Coping with the Holidays in Eating Disorder Recovery

By: Megan Samuels, MSW, LCSW-C, Eating Disorder & Trauma Therapist

The holiday season can be joyful—but for those in recovery from an eating disorder, it can also be incredibly challenging. Between travel, changes in schedule, and time spent with family, this season can bring up all kinds of triggers.

If you're in eating disorder recovery, you're not alone in this. As an eating disorder therapist, many of my clients struggle around the holidays, and over the years I’ve noticed three major themes that come up again and again: change in routine, being with family, and staying on track with recovery goals. Let’s take a closer look at each, along with some strategies to help navigate them.


Challenge #1: Disrupted Routine

For many in eating disorder recovery—especially students or those with structured workweeks—holiday time can throw everything off. One moment you’re attending classes, sticking to a routine, and the next you’re traveling, staying with family, and surrounded by different foods at different times of day. It’s a lot to adapt to.


What can help:

Try bringing snacks or meal items with you when you travel. Whether you're going home, visiting relatives, or taking a vacation, having some consistency in what you eat can offer a much-needed sense of stability. Even small steps like packing your go-to snack bars or sticking to your usual meal times when possible can make the transition feel less abrupt.

In addition, it can be helpful to prioritize recovery-oriented activities, such as eating disorder therapy, self-care activities, meal prepping, and/or eating disorder recovery coaching.  Despite a disrupted routine, having a consistent plan to prioritize your recovery can be a game changer during this stressful time.  


Challenge #2: Family Dynamics

Spending time with family can be both comforting and complicated. For those in eating disorder recovery, it’s especially tough when family members make offhand comments about food, weight, or appearance—whether directed at you or someone else. These comments can be triggering, even if they’re meant to be harmless.


What can help:

Setting boundaries ahead of time can make a world of difference. Let your loved ones know that you'd appreciate avoiding food or body talk during your visit. It might feel awkward, but it's a healthy and important boundary to protect your mental health and your eating disorder recovery.

Also, lean into your support system. Who’s someone you trust? A friend, a sibling, an eating disorder therapist? Let them know this time of year can be tough for you. You could set an alarm on your phone to check in with them periodically, or just send a quick text when you need some encouragement. Remember: eating disorders thrive in isolation. Reaching out is a huge step in recovery.


Challenge #3: Staying Committed to Recovery

When you’re working hard to follow a meal plan or maintain recovery behaviors, the unpredictability of the holidays can throw things off balance. Lack of routine, unfamiliar foods, or even skipping meals due to travel or events can open the door for eating disorder thoughts to creep back in.


What can help:

Make a plan ahead of time with your treatment team. Discuss potential challenges and map out how you’ll approach meals, snacks, or specific events. If there are certain foods that help you stick to your recovery goals, talk to your family about making sure those are available during your stay.

And don’t forget to reconnect with your why. Why did you choose recovery? What motivates you to keep going? Write these thoughts down somewhere—on your phone, in a journal, or even on a sticky note in your bag. That way, if things get hard, you can remind yourself of your strength and purpose.  It may even be helpful to share these thoughts with a loved one or a support person, so they can also reinforce these motivating messages about sticking to eating disorder recovery.


Final Thoughts

Let’s be real--the holidays are hard, especially when you’re in eating disorder recovery. But you don’t have to go through it alone. Whether it's your treatment team, a good friend, or your journal, use the resources available to you. Your recovery deserves protection, even during the most hectic times of year.

You’ve already made it this far, and that’s something to be so proud of. Keep going. You’ve got this and I am rooting for you.

---

Schedule a FREE 15-minute consultation to explore how eating disorder therapy or recovery coaching can help you to find freedom.​

🌟 Available in MD, VA, DC, PA, FL, and CA for eating disorder therapy
🌍 Offering recovery coaching worldwide​

---

​The Eating Disorder Center is a premier outpatient eating disorder therapy center founded by Jennifer Rollin. We specialize in helping children, teens, and adults struggling with anorexia, binge eating disorder, bulimia, OSFED, and body image issues. We provide eating disorder therapy in Rockville, MD, easily accessible to individuals in Potomac, North Potomac, Bethesda, Olney, Silver Spring, Germantown, and Washington, D.C. We also provide eating disorder therapy in Arlington, Virginia and virtually throughout Virginia. Additionally, we offer eating disorder therapy virtually in Florida, Pennsylvania, and California. We provide eating disorder and EMDR trauma therapy in Rockville, Maryland and virtually throughout Maryland and Virginia. We provide eating disorder recovery coaching via Zoom to people worldwide. Connect with us through our website at www.theeatingdisordercenter.com