Labor Day can be an exciting time to gather with friends and family to celebrate summer. However, for people in recovery from an eating disorder, this holiday can pose undue stress and overwhelm. As with anything out of someone’s routine, holidays can pose unpredictable challenges in recovery.

By: Korie Born

The good news is that there are definite steps that you can take to make Labor Day or any holiday more manageable as you recover from your eating disorder. Keep reading for a few tips to make this September more relaxing and enjoyable while prioritizing your recovery.

Dress for Comfort

Late summer can mean warm weather, making dressing for comfort in recovery challenging. This can be even more difficult if your body changes as you heal your relationship with food. Try dressing in comfortable clothing that not only feels good on you but also feels good if it’s hot. Remember that your comfort is the top priority. When choosing an outfit, consider trying it on without looking in the mirror to make your clothing choice based solely on how it feels.

Tune Out the Food Police

While meeting with friends and family members for holidays and special events can be exciting, this can also mean hearing talk about food, bodies, and eating. Other peoples’ comments about food are not a reflection of you, nor should these comments deter you from choosing recovery. If friends or loved ones make comments about how much you eat, your body's appearance, or even their own food choices, pivot the conversation to something unrelated to food and bodies. Try summer activities, shared interests or hobbies, pets, or the latest show you’ve watched or book you’ve read. If this pivot doesn’t work, consider setting a boundary by saying, “Please don’t comment on what I am eating or how my body looks.”

Introduce Fear Foods Early

If you know that there will be traditional family recipes that are currently outside of your comfort zone at a Labor Day gathering, it pays to prepare. Work with your treatment team to make a plan to introduce these foods or similar foods during meals before this holiday so that you do not feel overwhelmed on the day of the event. By encountering these foods in a safe environment, you could feel better about eating them at a gathering outside of your routine or with people you are not used to eating around.

Practice Grounding Techniques

Despite all of these tips, attending holiday events in eating disorder recovery can still be overwhelming. It can be helpful to practice a grounding technique around mealtime to center yourself before eating. Below are three grounding techniques to try:

5-4-3-2-1 Technique

To come back to the present moment, take a deep breath, then make a note mentally of five things you see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. This technique can help bring you out of eating disorder thoughts and make you feel more grounded and present.

Two Feet, One Breath

Place your feet on the ground slowly and deliberately, one at a time, then take a deep breath in through your nose and out through your mouth. This technique can help you make more mindful decisions before a stressful situation.

Box Breathing

This simple method can be helpful if you are in a stressful situation, like eating a meal full of fear foods. Take a deep breath in and count to four. Hold your breath for four seconds, exhale for four seconds, and hold for four seconds. Repeat the process a few times until you feel more at peace.

Eating disorder recovery is challenging but worth it. This Labor Day, know that you are worthy of healing. Difficult moments like holiday gatherings are only moments, not a reflection of your entire healing process. Don’t hesitate to connect with your treatment team about these tips to head into the end of summer feeling ready to celebrate without your eating disorder.

If you are looking for support in healing your relationship with food and your body, BALANCE eating disorder treatment center™ offers personalized treatment that can help. Our Daytime Intensive Outpatient Program is here to help you navigate life without the stress of an eating disorder and move through your work, school, and social commitments without food or body image thoughts getting in the way. Join us now for a limited time, and learn more about our Daytime Intensive Outpatient program here.

Contact our admissions staff here to set up a free consultation call to see what BALANCE can do to support your healing journey.

This post was written by BALANCE Intuitive Eating | HAES Content Creator, Korie Born (she/her).

Korie Born is an educator turned Intuitive Eating Counselor with passion for eating disorder treatment and recovery. She earned an undergraduate degree in French at Sonoma State University, then after several years teaching middle school French and English, pursued a Master’s Degree in Education specializing in the overlap between eating disorders and education. Korie has worked to ensure that students and her Intuitive Eating Counseling clients feel supported in making diet culture and disordered eating a thing of the past. As an educator, she honed her content creation skills to share about Intuitive Eating with students in different settings, and through curriculum development for multiple anti-diet and self-esteem boosting curricula for nonprofits in the field. Korie is thrilled to be a part of the BALANCE team to continue to put her content creation, passion, and belief in true healing into action.

Labor Day and Your Recovery