Things You'll Need:
- A Written Relapse Prevention Plan
- A Written List of Activities that Decrease Anxiety, like Mediation or Reading
- A Written Positive Mantra to be Repeated During Large Meals
- A Written Well-Rounded Eating Plan That Reduces Anxious Feelings
- A Written List of Things You Love About Yourself
- A Written List of New Activities to Try
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Step 1
Face the holiday season by realizing that food is going to be a vast part of the celebrations. It’s important to establish an anti-relapse plan before entering into holiday festivities, in order to prevent yourself from relapsing into unhealthy, restrictive behaviors.
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Step 2
Designate a “sponsor” to help you overcome the lure of unhealthy eating during the holiday season. This should be a person you can trust, speak to openly and who understands your personality and disorder (it could be family member, pastor or therapist). Make sure that you can meet or speak with this person whenever needed throughout the holidays (if you feel negative behaviors or thoughts could return).
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Step 3
Write down your plan on paper, so there is no way you can forget. Your relapse avoidance plan should include the name and number of your chosen “sponsor,” as well as a list of specific relaxation techniques that have worked for you in the past. Whenever your anxiety level around food becomes too extreme (and you want to relieve the stress by controlling your environment), turn to this list for activities like deep breathing, meditation, journaling or gentle yoga.
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Step 4
Develop a mantra to get you through food-ridden environments. A simple phrase such as, “food and life are meant to be enjoyed” or “live life without extremes” can help you calm your nerves during heavy meals. At holiday meal time, simply try to eat a healthy amount of your favorite foods in a way that does not cause excessive anxiety (and cause you to want to restrict the following day or practice other unhealthy behaviors).
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Step 5
Prepare your holiday plan by remembering that you are more than your eating disorder. Try writing down a list of 10 things you love about yourself (personality traits, talents or even physical attributes), wearing outfits that make you feel healthy and confident, or actively practicing a positive skill for stress release (like drawing, knitting or learning another language).
