10. Coping with Uncertainty and Anxiety over Christmas with Dr Courtney Raspin

The Nourishing Wisdom Podcast with Dr Natalie Chua

What does the holiday season bring up for you? While Christmas can certainly be a time of celebration, light, joy, and fun, I know it can also bring up similar amounts (if not more for some of us) of unpleasant and unsettling feelings.

From the uncertainty and anxiety that comes with Covid and the new variant, to dealing with tricky family dynamics, and even toxic ones, to navigating diet talk and unsolicited comments and advice around food and body image - there certainly is a lot to feel and manage over this festive season.

I share a conversation with my friend and dear colleague, Dr Courtney Raspin, on how we can cope more effectively with the challenges this time of year presents, and take good care of ourselves when we feel triggered over the holiday season.

A snippet of what we cover in this episode:

- The nature of uncertainty and anxiety, and why we struggle with uncertainty - i.e. why is it so hard for us?

- The importance of finding healthy ways to self-soothe over the Christmas period

- How to prepare and protect yourself against unsolicited advice, opinions, and comments around food, weight, and body imag

- Some things that helped Courtney to make peace and heal her struggles with body image over tim

- Why some overeating over the holiday period is normal and to be expected

- What is a binge, and how you can support yourself after a perceived binge during the Christmas period

- How you can begin to unlearn and separate yourself from the old narrative that equates self-worth to eating a certain way and having a thin body.

- Having compassion for people who are stuck in the dieting mindset

- How humour can help defuse the psychological impact a triggering comment or thought can have on you

- A mantra - from Courtney and myself - that you can hold onto when you are feeling anxious, guilty, or self-critical about yourself, or over what you'd eaten and your body image.

And more!

About Dr Courtney Raspin:

Dr Courtney Raspin is a Chartered and Registered Psychologist specialising in eating disorders and she is also the founder of Altum Health. For over 20 years, through both her work in the NHS and her development of Altum Health, she has dedicated her professional life to helping people live fuller and more meaningful lives.

Read more about Courtney here: https://www.altumhealth.co.uk/team/dr-courtney-raspin/

Courtney's Instagram:@drcourtneyraspin

What's next:

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