The Holidays Can Be Especially Hard for Those With Food Anxiety
While many people look forward to festive meals, parties, and family gatherings, the holiday season can be overwhelming if you struggle with food anxiety, eating disorders, or body image issues.
Changes in routine, increased social expectations, and food-focused events often intensify symptoms, especially for individuals living with ARFID, OCD around contamination, restrictive eating, or binge–restrict cycles.
As a therapist supporting clients across Whitby, Oshawa, Brooklin, and the wider Durham Region, I see a noticeable rise in food-related anxiety every December. You’re not alone, and there are compassionate, evidence-based ways to navigate this season.
Why the Holidays Trigger Food Anxiety
1. Increased Social Pressure Around Eating
Around the holidays, there are many more opportunities for social gatherings and social meals. Your might be eating around people who are less familiar to you, that you only see a few times a year. You might be worried that people may comment on what (or how much) you’re eating, ask questions, or make unhelpful comments. You aren’t alone in these fears.
2. Changes in Your Usual routine
Shifts in schedules, sleep, meals, and movement routines can be destabilizing for people who rely on structure to keep their anxiety at bay. Many people with food anxiety find comfort in rigid eating schedules and predictable foods. This becomes a challenge during the holidays when social meals might happen off your usual schedule, or involve foods that are outside of your safe foods.
3. Fear of Judgment or Comparison
Holiday gatherings often bring together people you may not see regularly, extended family, family friends, coworkers, or partner’s relatives. While this can be enjoyable for some, it can also create a heightened sense of being observed, especially if you struggle with body image, eating concerns, or if you have worries about the perceptions that others have of you.
During these events, you might feel pressure to look a certain way, eat a certain way, or “appear well,” even if you’re navigating a difficult season internally. Many clients share that they walk into gatherings already anticipating comments such as:
“You look so healthy!” (which may feel triggering or confusing)
“Have you lost/gained weight?”
“Are you going to have more?”
Even seemingly “positive” remarks can create anxiety because they bring the body into the spotlight. When we dig deeper into these comments, they are reinforcing that our bodies are the most important thing about us, a belief that we actively challenge in eating disorder work.
4. Exposure to Fear Foods
Buffets, potlucks, and unfamiliar foods can create anxiety, particularly for individuals with eating disorders or food-related OCD. The social pressure that you participate, and consume some of these feared foods can feel overwhelming at times. In therapy, we can talk about unique strategies to help you manage this.
Helpful Strategies to Cope With Food Anxiety This Holiday Season
1. Plan Ahead With a “Support Strategy”
Think through the events coming up and identify:
What might be challenging
What feels supportive
What boundaries you may need
You might decide ahead of time how long you want to stay at an event, what conversation topics to redirect, or who you’ll sit with during meals.
2. Create Protective Boundaries Around Food Talk
It’s okay to gently shut down or redirect comments such as:
“Are you sure you want seconds?”
“I’m being so bad today.”
“I thought you weren’t eating carbs anymore?”
You can say,
“I’m focusing on listening to my body today. (gently change the subject) Have you seen the latest episode of this show?”
3. Allow Flexible Thinking Instead of All-or-Nothing Rules
Holiday meals don’t need to be:
Perfectly balanced
Healthy and whole
Under control
Granting yourself flexibility prevents the restrict → binge → shame cycle.
4. Keep Recovery-Supportive Routines Where You Can
You don’t need to maintain your exact daily schedule, but try to keep:
regular meals
hydration
sleep hygiene
medication routines
Structure helps stabilize symptoms during stressful periods.
How Therapy Can Help if the Holidays Feel Overwhelming
Working with a therapist can help you:
challenge food-related fears & address the root of these fears
reduce self-criticism
build coping strategies
navigate rituals connected to food or contamination
support healing your relationship with eating
prevent relapse during stressful seasons
If you live in Whitby, Oshawa, Brooklin, Courtice, Bowmanville, Ajax, or Pickering, you can access support from a therapist who specializes in:
Eating Disorders
Anxiety
OCD
ARFID
Food/contamination fears
We also are able to virtually support anyone living in Ontario.
When to Seek Additional Support
Consider reaching out for therapy if you notice:
Avoiding holiday events because of food
Intense fear or guilt after eating
Rigid rules or rituals around meals
Escalating binge–restrict patterns
Increased contamination fears
Symptoms interfering with daily functioning
Early support can make a meaningful difference during high-stress months.
FAQs: Food Anxiety and the Holiday Season
1. Is food anxiety a sign of an eating disorder?
Persistent food-related fear, avoidance, or guilt may indicate something that needs attention. A therapist can help clarify what’s going on.
2. How can I support a loved one who struggles with food anxiety?
Offer nonjudgmental presence, avoid commenting on their plate, and check in privately about what they need to feel safe. Read the related blog post How To Help a Friend in Eating Disorder Recovery.
3. What if family members don’t understand my anxiety?
You can set boundaries, limit exposure, or bring a support person. Therapy can also help you build scripts for difficult conversations and support communication.
4. Can online therapy help with holiday stress and food anxiety?
Yes, virtual therapy is effective and accessible across Ontario, especially during a busy or triggering season.
5. What type of therapy helps with food anxiety?
It depends on your unique problems and presentation. At Cedar Tree Therapy, we have extensive eating disorder and food anxiety knowledge. We are able to pull from many different evidence based therapy frameworks to find an integrative approach that works best for you because of having close to a decade of experience in the field. The therapy interventions we often use might include but are not limited to:
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT)
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
A tailored plan works best.
Ready to Get Support This Holiday Season?
If food-related anxiety or eating disorder symptoms intensify in December, you don’t have to navigate it alone.
I offer compassionate, evidence-based therapy for individuals across Durham Region and all of Ontario.
Book a therapy session or reach out to learn more about how I can support you.