3 Emotional Eating Tips to Survive the Holidays

The snow isn’t the only thing swirling as we face the holiday season: emotions can feel all over the place as we’re faced with more things on our to do list that usual. Plus, there are so many opportunities where we are faced with food: dinners, potlucks, parties! If you’re an emotional eater you might dread this time of year.

But you don’t have to feel helpless. Below are three key things you can implement right now to start feeling calmer around food.

This time of year might bring with it specific family recipes you look forward to or limited-time store-bought items you crave. But this mindset can have you believing that these foods are scarce and you have to eat them every chance you get to make sure you take advantage of them being available.

• Try this: Start by giving yourself permission to eat the things you really enjoy. Practicing this means you’ll be much more satisfied by what you put in your mouth. And an interesting mental shift can happen when you know you can eat whatever you want: often your cravings will become less intense. Knowing you can eat these foods whenever means you’re not feeling a big ticking clock counting down until they are ‘gone’.

The holiday chaos may have you feeling like you’re going a mile a minute and your eating might mirror that fast pace. You might multi-task and eat on the go or quickly scarf down a meal—and sometimes necessity calls for that! But you might find yourself overeating when your fullness cues take longer to kick in than it does to eat your meal.

• Try this: See if you can bring in pauses while you eat to check in with your stomach and brain. This can look like putting your fork down between bites, focussing on the conversation at the table, or even some deep breathing when you feel yourself speeding up. No one has to know you’re taking a pause! By slowing down and checking in with yourself you can lessen overeating by gauging how satisfied and full you are.

The stress of the holidays seems to be heaped on top of every day stressors: in addition to managing work, your kids, your community, you feel the pressure to make the season’s magic come to life. This can mean additional tasks like shopping for gifts, writing and sending cards, and finding time to decorate. Women can find this time of year extra draining as they are often the ones who feel the pressure of making everything “perfect.” Emotional eating can feel like the answer because it provides an easy outlet to feel taken care of.

• Try this: First, try and find other things that make you feel calm. Is it a quick workout or a longer shower? These activities can meet your needs in a way you usually get from food. But if it feels like doing something for yourself is just one more thing added to your list, try and give yourself some grace. Challenge your thoughts when you think you “should” do something and instead find ways to support yourself and still get things done: order in pre-made meals to save time, skip the custom cards and go generic, plan to leave events early or stop in only for dessert instead of an entire meal. These boundaries can help you squeeze a bit more time (and peace of mind!) out of your days.

No matter how this holiday season plays out, remind yourself you are doing the best you can. These dates, parties, and expectations are temporary.

💛 Your peace awaits.