Happy Thanksgiving! I am freshly back from my trip to Europe and feel as though I have a lot to be grateful for. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because it is about surrounding ourselves with loved ones and eating a beautiful meal. For many, this holiday can be quite challenging for this exact reason. Food, while a beautiful part of many of our lives, can also be a great source of pain for others making the holidays often tricky to navigate. My biggest recommendation for clients when we are discussing how to tackle any holiday is to plan in advance and check in with themselves about what they feel they can manage.
For example, if being around family really fills your tank and makes you feel safe and comfortable, maybe you set a food challenge for yourself to try something new, or to add a very small amount more to your plate. On the other hand, if being around family and sharing a meal is really triggering, then maybe you set a challenge for yourself to do a lot of self care leading up to the day/meal and your focus is not on increasing or changing your food but rather on trying to be as present as possible or even to just make it through the evening.
There are different triggers and different challenges for everyone. The most important thing is that you understand your own and you focus on supporting yourself as best as you possibly can.
Wishing you the happiest of Thanksgiving weekends
