Eating Disorder Recovery At Christmas

How to feel calmer and more grounded around food this festive season

Christmas can be a wonderful time of year, but if you are navigating eating disorder recovery, it can also bring extra worries, pressure, or stir up old patterns. Routines often change, food looks different, and many events centre around eating and drinking. There may be more comments about bodies, more diet talk, and family dynamics can add another layer to an already challenging time.

If this season feels complicated for you, you are not alone. And even though this festive period can make recovery feel harder, it is so important to keep going and to keep yourself supported through this time.

That’s why we wanted to share some ways to approach this time in a way that feels more manageable. Not perfect. Just a little more doable, and a little less overwhelming.

What do you want this Christmas to look and feel like?

It can be really helpful to begin by gently checking in with yourself about how you would like this Christmas to be for you.

You might find it helpful to reflect on questions like:

• What would I like to do differently this Christmas?
• How would I like this year to feel compared to past years?
• What might a more peaceful, safe, or connected Christmas look like for me?

Take your time with these questions. There’s no need to rush to an answer or get it “right”. This isn’t about setting expectations or pressure. It’s simply about noticing what matters to you and what your recovery may need from you during this season.

What needs to change in order to support the Christmas you want?

Sometimes the smallest shifts can make the biggest difference.

Once you have a sense of the Christmas you’d like to move towards, it can help to gently consider where you are in your recovery right now. From there, you might begin to notice what needs to change or be adjusted to better support that vision.

The key here is balance.

Below are some gentle tips we’ve shared with many of our recovery clients over the years. You might find that one or two of them help you create a loose plan, or simply point you towards the next right step for you this Christmas.

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Top tips for Christmas eating disorder recovery

1) Find the balance between pushing yourself and keeping yourself safe

Recovery does involve growth and, at times, gently doing things that feel uncomfortable. At the same time, it also means being realistic and kind to yourself. Try to set intentions that reflect where you are right now, rather than where you think you should be. Supporting your recovery sometimes means pushing a little, and sometimes it means protecting your energy. Both are valid.

2) If you are worried about certain foods, start now

If there are foods you already know feel challenging and are likely to show up on Christmas Day, it can help to practise ahead of time. Gentle exposure before the day arrives can reduce the build-up of anxiety.

You might also find the And-And approach helpful, where you pair the feared food with something safe. For example, pairing a mince pie with some fruit or yoghurt. This isn’t about rules or control. It’s about helping your nervous system feel a little safer as you practise.

3) Keep regular meals in place

Skipping meals or trying to ‘save up’ for a meal always makes things harder in the end. Regular eating helps to keep your mood, energy, and appetite more stable.

4) The next day, return to normal eating

One day of eating differently does not change anything. The best thing you can do the day after Christmas is to return to regular eating, without compensating or restricting.

5) Bring safe foods if you need them

If you know food is likely to feel unpredictable or overwhelming, it can really help to bring something with you that feels safe. This might be a familiar snack or planning ahead around what will be available based on the situation you’re going into.

This isn’t about avoiding food or opting out. It’s about making sure you have options that feel manageable and supportive for you.

6) Let someone support you

You do not have to manage the whole day alone. You might choose one person to check in with or simply tell someone what you are working on. Recovery often feels lighter when it’s shared, even in small ways.

7) Wear clothes that feel safe

Choose clothes that allow you to stay present, rather than pulling you into thoughts about how your body looks or feels. Comfort can be a powerful form of regulation, especially on long or emotionally charged days.

8) Keep a grounding mantra with you

When comparison, guilt, or pressure shows up, a small reminder can help bring you back to yourself.

Something simple like: I am on my own journey

You might keep this in your phone or write it on a small card to return to when things feel noisy.

We’ve also shared 20 affirmations for eating disorder recovery if you’d like more grounding reminders.

9) Use the tools that help you

This might look like journalling before or after the day, leaving yourself a voice note, or revisiting your reasons for recovery before heading into a challenging moment.

10) Make it about other things too

If Christmas tends to feel very food focused, it can help to gently add some non-food activities to shift the focus and make the day feel a little easier for you.

Suggesting a game, bringing a puzzle, planning a walk, or having something enjoyable to do together can all really help.

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What if diet talk or body comments come up?

Sadly, these comments are more common at this time of year. They can be unsettling, especially if you are in eating disorder recovery at Christmas. You might hear things like:

I need to burn this off tomorrow
This is so naughty
Are you really going to eat all of that?
I’ll have to be good again in January

If this happens, here are a few ideas that might help:

• Gently shift the topic
• Use a boundary, such as: I am working on my relationship with food, so I prefer not to talk about diets or bodies
• Ask an ally to support you or talk to them about how it felt
• Return to a grounding mantra
• Step away if you need to

You don’t need to absorb comments that go against your values or your healing. Protecting your recovery is allowed.

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A gentle reminder for the festive season

You deserve a Christmas that feels safer and more connected than past years. You don’t have to get everything right. Recovery is made up of small steps, not perfection.

If this season highlights how much support you’d like around food, body image, or your recovery, you’re not alone in that. Our private coaching programme has spaces opening in January, which can be a supportive time to begin if you’re looking for more guidance, structure, and emotional support after the festivities.

If it feels helpful, you’re very welcome to reach out. We’re here to listen and gently help you work out what feels like the right next step for you.