirecting the conversation. Other times, it might mean stepping away from the room, taking a few breaths, or finding a more supportive person to sit near. You might also find it helpful to prepare a few neutral responses ahead of time simple phrases that allow you to disengage without having to explain yourself.
Honoring Your Own Version of the Holidays
You have full permission to create holiday traditions that feel meaningful and aligned with who you are rather than what others expect. These traditions don’t have to involve food at all, and they might look different from what you grew up with or what those around you are doing. What matters most is that they reflect you, your values, your joys, and the ways you genuinely like to celebrate.
Tips That Align With Recovery Over the Holiday Season
- Seeking support if needed– reaching out to loved ones and leaning on them if having hard times during meals or even just in general it can be a hard time of year.
- Self- care– prioritize your needs this holiday season and honor what fills your cup
- Stay consistent– keep up with your meals and stay consistent. Like I said routines are crazy but you can stay consistent with your meals.
- Boundaries Boundaries Boundaries – you can step away from the conversations that don’t align with your values or let your family members know the impact of their words. Sometimes the boundary can even be internal
The holiday season can feel overwhelming, unpredictable, and emotionally charged especially while navigating eating disorder recovery. But it can also be an opportunity to practice self-compassion, set boundaries, and create traditions that truly reflect who you are.
Recovery isn’t about perfection or getting everything “right.” It’s about showing up for yourself, honoring your needs, and making choices that build trust, safety, and well-being. Each small act whether it’s eating a meal, stepping away when you need to, or creating a new ritual that feels joyful is a meaningful step forward.
This holiday season, give yourself permission to slow down, protect your peace, and celebrate in ways that feel authentic and supportive. Your recovery is valid, your needs matter, and you are allowed to experience the holidays on your own terms.
If you are looking to start your eating disorder recovery journey today Danielle is accepting new clients in New York and Florida. Schedule your free consultation call today by filling out the contact form or email Danielle at info@holdingspacemhc.com
