By BodyMatters therapist Kassie Bottalico
Christmas can be a particularly difficult time of the year for everyone; however the presence of an Eating Disorder can make the holiday period especially challenging. The combination of increased social gatherings, increased amounts of festive food and the absence of people from our support network (such as friends and therapists) can leave us feeling anxious and overwhelmed. Here are some quick tips on how to make the Holiday period a little more manageable.
Make use of available support
Discuss concerns with your therapist before the holiday break and plan ways to cope with the issues that may arise. Also consider whether there are any friends or family available to support you through the break, whether it be in having a chat or as a distraction. If there is no one available to support you and you feel vulnerable contact Lifeline (13 11 14) or the Butterfly foundation (1800 33 4673).
Reduce the strain of social gatherings
You do not have to attend every social gathering and see every person you know before Christmas. Consider if seeing these people will help you get through the holiday period or if they will be triggering. If they are helpful then great! If not, consider seeing them during a less trigger time of the year. You have the right to say no. If you feel obliged to attend a social event that is triggering, consider how you can reduce the unpleasantness. This may be by being involved in the planning or hosting of the event, or it may be by reducing the time you spend at this event or with a particular person.
The food
Familiar holiday meals can be a positive and a negative. We usually know what is coming which can alleviate anxiety around the unknown, but can also make us more anxious as we typically don’t think of festive foods as ‘safe’. There are a couple of thing we can do to lessen the anxiety around food. If you know what food will be available you can plan ahead of time what you will eat. If you don’t know what will be available, consider taking a dish of a food you typically consider to be ‘safe’ so that there will at least be one thing that you know you can eat. Give some thought to what you find triggering and try to avoid it. If grandma’s trifle triggers eating disorder behaviour, consider having something else for dessert. Finally, get rid of those left overs. Throw them out, freeze them or simply don’t except them. We know left over food sitting in our fridge is a big temptation which quite often leads to a binge.
Focus on yourself
Whilst we all know Christmas is a time for giving, it is your primary responsibility to take care of yourself. Try and be patient and understanding with yourself, it is normal to find the holiday period challenging and you are doing the best you can. Make a list of your coping strategies in the lead up to the break and have it readily available. Plan things that are pleasurable for you, particularly around challenging days. Take care of yourself and give yourself a gift or a few during the holiday period. It helps to do nice things for ourselves in the lead up to and following difficult experiences because doing things we enjoy helps to distract us from our problems and to lift our spirit. It can be anything at all that we find pleasurable. Here are a few ideas around what you may like to try:
- Go for a drive
- Write in a journal
- Call a friend
- Visit an aroma therapy shop
- Take a bath or go for a swim
- Step outside into the sun
- Get a cuddle
- Hire that book or movie you have been meaning to
- Switch your phone of an spend some time out
- Watch a funny video
- Get a pedicure
- Play with your pet
- Clean out your room
- Call a friend
- Do some volunteer work
- Change your bed sheets
- Try some deep breathing
The possibilities are endless!