A few mindful shifts can help you enjoy your holiday meals without the usual stress around food. Part of the “Wellness Matters” blog series.
The holidays are here, bringing with them get-togethers, special traditions, celebrations, and loved ones. And of course, food. Lots of food. There’s always a table full of dishes that only show up during this season, plus the nostalgic treats you wait months to taste again.
For some people, this is culinary heaven. For others, all that abundance can feel like a test of willpower: How do I make it to January without regret?
Whether you’re trying to lose weight or simply maintain your well-being, eating healthy during the holidays can be hard. Enjoying food and staying balanced might seem impossible, but there is a way. It’s called mindful eating.
What Is Mindful Eating?
Mindful eating is the simple practice of slowing down and paying attention to your body while you eat. It means noticing how hungry you are, what you’re hungry for, and what’s behind the urge to eat in the first place.
Traditional dieting focuses on rules: What you can and can’t eat, and when. That becomes especially tough during the holidays when almost everything on the table feels “off-limits.”
Mindful eating shifts your attention to why and how you’re eating instead. It invites curiosity instead of judgment. We eat for many reasons beyond physical hunger: boredom, sadness, stress, social pressure, habit, or simply because food is nearby. Mindful eating helps us pause long enough to ask: What’s really driving my desire to eat right now?
From Automatic to Aware
Picture yourself standing at a holiday table filled with desserts. Before reaching for anything, pause and ask: Why do I want to eat right now?
If your body is truly hungry — your stomach is growling, or you feel lightheaded — then eating is an act of nourishment. But maybe you realize: I’m not really hungry; I just want to taste everything.
This moment of awareness creates space to make a conscious choice. You might decide to enjoy two favorite desserts instead of all eight. Mindful eating isn’t about denying yourself. It’s about checking in with yourself and making the decision that best supports your body and your joy in that moment.
It’s also an ongoing process. After a few bites, pause again: How hungry am I now? How satisfied do I feel? Do I need more, or have I reached “enough”?
Try It: A Mindful Eating Practice for Your Next Holiday Meal
At your next holiday meal or gathering, try this simple mindful eating exercise to help you fully enjoy your food, without guilt or regret.
- Survey before you serve. Look at all the food options first, then intentionally choose what you want to enjoy.
- Engage your senses. Notice what your food looks like, smells like, and feels like before taking a bite.
- Savor the first bite. Pay attention to the flavor, texture, and temperature. Chew slowly, appreciating each sensation before swallowing.
- Pace yourself. If eating one dish, make the first three bites especially mindful.
- Notice fullness. Tune into your hunger and satiety cues. Stop when you’re about 80 percent full.
- Trust your body. Remind yourself that you can eat again when you’re hungry.
The goal isn’t perfection but awareness. When we eat with more attention, we naturally slow down, enjoy more, and stress less.
The Takeaway: A Peaceful Way to Approach Holiday Eating
Mindful eating helps us stay connected to our bodies, our senses, and the joy of the season. It turns holidays meals from a source of stress into a celebration of gratitude and presence.
So, this holiday season, rather than avoiding your favorite foods, try experiencing them with mindfulness. You may find that you enjoy your food more, feel lighter, and enter the new year with both satisfaction and peace.
This article is part of “Wellness Matters,” a blog series created to explore health and wellness issues and share evidence-based tools you can use to strengthen your well-being.
Found it helpful? Subscribe to the “Wellness Matters” newsletter to receive new posts directly in your inbox. Get monthly insights leading up to the webinar, “An Integrative Approach to Stress Management: Practical Tools for Building Resilience and Well-Being,” on April 21, 2026.
About the Author
Michelle Pearce, PhD, is professor and director of the Integrative Health and Wellness certificate program at the University of Maryland School of Graduate Studies.
Dr. Pearce is a clinical psychologist who researches the relationship between religion/spirituality, coping, and health, as well as the integration of spirituality into the practice of psychotherapy. Her areas of clinical expertise include cognitive behavioral therapy, mind-body stress reduction methods, existential issues, and behavioral medicine to address the intersection of mental and physical illness. Read her full biography.