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5 Fun Holiday Budget Gifts While in Eating Disorder Recovery
Holidays in recovery can be tricky. In addition to the stress of social gatherings and potential triggers comes the pressure to give the perfect gift.
The gift that shows your loved ones how much you appreciate their support.
With so many other things going on for you, emotionally, physically, and fiscally, the pressure to find the “perfect gift” can feel rotten.
Contrary to what stores and salespeople would like us to believe, the holiday season isn’t about how much you spend. The gifts that are leaving lasting memories are those that take time, thought, and heart. Being on a budget doesn’t mean you can’t get a meaningful gift for your loved ones.
1. Create
It’s the oldest holiday trick in the book – if you can’t buy the perfect gift, make it! This is not only a cheaper option but a more thoughtful one. If you want your present to speak volumes about your love and gratitude for a person, do just that with a poem, song, or handwritten note.
Channel your creativity into painting or drawing something you know they love. Spread the seasonal joy by painting a Christmas ornament. Creating something for someone means giving them a one-of-a-kind gift made purely with them in mind – how could that not make someone feel loved?!
2. Inspire
Whether your loved one is a friend from treatment or a supportive friend or family member, everyone needs a little inspiration! Buy them a book with motivational stories or quotes or give them a journal for their own ideas and wisdom.
Anything that inspires you will likely do the same for them and let them know that you are cheering for their success and happiness just as they have cheered for yours throughout recovery!
3. Share What Comforts You
There is something very special about being vulnerable with those you love and trusting them to care for you in your vulnerability. Your loved ones have likely been doing this for you throughout your recovery and have seen you develop your own coping skills to comfort yourself and overcome.
Sharing your go-to coping mechanism with those you love can be an extraordinary way of letting them into the new world you are creating for yourself and the new person you are becoming. You could lead Christmas Morning yoga or meditation or all paint or craft together!
What better gift to give those you love than showing them how you’re flourishing in recovery and inviting them by your side as you show them how?!
4. Make Time
Those who have supported you throughout your recovery have done so for one reason only – they love you. With that said, it should go without saying that the greatest gift of all is to spend time with you. When you’re going through treatment or fighting for recovery, relationships can fall by the wayside.
While your loved ones certainly don’t fault you for that, there is no doubt that they miss you. Simply making time for them says more than any expensive gift ever could.
Go for a hike and catch up, watch your favorite holidays movies, treat them to a cup of cocoa. We are nothing without the valuable relationships we share with those we care about, so give your loved one the gift of nurturing yours.
About the Author: Margot Rittenhouse is a therapist who is passionate about providing mental health support to all in need and has worked with clients with substance abuse issues, eating disorders, domestic violence victims and offenders, and severely mentally ill youth.
As a freelance writer for Eating Disorder and Addiction Hope and a mentor with MentorConnect, Margot is a passionate eating disorder advocate, committed to de-stigmatizing these illnesses while showing support for those struggling through mentoring, writing, and volunteering. Margot has a Master’s of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Johns Hopkins University.
The opinions and views of our guest contributors are shared to provide a broad perspective of eating disorders. These are not necessarily the views of Eating Disorder Hope, but an effort to offer discussion of various issues by different concerned individuals.
We at Eating Disorder Hope understand that eating disorders result from a combination of environmental and genetic factors. If you or a loved one are suffering from an eating disorder, please know that there is hope for you, and seek immediate professional help.
Published on December 27, 2017.
Reviewed By: Jacquelyn Ekern, MS, LPC on December 27, 2017.
Published on EatingDisorderHope.com
