The holiday season can bring up feelings of food anxiety and stress for many people. It can be difficult to reach the delicate balance of indulging in your favorite comfort foods without losing control of your hunger cues. Whether you’re home with your family keeping things small, or going from party to party, there can be a lot of food triggers around the holidays. For those of us who have struggled with yo-yo dieting, restricting, or binging in the past, we worry that old habits may arise. These are some tips we’ve developed about healing our relationship with food and eating, that allow us to enjoy the holidays with less guilt or added stress.
1. Practice Mindful Eating
Pay attention to when you’re feeling hungry, and when you’re feeling full. Sometimes our brain can trick us into over or under eating when we’re feeling an emotion we want to avoid. Megan has a live chat with Geenen Roth, author of “Women, Food, and God” saved on her IGTV and that is a great resource for those who struggle with food anxieties and triggers. Geenen personally helped Megan understand this connection and decipher between real hunger and emotional eating when she was healing her relationship with food.
2. Stick With Your Routine
The holidays can be chaotic, and that chaos manifests itself in many ways. Trying to keep a sense of normalcy during this time is essential to not feeling like you’re completely out of your element. If you usually workout in the mornings, take the time to move even if you’re not in your usual setting.
This December we’ve launched our 12 Days of Movement Challenge that features our 12 most popular classes of 2022. Consider challenging yourself to complete all 12 as a way to stay on track throughout the holiday season.
3. No Judgement
Try and give yourself some slack and avoid body or food shaming yourself. Make sure to tune in to your inner dialogue and shift any negative thoughts. Create lists of things you're grateful for in your life to put yourself back in a positive mindset.
4. Take Time To Breathe
Stress can come from all different places during the holidays. Be sure to center yourself when you feel tension rising. Going on a long walk, practicing meditation, or just taking some alone time can bring stress levels down. The Sculpt Society App has many great meditation classes led by Ameerah Omar, Kesley Patel, and that are extremely useful when feeling overwhelmed.
5. Enjoy Yourself
Remember that the holiday season is only here once a year, and give yourself the room to ENJOY it. You’ve almost made it through another year, and that is worth celebrating! You don’t need to earn your meals or over-exercise to compensate for indulgence. Let yourself eat what you’re craving without judgment, and then move on, instead of overcorrecting or spiraling. Lean into what feels right for you and what you want!
Over here at TSS HQ, we hope you all have a truly amazing holiday season spent with family, friends, and loved ones. We’re so thankful for this community and the energy you all share with us.
