The arrival of the holiday season can often come with a basket of emotions, sometimes all at once. Warm, festive, excited, overwhelmed, pressured, stressed, anxious, worried, lonely… the list goes on, and is different for everyone. It is important, now as ever, to be kind and thoughtful to yourself and your loved ones this holiday season.
Celebrate Thoughtfully
Times are hard for many. In Windsor and Essex County, almost one in five people experienced food insecurity in 2021, which is when a person has inadequate or insecure access to food due to income. It is important to remember that this is largely driven NOT by personal failure but circumstances outside of one’s personal control.
Many households are facing this, and oftentimes in silence and secrecy. Having limited finances may mean needing to skip meals to afford the hydro bill this month. Being in hard times can bring up feelings of shame or guilt, especially around the holidays. As you move through this holiday season, be mindful that those around you may be living in these circumstances and be thoughtful when planning your gatherings as others may not be as fortunate.
Hold Space for Your Food and Body
Holiday events often come with an unwelcome guest: diet talk. Gatherings with friends can be both joyful and stressful, especially if discussions about food and body shapes start making their way into the conversation. These discussions are a part of diet culture, a system of beliefs that assigns value to physical appearance and body shape, promoting weight loss and devaluing bodies that do not fit the standard “image of health”. Here are some dos and don’ts to help you set boundaries and keep diet culture out this holiday season:
DO:
- Give yourself unconditional permission to eat and to enjoy and savour what you eat.
- Remember that food is morally neutral.
- Remember that eating certain foods does not make you a good or bad person.
- Give yourself grace and let go of any diet culture thoughts that sneak up.
- Remember that unlearning diet talk is hard, so be kind to yourself
DON’T:
- Forget to check in with your body.
- Punish yourself for enjoying food and nourishing your body.
- Feel the need to engage in conversations that make you feel uncomfortable or perpetuate weight stigma.
If you are comfortable to confront diet talk head on, you can also set firm boundaries. For example, you could ask people to stop talking about food or bodies, or share your experiences on how you are honouring your body’s needs. However, it can feel very uncomfortable to set firm boundaries about diet talk. If confronting diet talk feels too overwhelming, you can redirect the conversation to a different topic (pets and vacations are easy diversions), or leave the conversation altogether (just say you need to check on someone or help with a task).
Sometimes, You Have to Make it About You
As hard as it may seem, try to make space for self-care even if it feels harder than usual! Be in tune with your body – nourish your body, get quality sleep, and make room for joyful movement. Engage in activities that make you feel happy. Put down your phone – social media can wait!
Now can be a good opportunity to look back on the year. What was 2023 like for you? What went well, and what didn’t? What was your best memory? Think of all the relationships you’ve nurtured, and the problems you’ve worked through. Think of when food helped to nourish you, and when your body helped you accomplish all that you did in the year. An end of year reflection exercise can be a great way to take stock of all that has happened.
With end of the year reflections can often also come ideas for resolutions – take some time to reflect on how your resolutions may make you feel. If you feel goal setting may put too much pressure on your mental or physical health, then maybe it’s time to leave it behind. If goal setting at the beginning of the year has previously worked for you as a motivator to kick start new behaviours, great! Choose your resolutions thoughtfully and remember to be kind to yourself. Challenge messages that suggest weight loss as a goal – it isn’t! Body size is not a sign of health. If food and weight issues are causing distress in your life, reach out for support. There are many in our community who are here to help.
The Bulimia Anorexia Nervosa Association (BANA) is the primary source for the prevention and treatment of eating disorders in the Windsor-Essex region.
The Teen Health Centre is a part of the Windsor- Essex Community Health Centre. They offer counselling for youth between 12 and 24 years old affected by disordered eating.
For both programs, individuals needing services can call 1-855-969-5530 for assessment and referral to the appropriate treatment program.
Warmest wishes for a nourishing holiday season.