7. Indulge Outside of Holidays
“If you allow yourself to have certain foods all the time, then you are more likely to be mindful of how much you are having,” Johnson points out. Just imagine eating latkes every Saturday morning or keeping a fresh batch of Christmas cookies on hand in the freezer as opposed to enjoying them once a year — chances are, you’ll be less likely to overindulge when it’s time to sit down for a holiday meal. And remember, Johnson says: “You are always allowed to eat what sounds good to you.”
8. Practice Coping Mechanisms
Spending time with family members you don’t typically see can stir up emotions ranging from sadness to straight-up anger. “Emotional eating is a normal human response, especially when we don’t have the skills and tools to manage our emotions,” Johnson says.
Don’t typically inventory your emotions at the dinner table? Hear us out: Recognizing an unenjoyable eating experience can help you understand whether you’re eating for the right reasons or in response to a particular feeling — a bad idea, according to Johnson, since it’s less satisfying than you might think. “The negative emotions are typically still there after you finish your food, along with some feelings of guilt, shame, or self-judgment,” she says. And that’s no way to end a meal.
When you practice the coping mechanisms you know you’re going to need before you blow up at your mom or flip the table, you’ll be an expert when the time comes to whip them out of your toolbox, Goldman says. She recommends keeping at least three tools in your back pocket to help you calm down, including one that you can do anytime, anywhere. For instance, deep breathing or meditation can be helpful before you sit down to a holiday meal or whenever you need a break from the festivities — just slip into the restroom and do your thing.
“This way, you’ll always have something to do besides eat in social situations when a go-to steam-blower such as running isn’t realistic,” she says. It’s best to practice this tool first thing in the morning and right before you go to bed throughout holiday season and beyond to lower stress levels and prepare yourself for inevitable emotions and the mindless food fest that may otherwise follow.