To everyone’s relief, finals have finished and the longest break of the school year has begun. No more homework, exams, and constant university emails for three whole, blissful weeks. Tis the season for procuring all the rest, relaxation, and Netflix-binging that was missed out on during the semester! While this break is certainly one to look forward to, it can also bring up stressors that may impede your ability to fully enjoy break. Winter break combined with the impending holiday season invariably means more time spent with both immediate and/or extended family, an abundance of holiday food, and constant diet and exercise advertisements telling us how we need to lose weight for the New Year. These in combination can create a pretty stressful time for some of us, particularly for those who struggle with their body image. Here are some tips for maintaining a positive body image during winter break and the holiday season that I have found helpful in my own life:
1. Affirmations
Affirmations are a wonderful tool to use that is completely customizable to your needs and can be taken with you wherever you go. One of my favorites is to write a few affirmations in the form of “I am” statements that mean the most to me on sticky notes and put them by the mirror in my room so I see them every day. Another idea I’ve heard of that I really like is to keep a journal by your bed where you write down affirmations you want to remember and read them over before going to bed every night. No matter what route you choose, affirmations are a great way to remind yourself of all the positive traits you possess no matter what your body size or shape is. For some examples of affirmations you could use, click here.
2. Setting Boundaries
This is a tricky one, but if you have family or friends who have a tendency to make comments about your weight, food intake, exercise, or anything else of the sort, this might be one of the most important tips for you to implement. I think it would be safe to assume that most of us have at least one person in our lives who is fatphobic, diet culture-driven, and won’t talk about much else besides their diet. Obviously, this can be very hard to be around if you are struggling with your body image. Approaching that person and being honest about how their topics of conversation make you feel and setting boundaries is a great way of practicing standing up for yourself as well as hopefully allowing you some more peace of mind going forward. While it is obviously not a guarantee how that person will react, hopefully they will at least take what you say into consideration and work to respect your boundaries.
3. Designate a “Safe Person”
Sometimes you will be in situations where there is really not anything you can do to escape the conversation and it simply just sucks. In those times, it can be very helpful to have a designated person, or “safe person,” who you can contact to help you get through that situation. This can be anyone you feel comfortable with – a best friend, a roommate, a neighbor, etc. Having someone that you know you can rely on may help you be able to distract yourself from whatever is going on in the situation you’re in that is not serving you, and can hopefully help you be able to get through it as painlessly as possible. I have found this to be really helpful in big family gatherings, where my friend knows that if I text her a specific word or phrase I need a little extra support from her in that moment.
4. Distractions
It can be absolutely thrilling to come home to kick off break with no plans for the next three weeks. However, this can get really old, really fast after just a few days. Plan some fun activities for yourself to keep busy so that if you’re stressed or you’re feeling negatively about your body, you have something else to focus on. This can include anything from planning coffee dates with friends, practicing some self-care, getting a part-time job, etc. This way, you’ll have plans that will allow you to get out of your head and force you to focus on something other than your own worries or negative thoughts.
While I do hope you try out at least one of the items on this list, I completely understand that these are much easier said than done and that it may take a bit of practice to implement them in your daily life. At the end of the day, keep in mind that the holidays are not forever and that it is completely normal for our bodies to fluctuate in weight. Know that no matter what anyone says, no matter what the scale reads, and no matter how many sweets you eat, you are beautiful as is and worthy of love and respect. Happy holidays!