Being Mindful of the Holidays

Halloween marks the start of the holiday season, when our celebrations center around food. Sweet treats seem to be everywhere, and overeating might even be encouraged and expected. This poses some challenges for those of us practicing intuitive eating.

The holidays are a time ripe with all of the triggers that can make staying connected to yourself difficult. Family, money, high expectations and being over-committed often prompt us to seek comfort outside of ourselves. If food has been a source of stress relief and emotional distancing for you, the holidays are a time when, without some mindfulness and self-compassion, you can wind up back in your dance with the dieting mind.

The Value of Letting Go

Learning to let go is key for becoming an intuitive eater. Letting go is an exercise in mindful self-compassion and is not to be confused with giving up!

Letting go means knowing that when you have an eating experience that you are judging harshly, it is time to remind yourself of your humanity. Most humans overeat from time to time, especially during the holiday season. There is no one meal that can be so problematic and worthy of judgment that you need to abandon yourself and your connection to your body.

Accept that during the holidays your eating may not be like it is the rest of the year.  Maybe this can be associated with pleasure rather than conflict or fear? Let go of how things are “supposed to” be, and trust yourself to make choices in the present moment. That is the only time we can truly know what we really want and need.

5 Ways to Eat Mindfully to Enjoy the Holidays

Feeling like a little bit of structure might be helpful? Here are some tips for eating mindfully while enjoying the holidays.

1. Eat something before you go to an event. One of the biggest mistakes people make is not eating earlier in the day. If you go starved, everything will look good, and you will be more likely to eat until you are uncomfortable.

2. Eat foods that are special to the holidays. Before you pick up a plate, take a look at the foods that are available and ask yourself what foods would bring the greatest satisfaction. Use the chance to try new foods or foods you rarely get to have. Consider skipping the potato chips, crackers, nuts, salsa, bread and other foods you can have any time of year, and spend your time eating foods you really enjoy. If you don’t like something, throw it out. Don’t feel obligated because Aunt Sue made it.

3. Eat with awareness. Notice the colors, shapes, sizes, aromas, textures, and flavors. Chew each bite slowly. Savor and appreciate the food. You will enjoy the food more and will feel satisfied with just the right amount.

4. Stand away from the food. It is very common for people to socialize around the food. Enjoying a conversation near the food can lead to unconscious eating. Take the food you want to eat and move away from the buffet or appetizer area. You’ll be less likely to graze all night and feel uncomfortable!

5. Remember that saying no to food is part of intuitive eating. A great question to ask yourself is “Will I be deprived if I don’t eat it?” At this time of year, we are rarely deprived of treats. If the answer is no, skip it. If something is really special and you would feel deprived if you walked away, go ahead and eat it. And let yourself really enjoy it!

We hope your holidays are off to a great start! 

What do you do to stay mindful of your eating around the holidays?

In 2005 therapist Hilary Kinavey and nutritionist Dana Sturtevant started facilitating groups to help women let go of food/weight obsession. Realizing that they shared a similar approach and philosophy regarding food, weight, body image and health – one directly counter to that of conventional institutional paradigms - the two decided to merge their practices to create a partnership that would offer a revolutionary approach to women seeking answers about eating disorders, weight concerns, exercise, and nutrition. Thus, Be Nourished was born. Encouraging a non-diet approach to food, weight and health, Be Nourished offers individual counseling, workshops, classes and retreats to tackle topics like conscious eating, hunger awareness, body acceptance, and self-compassion. For more information, visit Be Nourished.