Body Image and Stress During the Holidays: Navigating the Relationship Between Your Body & Food

By: Dr. Tameca N. Harris-Jackson, PhD, LCSW-QS, LMFT-QS, CSE

She had promised herself this year would be different.

She'd been doing the inner work: listening to her body, rejecting diet culture, practicing compassion. But then came her family’s annual holiday gathering. The kitchen was filled with warmth, laughter, and the smell of cinnamon and brown sugar. She fixed a plate with her favorite foods, took a breath, and reminded herself: I’m allowed to enjoy this.

As she reached for a second helping, someone across the table said,

“Going back for more already?”

Not in a cruel voice. Just casual, thoughtless, familiar.

But her heart dropped. Her shoulders tightened. Her mind spun. Do they think I’m eating too much? Should I stop eating? Shame, self-consciousness and guilt started to creep in.

For the rest of the day, she felt disconnected from her own body - hyper-aware of how much she ate, how she looked when she sat down, and whether anyone else noticed.

It was one small comment, but it brought back years of pressure, comparison, and shame.

If you’ve ever been “that woman,” navigating the holidays while trying to protect your peace, please know: you are not alone. And nothing is wrong with you.

Why the Holidays Can Disrupt Body Image Recovery

Navigating the relationship between food and your body is gentle, time sensitive and complex work. It requires emotional, physical, psychological, and often spiritual labor and attunement. It takes consistency, safety, and intention.

But during the holiday season, this caring and intentional healing process is often disrupted. That is because women are often bombarded with:

• More food-centered gatherings

• More comments about bodies

• More pressure to “be on” for family

• More comparison in photos or social media

• More emotional labor than usual

  
  

You may feel like you’re sliding backward, but research shows you’re actually experiencing a normal nervous system response to a more stimulating, emotionally complex environment.

In other words: This is not a setback. It’s your mind and body doing what it has learned to do - protect you.

You may feel like you’re sliding backward, but research shows you’re actually experiencing a normal nervous system response to a more stimulating, emotionally complex environment.

Furthermore, with loud environments and sensory overload, disrupted sleeping and eating routines, and the unpredictable emotional dynamics that holidays can bring, it can increase the likelihood of you feeling overwhelmed or unsafe. It then becomes harder for you to access the coping strategies you may have been applying over the year.

None of this means that you are a failure, weak, or that you lack motivation or self-control. It means that you are overwhelmed and overloaded, and that you can benefit from supportive and caring strategies to cope.

A Gentle, Regulation-Centered Plan for the Season

The most caring strategy you can use during this season is "giving yourself permission". You do not need to wait for someone's permission to take care of yourself. Nor do you have to endure while everyone else regulates their nervous system while yours remains out of whack. Not at all. You get to take care of you. It is not selfish. It is the best gift you can give to yourself and to anyone who loves you.

In addition to giving yourself permission, you can also benefit from a clear strategy to lean on during the difficult moments. Here’s a plan rooted in nervous system care:

1. Eat according to your regular routine and plan of care.

Your mind and body appreciate consistency. The familiarity of routine is a soothing coping mechanism for your nervous system.

2. Take one grounding break before and after meals.

Breathe. Step away. Place a hand on your chest. Signal safety to your nervous system.

3. Limit triggering conversations.

You are not obligated to sit in spaces that harm your peace.

4. Choose one “anchor person.”

Tell someone you trust what you’re navigating. Connection matters.

5. Reconnect with your body throughout the day.

Connect with warm tea, a mindful minute, cozy textures, a quiet space. Small sensory rituals can interrupt the negative thought spirals. Carry a trinket with you (e.g., a special ring or necklace you will wear) to remind you to lean into your sensory ritual for self-care.

You do not need to wait for someone's permission to take care of yourself.

This is plan is all about regulation, not restriction. It is about doing what you need to center your peace, stay grounded, and continue the healing mind-body connection work that has been important to you throughout the year.

A Final Note on Navigating Body Image and Stress During the Holidays

Navigating body image and stress during the holidays can feel daunting and bring up feelings of anxiety as well as depression. Have a plan and preparing in advance can help; however, remember you do not have to go through this alone.

Connecting with a therapist near you can be a helpful option. If therapy is not accessible right now, support still exists:

• National Eating Disorders Association

• Community mental health centers

• University psychology and counseling clinics

• Local nonprofit groups or support circles

You are not alone.

You Deserve.

You deserve a holiday season that honors your well-being as much as it honors everyone else’s needs.

And you deserve to know that no matter the season - you are seen, you are worthy, and you are valued - exactly as you are.