Don’t “survive” the holiday season
Here we are one week away from Christmas Eve! I can feel the anxiety starting to build in a lot of people. How am I going to navigate eating through this holiday season? A common question for many people in different situations. There are the people who are on a meal plan just trying to figure out how to stay on track. There are those who are thinking about starting a meal plan in January but not wanting to set themselves back further than they already are. Finally, there are the people who say they don’t care and will eat anything within arms reach over the course of the next 14 days; they are all having thoughts about how it is affecting them (even if they won’t admit it). This typically leads everyone into “survival mode”. If you are reading this a few days before one (or many) large family feasts, I’m here to tell you to stop trying to survive.
The human body is amazing. You are wired to be able to respond to stressors both physical and psychological with something called the “fight or flight response”. This is literally your body’s SURVIVAL mechanism! It’s great for running away from bears or lifting cars off of children. The psychological stress you put on yourself about eating will also trap you in this state; and most people don’t even realize it in the moment. This leads to elevated cortisol levels, anxiety, mental burnout, and essentially locks your mind and body in the worst possible position to enjoy this wonderful season.
There are some very simple strategies we can use to help revert back to the safe “parasympathetic” or “rest and digest” state. Now that sounds much more effective for the gluttony that is about to ensue.
Breathe - A common thing that a lot of people forget to do (especially around the in-laws) is breathe. Deep breathing will oxygenate your body and turn off that “fight or flight” response by lowering your heart rate, decreasing blood pressure, and promoting relaxation and calmness. Try 5 really deep breathes before you get out of the car when you arrive wherever you are going to visit family and friends. Do it again right before you eat. Honestly, do it anytime you start to feel anxiety or stress creeping back and it will be your saving grace during this season.
Be mindful and present - Mindfulness is a lost practice amongst humans these days. We are constantly consumed by the internet and technology that we are hardly ever aware of our surroundings. A main component to maintaining a “parasympathetic” state of being is the feeling of safety. Feeling safe in your environment contributes heavily to mitigating any stress response both physically and psychologically. How can you truly feel safe if you don’t know things like the conversations going on around you, or who is in the room with you? Mindfulness goes past being on your phone as well. When you are consuming any food or drink, truly consume it with all of your senses. Look at it, smell it, hear it, taste it. Be with your meal in every bite and I guarantee you won’t need to worry about overeating.
Connect - Social connection is another factor in maintaining a calm and relaxed state of being. Seems like this one should be the easiest depending on how much you like your family and friends :) Socializing with people you trust helps build a feeling of safety. Just how I talked about it in the previous point. Human connection goes so much further than that though. The most evolved part of your vagus nerve (the main nerve of your parasympathetic nervous system) forms your social engagement system. Conversation, eye contact, and warm facial expressions can activate this system making you feel safe and connected with those around you. Through this connection, you as an individual can also help others de-escalate their stress response and regulate their nervous systems through co-regulation.
Using these strategies, you can position yourself to not only be in a more relaxed state of mind this holiday season; but also put your body in a better place to be able to take in the food you are eating, digest it, and absorb it so that you can not only enjoy the taste, but your body can utilize more than it would if you were approaching this time of year like you always do. In survival mode.