How to De-Stress without Food (and Create Memories with Food)

Did you know that many people consider the holiday season the most stressful time of the year? The pressure to feel joyous and merriment throughout December and into the New Year can be overwhelming. While you want to enjoy yourself and this festive time of year, it can be hard.

Often, people turn to food as a source of comfort to help them through this anxiety-ridden season. While food is wonderful, it will only offer temporary comfort and is not a permanent solution to stress. There are many other strategies you can practice to keep you on the Intuitive Eating journey, whilst helping you relieve some of that built up tension.

5 Ways to De-stress Without Turning to Food

Relieve some of that build up anxiety this holiday season in a healthy fashion. Don’t settle for a quick fix, instead focus on coping mechanisms that are effective and lasting. Here are some of the best ways I have found to de-stress without food:

Yoga: This is a popular practice for de-stressing for a reason. Take a half-hour of your day and get on a mat. You can look up videos on the internet or stream a class from your gym.

Journaling: Writing out how you are feeling can be cathartic and allows you to reflect on all your emotions. Keep a journal by your bedside or create entries on your phone when you are feeling overwhelmed.

Exercise: Find a movement that you enjoy doing and try to do it regularly. The important thing is that you find exercise fun and stress relieving. Don’t force yourself to exercise, especially if it will just add more stress.

Go for a walk: Sometimes removing yourself from a situation and going for a walk is all you need to decompress. Throw some headphones in and go for a nice walk in your local park or around the block.

Say no: Saying no to the family can be hard, especially during the holiday season. However, if you do not feel comfortable doing something, and you know it’s just going to add stress to your life, say no!

Speak to a professional. There is nothing wrong with getting help from a professional. You may have tried all the coping mechanisms out there and still feel overwhelmed, and that’s okay. Reach out to a professional to talk.

Creating Memories with Food

Although you don’t want food to be the number one thing you turn to when feeling stressed, food can provide comfort and be used to create memories, especially if you are spending time with family and creating meals together. It’s an automatic mood lifter.

Here are 4 of my favorite foods that bring back happy memories.

Potato Latkes: There are so many great potato pancake recipes in cookbooks and on the internet. Or, if you’re like me, you can create this delicious meal from an old family recipe.

Matzah Ball Soup: While you can always buy this soup from your local delicatessen, homemade soup is always better! It’s one of my mom’s best soups ever!

Homemade Applesauce: I have memories of my mom making homemade applesauce when I was a little girl! While it’s easy to buy in a jar these days, it brings me back to a comforting time and will leave your house smelling delicious all day.

Sugar Cookies: You can’t skip over dessert, especially when the family is over. Sugar cookies are not only easy to make, but they also require little ingredients. My Grandma Sarah made the best sugar cookies ever!

There are many wonderful resources available to assist you in finding the perfect holiday recipe, such as my most recent cookbook, Enjoying Food Peace: Recipes and Intuitive Eating Wisdom to Nourish Your Body and Mind, which you can purchase here if you haven’t already.

No matter how you decide to spend the holidays this year, make sure you are spending them in a way that you find most enjoyable. Whether it be making delicious meals with the family or watching a holiday movie alone, do what makes you happy.

Your Turn to Action: What is your favorite holiday meal? Let me know in the comments below.