The festive season can be a particularly challenging time for people with food and body image concerns. Factors like warmer weather, summer activities, social eating, weight loss marketing and diet talk can all mean that these anxieties are at the forefront of our minds. Here are some of our tips for supporting yourself during this time.
Be a critical consumer - You’ve probably noticed that diet ads are everywhere right now - even more than usual! Remember no matter how ‘new and improved’ these diets claim to be, diets don’t work, and in fact they can cause significant harm to our physical and mental health. Remember these weight loss diet companies are part of a multi-billion dollar industry which profits from making us feel dissatisfied with our bodies. It’s a powerfully radical act to say no to diets and yes to self-care.
Be mindful of diet talk - You might notice those around you talking about dieting and weight loss more at this time of year. There are many ways you could choose to approach this, depending on your relationship with the person and your energy at the time. You might let people know you’d prefer not to discuss food and body size, and share your knowledge about the harms of weight-loss dieting. Or you could decide to use the helpful strategy of distraction to divert the conversation to another topic. At other times you might subtly (or overtly) excuse yourself and take some time away from the conversation, it might be the perfect opportunity for a bathroom break.
Take care of yourself when social eating - Try to avoid the urge to restrict food in anticipation of, or after eating a meal which might be larger or more challenging than foods you usually eat. Maintaining regular eating can help to regulate appetite and not set yourself up with all or nothing thoughts and eating behaviours. During social meals try to focus on conversation and connection with others to distract you from distressing food thoughts. If there are particular foods you’re expecting to be challenged by, your therapy team can help you practice exposure to these foods ahead of time in a safe environment.
Engage your support system - Let your support people know this could be a more challenging time, and explore how they can help. This could be creating supportive meal environments, encouraging you to eat regularly, or being available to talk through your challenges. Making regular appointments with your therapy team can also help to hold you steady. You could also explore and engage with non-diet, recovery focused content, see the ideas on our Inspiring Links page
Be kind to yourself - It’s understandable that this can be a difficult time, with many potential challenges and triggers. Do your best to practice self-compassion, and remember that this period will pass. Also remember to look for and really pay attention to the joyful moments - even if they’re brief, don’t let them pass by without your full attention.
(Here’s our Director Janet’s dogs sharing a joyful moment last Christmas!).
