10 holiday season coping tips for someone with an eating disorder

Blog entry

Published on 11 December 2025

By Sophie, mid-20s, recovered, anorexia nervosa.

There’s no doubt that having an eating disorder can make the holidays particularly hard. There’s lots of socialising and people around and of course an abundance of food at every opportunity. One of the most overwhelming things can of course be the amount of choice when it comes to food and I think it can be very helpful to actually have a think and a strategy for how to make this period as enjoyable and un-stressful as it possibly can be. Here are some tips that I or others have found to be useful at a time that can be a little bit tricky:

Allow yourself to accept where you are even if it’s not where you want to be – it can be incredibly frustrating to struggle at a time that’s supposed to be so joyful but rather than punishing yourself further for having a hard time, it can be really helpful to accept what your boundaries are right now and that it doesn’t mean that’s what they are going to be forever.
Give yourself permission to leave – during gatherings with large groups of people you can’t control the timings, the food that’s out etc but you can control what YOU do. If you want to go then give yourself permission to go and leave early if that’s what’s best for you not to be too overwhelmed. I find it helps me actually be more present if I know in my head that I’m going to stay for a certain period of time and then if it gets too much, I’m going to take myself home where I feel safer and that is ok.
If you are having Christmas lunch it can be really useful to practice what you’re going to eat, to familiarise yourself with it and make it feel more comfortable so you will be less worried when the day itself comes around.
Having said that – if you are having food with family or friends and you feel comfortable to do so, I also think it’s more than ok to bring your own food. Again, it doesn’t mean that that’s what you’re going to do every year but it can help to take away from the anxiety around food and allow you to be more present on the social side if you know you are eating something you are comfortable with and the truth is NOBODY is actually going to care.
Remember that all this food is going to be there even after the Christmas period – sometimes it can feel like there’s a sense of urgency and you HAVE to try all this new “Christmas food” NOW, like it can only be eaten in this 2 week period which can make it incredibly overwhelming – but I find it helpful to remind myself that there actually is no rush and it will all still be there in a months time (even the Christmas chocolate) and you can have it at any point therefore, it isn’t going anywhere and you don’t need to rush to try it all.
Try and organize one NON food related activity that you can look forward to – whether that’s a panto, a theatre show, seeing the lights etc.
It’s ok to take breaks – if it gets too much and too overstimulating , it’s ok to excuse yourself and go upstairs for a bit, if you’re going to someone else’s house maybe bring a sensory toy/headphones, something that you know can help you feel a bit calmer.
Be prepared for the fact that someone is going to say the wrong thing/talk about how they’ll diet in January etc. Unfortunately it’s more than likely and it’s much better to know that these things might be said and also to know that it’s nothing to do with you and your journey. It’s just an unfortunate part of the rhetoric in society!
Remember that however it might feel, you are worthy and deserving of having a nice time or receiving nice gifts (if that’s what your family do).
Try and take the pressure off the day itself (easier said than done), it’s ok to feel how you feel whether that’s happy or sad, but at the end of the day EVERYDAY has the opportunity for joy so whether this year turns out how you want it to or not – that same love and cheer (cheesy as it sounds) can be experienced all year round.