If you’re spending your holidays with extended family members or friends who are unaware of your recovery journey, the idea of eating with them may be anxiety provoking. What if they make a comment about my food? Are they going to judge me for having a second helping and dessert? What if they notice my body has changed? If eating in a large group setting is already challenging to begin with, these additional unknowns can exacerbate feelings of discomfort and may lead you to want to skip out on the event altogether.

Below are some suggestions that may help with getting through these situations.

It’s a good idea to have a plan for how to navigate challenging environments for your eating disorder so that you can feel a bit more prepared going into these situations. For many the holidays are a particularly challenging time due to food being a major part of the celebrations. While it may feel less stressful to push the holiday gathering out of your mind in the days leading up to it, this can set you up to feel completely overwhelmed once you are there. This is not to say having a plan will guarantee food will be totally stress-free, but you will at least have some strategies to try with when you notice the eating disorder thoughts starting to creep in.