It often starts quietly.

A parent comments about needing to eat better now that the holidays are over. Their child looks up from the table and asks what that means. No one thinks much of it at the time, but something shifts. Foods that were once neutral suddenly carry meaning, and kids begin listening more closely than we realize.

For many families, these moments are unintentional. Adults are navigating their own relationship with food and body image in a culture that pushes self-improvement every January. But kids are watching, absorbing, and learning about how the adults in their lives perceive food and body image.

How Diet Culture Shows Up for Kids

A child overhears a conversation about cutting sugar and later pushes dessert away, saying it’s too much sugar. When asked why, they shrug and repeat a phrase they heard without fully understanding it.

Diet culture often shows up through everyday language and behaviors. It can sound like jokes about weight gain, praise for eating les...

 The holidays often bring a mix of joy, nostalgia, and connection, but they can also stir up something we do not talk about nearly enough: comparison. Even when we know better, this season can make us hold our lives up against someone else’s and wonder if we are doing enough.

If you have found yourself in comparison mode this holiday season, you are not alone. But the more we acknowledge it, the more room we create to choose compassion instead of criticism, connection instead of pressure, and values instead of expectation.

Comparing Ourselves on Social Media

You're lying in bed scrolling social media and you see post after post with your friends and their families in matching pajamas, hosting elaborate holiday parties, with their beautifully lit trees and curated home decor and you feel the increasing tension in your chest of shame and comparison. You wonder "Why doesn't my home look like that? Where do they get the time or money for that? Why can't I keep up?"

When we compar...

‘Tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la la la la la la... 

For some, the holiday season is just that: a time of joy and celebration. For many others, though, it can also bring a wave of stress, sadness, and anxiety. Whether it's the pressure to create the perfect celebration, cope with loneliness and loss, or navigate complicated family dynamics, the holiday blues are a real and challenging experience.  

If you’re someone who feels the weight of the holidays each year, know that you are not alone and that ALL the emotions of the season are valid – both positive and negative.  

Let’s take a look at some common triggers of holiday-related stress and sadness, and more importantly, talk about some practical tips and coping strategies for navigating this time with self-compassion and a focus on well-being.  

What’s Weighing On You? 

Each person has a unique experience with this time of year, but there are some common triggers that are often the culprit for holiday blues. As you read t...