As we enter the holiday season, I wanted to give you some encouragement and reminders of what you deserve. Holidays can be one of the most stressful times of the year. They should be focused on spending time with friends and family, enjoying cultural traditions, getting a break from regular routines and responsibilities, and for some, celebrating important religious occasions.

Unfortunately, holidays often end up bringing stress around food, body image, drinking, difficult relationships, uncomfortable questions and conversation topics, etc. To help each of you have the best holiday season possible within the limits of every individual’s unique circumstances, I wrote an Intuitive Eating Holiday Bill of Rights for you.

Holiday Bill of Rights

#1 You have the right to enjoy eating with no guilt, shame, judgment or commentary from others.

Holidays usually bring with them delicious feasts. It’s one of the most talked about parts of the holidays! For people who struggle with chronic dieting, disordered eating or an eating disorder, the focus on food can make enjoying the holidays that much more difficult. While this is a right you should have all the time, it is especially important to remember around the holidays. You have the right to enjoy your plate without any input or judgment from others.

#2 You have the right to eat past fullness.

One of the 10 principles of intuitive eating is Feeling Your Fullness. Being in tune with your body’s cues is an important part of intuitive eating. However, this doesn’t mean you always have to stop eating as soon as you start feeling full. You may choose to stop or pause. You may choose to keep eating anyway. You have that right. Eating past fullness is a normal thing that happens occasionally. Feeling super full is a temporary sensation. It will pass. Remind yourself of that if/when you start to feel bad about eating past fullness. “This is a normal feeling. This is a sign of a delicious holiday meal enjoyed with people I love. This feeling will pass.”

#3 You have the right to say no to seconds, to a specific dish, or to any food being served to you.

‘No’ is a complete sentence. You can always say no. You may say, “No thank you.” You might say, “No, really, thank you though” if pushed. You don’t ever have to be pressured into eating anything. No matter how much time was spent making a dish. No matter how many years in a row it has been served. If you don’t like it, are feeling too full, or for whatever reason don’t want to eat it, you can say no. What you put into your body is your choice.

#4 You have the right to take time for self care.

Your holidays may be busy or they may be slow. Regardless of what your schedule looks like, you deserve time to yourself that you spend however you need to. You can excuse yourself from a group gathering. You can turn into bed early. You can go for a walk, or find a local yoga class, or go to your room and turn on a meditation (or an episode of your favorite show!) If anyone gives you a hard time, you can say something like this, “These are my holidays, too. I deserve a say in how I spend them. This is something I want/need to do right now. I’ll be back in __ minutes/hours.”

#5 You have the right to take a break from any normal routines without guilt.

Always eat oatmeal for breakfast? Always go for a run after work? Always wake up at 6am? You have every right to take a break from your usual routines. Sometimes, people genuinely want to continue some of their regular rhythms while on holiday because it helps them feel good or helps with their mental health. Or maybe it’s something that gets you out of the house and gives you some alone time! If you want to do it, do it. If you don’t want to do it, ZERO GUILT. You enjoy your holidays.

#6 You have the right to ignore diet talk, and to opt out of any conversation that you don’t want to be in.

Diets, weight loss, politics, body shaming, gossip, etc. Conversations that aren’t healthy are NOT required. You have the right to excuse yourself out of any conversation that you don’t feel like having. You don’t have to defend your position. You can just leave the table and say, “Excuse me for a moment.”

#7 You have the right to enjoy any event, gathering, party or social opportunity without stressing about the calories consumed and without any additional compensatory behavior.

You do not need to run an extra 30 minutes. You do not need to skip a meal to save up for later. You do not need to “be careful” about what you grab from the buffet. You do not need to choose the sugar free beverage option. You can enjoy the food and beverages without worrying about or compensating for the calories.

I sincerely desire happy and rich holiday experiences for each and every one of you. I hope that embracing this Intuitive Eating Holiday Bill of Rights can give you the encouragement and confidence you need to spend your holidays in a way that is enjoyable, life-giving and affirming.

To prep your loved ones ahead of time with what your expectations are for your holidays, you could consider sharing this graphic on your social media (or if you’re bold, texting it to them!)

For additional bolstering of your confidence, Evelyn Tribole- coauthor of the book Intuitive Eating- also has a great Holiday Bill of Rights on her website and I have a Holiday THRIVE Guide available for purchase and download today!

Wishing you the best,