5 steps to surviving the holidays if you're feeling body conscious

Christmas holidays can bring some much needed family time but it can also bring some unwanted feelings and comments from others. It’s supposed to be magical and all about spending time with our loved ones but that little demon on your shoulder can creep in and bring in a big pile of presents labeled “guilt”. I know this all too well and I want to bring you 5 tips to survive the holidays to help you feel more body positive!

Protecting your mental health is more important than offending somebody

1. Questions: “Have you put on/lost weight?” “Ooh should you be eating that?” “How’s your diet going?” and comments similar can leave us feeling shaken. I’m sure (most) people don’t mean to offend us when they make these comments but when you’re already feeling anxious and on edge about how you look just one phrase can send us into a spiral. Here’s a few options I suggest you do if you find yourself in this situation…

• Walk away - if you feel uncomfortable in any conversation you do not need to stay in it, protecting your mental health is more important than offending someone else. Make up an excuse if you want to ‘oh my phone is ringing…it’s too quiet what are the kids up to…I need the loo..’ etc. but get out and safe yourself!
• Change it - swap the topic to something much more interesting than our bodies, you are more than just a physical being, but an emotional and soulful one too.
• Speak up - tell them how it makes you feel, like I said I don’t think people mean to offend and if they’re not aware how it’s making you feel then they may keep on doing it, so speak up and be real. Don’t know what to say try something like this… "I’m on my self love journey right now and trying to mend my relationship with my body and protect my mental health, comments like that really make me feel uncomfortable and sad, please could we avoid talking about this in the future, thank you" take a deep breathe, be brave and own it.​

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You are more than just a physical being, but an emotional and soulful one too.

2. Goodbye: social media is amazing staying connected with friends and family but it can also be a toxic environment, a breading ground for insecurities. If you have accounts you’re following that make you feel rubbish about your body you need to say goodbye to them, hide for 30 days, unfollow, block, delete, whatever you feel appropriate, even if it’s me!!! Your mental wellbeing is the most important.

3. Clothes: with so many social gatherings over the festive period figuring out what to wear to them all can be rather stressful. Finding something that fits, feels comfortable and looks relatively smart might be straight forward for some but if you’re like me and struggle with low self esteem then this can end in emptying all your clothes on the floor and sobbing hard infant of your mirror…I know I get it, I feel you, it’s NOT fun, please find some peace in that you are not alone, the majority of people will stress and put themselves under pressure to look “instagramable” which is not necessary. Focus on the memories you’re going to make, the laughter you’re going to share, the magical Christmas feeling of spending time with family and friends. People don’t remember what you wore, they remember how YOU made them feel.

4. Guilt: I have actually come to a decision that most of our lives we run around feeling guilty, but this particular guilt is to do with food. Tis the season to be jolly, the time of year where we have tables filled with indulgent food and drink and while digging in and eating what we fancy, we tell ourselves “oh if I gave seconds I’ll work extra hard at the gym on Monday” ... “just one more glass it’s not really on plan” ... “I’m so stuffed I’m going to weigh 10lbs heavier tomorrow” ... we guilt trip ourselves and it’s really sad because if you took that pressure off yourself, causing less stress and just trusted your body to eat intuitively while working on your self love journey those numbers on the scales wouldn’t haunt you any longer. Christmas happens once a year it is a time to splurge eat, enjoy and be in the moment, let go of the guilt trip, breathe and trust your gut (literally).

I feel like I'm doing so much and have so much to do still that I'm constantly holding my breath or panting like a dog trying to catch up with myself.​

​5. Timeout: *laughs hysterically* yeah right, we wish huh?! I know the idea of taking a break during Christmas is totally hilarious but I’m not talking about a spa day or city break (although I wouldn’t say no ha) I’m talking about catching your breathe. Christmas can be overwhelming and sometimes I feel like I'm doing so much and have so much to do still that I'm constantly holding my breath or panting like a dog trying to catch up with myself. You need a chance to ground yourself, you can do this so easily too, go to the loo, lock the door and just breathe in through your nose for 7 seconds and out through your mouth for 11 seconds, do this 8 times and you’ll have done just over 60 seconds, might seem pointless but it makes a difference for me. More patience, more clam, more collected and a little less on edge. Give it a go and put yourself on timeout.
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I am hoping you all have the most amazing festive period and take these tips on board. My Christmas wish is for you to all ditch the diets and design your own Self Love Detox formula. I am running a live 5 day challenge in a private Facebook group, I would so love for you to come and join us!! Each day we are going to be diving into a question and at the end of the 5 days we’re going to be building our own Self Love Detox Formula to take into the New Year!

Let’s not waste anymore time being unkind to ourself and hiding who we are, it’s time for a New Decade New Direction who’s ready?

With love & gratitude,
Ana Louise Bonasera

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I'M READY

My christmas wish is for you is for you to all ditch the diets and design your own Self Love Detox formula.