8 Recovery Tips For The Festivities
The festivities may seem like an enjoyable time, but they can be filled with anxiety for someone in recovery from an eating disorder.
The time spent eating, drinking, socialising with family and friends can cause stress and uncertainty. Our lead clinician Sasha Paul shares her top tips to support you with navigating the festive period. She discusses how to keep your recovery going through the holidays.
1. Keep structure
Firstly, if you already have a good idea of what is working for you in your recovery, then keep it going! Keep structure in your days regardless of what others might be doing. For example, getting up at a reasonable hour to have breakfast or planning activities you know support your recovery.
2. Set clear boundaries
Secondly, think about the boundaries you may need to set ahead of the festivities. Do you need to let people know that you would prefer not to engage in conversations around food, exercise or appearance? Do you need to remember it’s ok to say “no” when necessary to protect yourself? In particular, you might want to think about the boundaries you wish to set ahead of Christmas day or social gatherings.
3. Check in with yourself
It’s easy to get carried away with all that’s going on through the festivities. However, this can sometimes distract from what you need. Do remember to check in with yourself. Are you hungry? Do you need some time? Is there something you need to take a moment to reflect on? Try to remember to be mindful of your individual needs.
4. Connect with others
The festive season can be a great time to be with those close to you. Try not to isolate yourself from others as much as you can; connection itself can be incredibly supportive of the recovery process. Being with others can also be a helpful way of limiting social media use, supporting you to avoid unhelpful triggers.
5. Confide in someone
Try to have at least one person you can lean on during the festivities. Plan ahead and let them know how they might support you. This could be a family member, partner, friend, or anyone you feel safe to share with. And it could be that they are there with you, or it might be someone you can reach over the phone. Regardless, it’s essential to know you do not need to do this alone! Furthermore, if you are struggling and haven’t got someone to confide in, other sources of help are available, such as a helpline.
If you are in recovery, you will likely have a range of coping tools to support you at times of difficulties. And in times of increased stress, the eating disorder ‘voice’ can get louder with disordered thoughts increasing. Therefore it can be helpful to write down the tools that might support you ahead of time. Examples of recovery tools might be mantras, affirmations, visualisations, motivational exercises, writing, breath work or journaling. Ideally, work with your eating disorder specialist to create a tailored plan for Christmas that works for you.
7. Nurture your inner child
Notably, the festivities bring us back to our childhood and allow us to have fun. Allow yourself to be part of the magic of Christmas, and nurture your inner child. This might include playing games, laughing, watching Christmas movies or anything that feels fun to you.
8. Doing your best is enough
Many people in recovery struggle with feelings of guilt or failure around Christmas, purely because they wanted to create the perfect day. If you are in recovery, there is no perfect. There will be challenges and difficulties, but there can also be fun and enjoyment. Aim to have a supportive Christmas that allows you to keep going with your recovery. Celebrate all the wins, no matter how small. And allow yourself permission to learn from and move forward from anything that may not go to plan. You are, after all, human and working so hard on your recovery. Go easy on yourself.
Final words
In conclusion, aim to find a balance between keeping yourself focused on recovery and allowing yourself to join in with the festivities. Remind yourself it’s about doing your best, rather than being ‘perfect’. And lastly, create a recovery plan that keeps you feeling safe and supported through the festivities.
If you would like support through your recovery, get in touch to find out how we can support you.
