Holiday Survival Guide: Simple Wellness Tips from a Menopause Dietitian

The holidays can be a wonderful mix of connection and chaos — often at the same time. Between extra food, family gatherings, and endless expectations to “make it special,” it’s easy to feel pulled in every direction.

Many women worry about overindulging or losing their healthy habits during this season. But the real challenge isn’t just food — it’s everything that comes with it: stress, disrupted routines, exhaustion, and the pressure to keep everyone else happy.

As a menopause dietitian, I see this time of year amplify two familiar struggles: trying to stay in control around food and trying to hold everything together for everyone else.

Both can leave you depleted and disconnected from your own well-being. These strategies can help you enjoy what matters most without guilt, restriction, or exhaustion.

1. Focus on the basics and forget perfection

Perimenopause and a Hallmark-style holiday are not a good match. Between holiday concerts, work parties, family visits, shopping, cooking, and trying to make everything “special,” it’s easy to find yourself running on fumes — and still feeling like you’re not doing enough.

Then add in hot flashes, brain fog, and fluctuating hormones and you’ve got the recipe for one very tired woman trying to keep everyone else’s spirits bright.

Remember no one enjoys the holidays more because you pulled off the perfect table setting or made six kinds of cookies. What people remember — including you — is how it felt to be together.

During the menopause transition and especially over the holiday season I encourage my clients to focus on the bare minimum: regular meals, enough sleep, a few quiet moments to breathe, and practicing saying no when you need to.

 When you stop chasing perfect and tend to what’s essential, you’ll end up calmer, less frazzled, and far more able to enjoy the parts that actually matter.

After all, no one wants to hang out with someone who’s frazzled — including the frazzled person herself.

2. Lead with self-compassion

The holidays can magnify the pressure to hold everything together — to cook, host, shop, show up, and still somehow “stay on track.” When you feel overwhelmed or fall short, it’s easy to turn that frustration inward. Many women believe that being tough on themselves will help them “get it right next time.”

But harshness doesn’t build resilience — compassion does. Practicing self-compassion is key during the turbulence of menopause.

Self-compassion begins with three simple steps:

1. Acknowledge the difficulty

2. Recognize that you’re not alone

3. Respond with kindness instead of criticism

Here’s how that might sound in real life:

When you feel exhausted: “This is a lot — no wonder I’m tired. I lot of us are really trying to do too much this time of year. Maybe I just need to allow myself a bit of rest tonight.”

When you overcommit: “I’m stretched thin, why the f@#ck did I say yes to this?! I know so many women who struggle to say no, especially during the holidays. Next time I can pause before I agree — I’m learning.”

When you eat or drink more than planned: “Ugh, I hate that I overdid it again! But I guess I’m like a lot of people- everyone overdoes it sometimes. It’s really not the end of the world. I will get back to my usual routine tomorrow.”

When emotions run high: “This feels really hard right now but I know I’m not the only one finding this season overwhelming. I can take a breath, step back, and give myself a little grace.”

Each time you move through those three steps — noticing, normalizing, and nurturing — you remind yourself that you’re not failing; you’re just human.

3. Nourish your body like an ally, not an enemy

It’s easy to treat food like a test of discipline during the holidays — something to control, manage, or “make up for later.” But your body isn’t a project. It’s your partner.

When you nourish your body consistently, you’re supporting the systems that help you think clearly, regulate mood, and stay energized through long, busy days.

Perimenopause already puts extra demands on your energy and blood-sugar regulation, so steady, satisfying eating makes an even bigger difference right now.

Here’s what to focus on:

Eat regularly, don’t ‘save up.’ Skipping breakfast or lunch before a big meal usually backfires. Arriving ravenous makes it hard to feel satisfied and can lead to that uncomfortable “I’ve overdone it” spiral.

Build your meals around staying power. Aim to include a source of protein, a high-fibre food, and something you truly enjoy at most meals. The combination helps balance blood sugar, curb energy crashes, and make you feel grounded instead of chaotic around food.

Stay hydrated. Dehydration can feel like fatigue or hunger — both of which are amplified by perimenopause and holiday stress.

Give yourself permission to enjoy what’s truly special. You don’t have to avoid your favourite foods to stay healthy. Food is everywhere during the holidays, so a little forethought helps.

Think about which foods make the season feel joyful or nostalgic and make space for those. Savor them slowly and fully. When you’ve already chosen what matters most, it becomes easier to pass on the things that aren’t as satisfying or meaningful.

Notice satisfaction, not just fullness. Pause midway through eating to check in: How does this taste? How am I feeling? You might find that you’re content sooner than you think — or that you truly want another few bites, which is equally okay.

Food isn’t just fuel; it’s how we connect, comfort, and celebrate. When you approach it as a source of support — rather than something to manage — you build trust with your body.

You might also want to read: How to Deal with Emotional Eating(Holiday Edition)

4. Watch out for all-or-nothing thinking

It’s easy to swing between extremes this time of year — being “on track” or “off the rails,” eating perfectly or eating all the things. That all-or-nothing mindset is often fueled by the quiet promise that you’ll “start fresh” in January, as if the new year will somehow erase the old habits.

But this way of thinking keeps you stuck in a loop: restriction leads to overeating, which leads to guilt, which leads to more restriction. You’re not weak — you’re responding to the biology of deprivation and the psychology of perfectionism.

Instead of aiming for control, aim for consistency. Treat each meal or moment as its own fresh start. If you overeat, that’s just information, not evidence of failure.

You don’t have to wait until next week (or next year) to care for yourself again — you can do it at your very next meal, walk, or deep breath.

You don't have to let one moment or one meal define your whole week.

The holidays don’t need to be a free-for-all or a food boot camp. They can simply be a few weeks of real life, where you make the best choices you can, one meal and one moment at a time.

5. Cope with stress in ways that don’t revolve around food (or restriction)

Food and comfort have always been linked. From being cradled and fed to holiday dinners, we learn early on that food means love, connection, and relief. So of course, when life feels heavy, we reach for the thing that has always offered warmth.

There is nothing wrong with using food to soothe yourself, it’s a deeply human response.

The problem only arises when food becomes the only way we know how to cope. That’s when we can start to feel trapped in the pattern — eating to relieve stress, then feeling stressed about eating.

Expanding your toolkit doesn’t mean taking food away; it means giving yourself more options for comfort, regulation, and release.

Try adding a few of these to your mix:

Pause and breathe. Even a minute of slow breathing can lower tension enough to help you choose what you truly need next.

Step outside. Fresh air changes perspective. A five-minute walk, standing on the porch, or simply opening a window can interrupt the “I just need something” spiral.

Connect. Text a friend, hug your dog, or sit with someone who makes you laugh. Connection regulates our nervous system in ways food alone can’t.

Soften your surroundings. Light a candle, play music, or wrap up in a blanket. Sensory comfort is real comfort.

Rest. Sometimes what feels like emotional hunger is exhaustion. A short nap, early bedtime, or simply lying down with your eyes closed can reset your system.

You don’t have to give up comfort eating — you’re just adding more ways to care for yourself. Food can still be one form of comfort, just not the only one.

The more tools you have, the less pressure food has to carry, and the easier it becomes to eat — and live — with ease.

6. Protect your energy and practice the pause

Midlife has a way of revealing just how limited our energy really is — and how often we spend it on things that don’t truly matter. Add the holidays to the mix, and it can feel like your mental, emotional, and physical bandwidth are being stretched in every direction.

Protecting your energy doesn’t mean withdrawing from everything. It means choosing intentionally — where you spend your time, who you spend it with, and what expectations you’re willing (or not willing) to carry.

Before saying yes to something, practice a short pause. Ask yourself:

That pause is your boundary in action — it gives you a chance to reflect instead of react.

If saying no feels uncomfortable, remember: boundaries aren’t walls; they’re doors. They keep relationships sustainable by ensuring you can show up with genuine presence instead of resentment.

A few simple ways to protect your energy this season:

Simplify traditions. Choose the ones that actually bring joy and let go of the rest. No one needs five types of stuffing.

Delegate. Ask for help. Let someone else bring dessert or handle the playlist.

Build in recovery time. Schedule rest the same way you schedule events. A quiet evening at home is not wasted time — it’s refueling.

Be okay with “good enough.” The world won’t fall apart if you buy the cookies instead of baking them.

Perimenopause is already a masterclass in capacity management. You’re learning, often the hard way, what your limits are — and that’s not weakness, it’s wisdom.

When you guard your energy, you create space to enjoy what really matters: connection, laughter, and a little peace amid the noise.

7. Move for energy, not for earning or burning

It’s easy to slip into the “earn it, burn it” mindset during the holidays — moving your body to compensate for food, or skipping movement altogether when life feels too full.  But movement is one of the most reliable tools for supporting your energy, digestion, and mood — especially during perimenopause, when both stress and fatigue run high.

If you’re already short on time and stamina, this isn’t about doing more. It’s about finding small ways to feel more grounded in your body:

Take movement breaks. A brisk walk after dinner, a stretch between tasks, or even turning up the music and dancing while you wrap gifts — they all count.

Shift your goal. Move to feel awake, clear-headed, or relaxed, not to “undo” what you ate.

Keep it short and doable. Ten minutes of yoga, a walk around the block, or gentle mobility work before bed can do wonders for mood and sleep quality.

Listen to your body’s cues. Some days you’ll crave movement; other days you’ll need rest. Both are valid responses.

If your usual workout routine looks different this month, that’s okay. Adjusting your expectations isn’t letting yourself go — it’s honoring your real life.

A few weeks of lighter movement won’t undo your fitness or your health goals. In fact, staying flexible keeps you more consistent in the long run, because it lets movement fit into your life instead of competing with it.

Perimenopause can make energy unpredictable. Instead of pushing harder on the low-energy days, think of movement as one of many ways to restore yourself — not a demand on your already-stretched reserves.

8. Be intentional with alcohol

A glass of wine (or two) can feel like an easy way to unwind or mark a celebration — and there’s nothing wrong with that. The challenge is that during perimenopause, alcohol can hit differently. Even small amounts can affect sleep, mood, and hot flashes in ways that didn’t happen before.

Being intentional with alcohol isn’t about restriction — it’s about awareness. It’s choosing what helps you actually feel good, not just in the moment but the next morning too.

Try these small shifts:

Decide what feels right for you ahead of time. You don’t need a rigid rule — just a loose plan that fits the occasion. Maybe that means one drink at a party, or alternating with alcohol-free nights.

Alternate with water or sparkling water. It keeps you hydrated and slows your pace without missing out socially.

Pair alcohol with food. Eating something with protein or healthy fats helps your body process alcohol more smoothly.

Experiment with fun mocktails. You can still join the celebration without the side effects. Try mixing sparkling water with pomegranate juice and a squeeze of lime, or soda water with a splash of cranberry and fresh mint. Kombucha in a fancy glass can feel surprisingly festive too.

If you decide to drink, enjoy it fully — the flavor, the moment, the company. And if you’d rather skip it, make that choice just as intentional.

Intentional drinking (or not drinking) isn’t about rules; it’s about caring for how you want to feel — both tonight and tomorrow morning.

9. Set boundaries around diet and body talk

Few things can sap your joy faster than hearing everyone at the table talk about calories, “being good,” or the latest way to drop weight.

It’s almost guaranteed that someone will bring up their latest diet or a new supplement they swear by. Most of us don’t do this to be harmful — we’ve learned to bond through diet talk.

But even when it seems harmless, it can quietly take the fun out of a meal.

You might notice yourself second-guessing what’s on your plate or comparing your body to someone else’s. For many midlife women, that’s especially tender — your body may have changed in ways you haven’t fully made peace with yet.

Maybe your clothes fit differently, or there’s a new softness around your middle that feels unfamiliar. When diet talk starts flying, those insecurities can get loud fast.

You don’t have to join in — and you don’t have to explain why, either.

Setting boundaries around food and body talk isn’t about confrontation; it’s about protecting your peace.

Sometimes that means quietly changing the subject, and sometimes it means walking away to refill your drink or step outside for a few deep breaths.

Here are a few gentle ways to redirect or defuse the moment:

“I’m trying to focus less on food rules and more on enjoying being together.”

“I think we all deserve a break from diet talk today — tell me how your trip was!”

“There’s so much good food here — who made these potatoes?”

If someone comments on your body, your plate, or their own, you’re allowed to step back from that too. You can change the subject, excuse yourself, or just let the comment land without engaging.

The more you notice how common diet and body talk are — and how uncomfortable it makes you feel — the easier it becomes to step away from it.

Protecting your boundaries isn’t about missing out on connection; it’s about making space for conversations that actually feed you.

10. Let connection be the main course

When you look back on the holidays, what you’ll remember most won’t be how perfectly you ate or how consistent your workouts were. It’ll be the small, ordinary moments — laughter with a friend, your favorite song playing while you cook, the quiet satisfaction of being present for your own life.

Food will always be part of those memories, but it’s rarely the main event. The more you let go of control and focus on connection, the more the season starts to feel like it’s meant to: warm, messy, human.

So eat the foods that make you happy. Move in ways that feel good. Rest when you need to. Step outside when the noise gets too loud. Say no when your body says “enough.”

These are not indulgences — they’re ways of protecting your well-being and staying grounded in who you are.

Midlife has a way of sharpening what matters. The holidays are no exception. When you stop trying to “get it right” and instead aim to be there for it, everything softens.

The pressure eases, the moments expand, and what’s left is the kind of nourishment that actually lasts.