So, let’s take a quick, bold step into reality. Thanksgiving dinner really is just another meal. It’s a meal we spend a lot of extra time preparing and thinking about, granted, but it’s just one of 21 (give or take one or two) meals in a week. The week that contains the fourth Thursday of November is really nothing special—it’s just a week that you (or somebody you know) has to make sure their floors are mopped and their oven is working. Rather than stressing out about the kickoff into the Holiday Season of Overeating, why don’t you spend a little time planning ahead, not in a “how-do-I-fit-22-people-in-my-50s-rambler-home” type of planning, but in a “how-do-I-not-feel-miserable-on-Thursday-evening” type of planning. Here are some tips:
Thanksgiving is a really special holiday. It’s a time to enjoy family and friends without the pressure of gift-giving. Try re-thinking the meal part of the day, and see if you actually go home feeling a little less guilty, and a little less ill. Meanwhile, happy Thanksgiving!!!!
Ugh, Thanksgiving Dinner…the calories, the fat, the deliciousness that comes with a price—fatigue, regret, two extra pounds. Does it really have to be this way? No! Time to change our perspective on this stress-inducing, misery-causing meal. Maybe, just maybe…it’s “just a meal.”
At Cabot Psychological Services, we have a team of trained professionals who can assist you with your mental health needs. Whatever the issue, we can provide you with treatment options. Call or text 952-831-2000, email info@cabotpsychologicalservices.com or complete our Contact form.
Dr. Amanda Mulfinger is the Owner and President of Cabot Psychological Services in Edina, Minnesota. She studied psychology at Harvard University prior to receiving her master's degree and PhD from Auburn University.
We tend to put a lot of expectations on Thanksgiving. We’re going to have perfect family harmony, we’re going to respectfully discuss the things for which we are grateful, and we are going to eat delicious food, walking away from the table satisfied and just full enough. Take a moment and reflect on your last five Thanksgiving dinners—how many have gone this way? None? Well, join the club. This scenario is a fantasy, cultivated for us by countless holiday movies and all our friends’ Facebook posts with pictures of happy families and perfectly golden-brown birds.