The holidays are a time of celebration and reconnecting with loved ones. But with all the parties, traveling and extended visits come unexpected stress, triggers and difficult food choices.
Hoping to equip Dukes with the tools for a healthy holiday season, the University Health Center is emphasizing the importance of mindfulness.
“Planning for the stressors around holiday eating can help prevent and ease challenges as they happen,” said Heather Harris, a registered dietitian with Nutrition Services at the University Health Center. Challenges can include eating too much or not enough, being judged by others for food choices, and contending with food allergies and sensitivities.
“People often think of the holidays as a joyful time,” she said, “so difficulties can arise when it doesn’t look like what they were hoping.”
To plan for unexpected stressors, try visualizing potential situations and developing a safety plan beforehand. Harris suggests picturing your holiday meal before you get there, so you know what to expect and how to arrange for any necessary foods. “Take something that you know will work for you,” she said. It’s important to “visualize ourselves doing it successfully.”
Plans can also include packing food for long waits at the airport, bringing food you can eat to gatherings, eating ahead of time, calling a friend when things get stressful, and scheduling time to get outside or maintain a workout regime.
Because holidays can spark feelings of grief, loss and pain, Harris said she works with students to prepare for these stressors so they can successfully navigate their emotions.
In a recent program, Mindful Holiday Eating, she and graduate assistant Hallie Hall (’23) helped Dukes discuss issues that could loom over the holidays and plan for how they might address various situations using mindfulness practices. Each participant left the program with a worksheet for developing their own safety plan.
Harris also offered the session as part of the Balanced Dukes effort, a wellness initiative for faculty and staff dealing with disordered thoughts or behaviors toward food.
Other mindfulness tips include portioning foods, thinking about what you’re eating in the moment, using hunger cues to stop before you eat more than you planned, scheduling reminders to eat during hectic travel days, and setting boundaries with family and friends.
“Mindfulness involves curiosity,” Harris said. Asking questions about our actions and stressors helps ward off guilt, shame and the continuation of unhealthy patterns, she explained. “I think the big takeaway is coming [to this challenge] with curiosity instead of judgment.”