Dear Quilly Girl, 

It’s that time of the year, summer feels like it was yesterday yet fall is already running full steam ahead towards winter. School days are feeling longer, it’s getting dark at like 4pm (this was the biggest shock to me!) and every weekend leaves me wanting one more day. I keep wondering when I’ll get to slow down. Enter Thanksgiving break: delicious home cooked food, fun time with family and soaking up the last of the fall vibes. If you’re the type of person who already has their Christmas music going before Thanksgiving (I am not but I can respect a little extra joy and brightness this time of year) you may not be thinking as much about Thanksgiving but it’s coming up fast. 

Whether you’re counting down the days till Thanksgiving break or feeling nervous for the holiday, you’re not alone. Let’s talk about it. I love the idea of Thanksgiving and I have always been a “Christmas starts the day after” type of girl. I think we could all benefit from some gratitude and time to slow down. That being said, Thanksgiving isn’t always what you see in Charlie Brown. Especially if you struggle with food. Who hasn’t heard the annual “You’re so tiny, you should eat more!”, “Have you lost weight?”, “I haven’t eaten all day for this” and unfortunately many more. It’s hard to know how to eat correctly: not too little, not too much. 

Some strategies I find helpful are first, understanding you’re not alone. No matter how or where you celebrate Thanksgiving many people feel this way. 1. Set boundaries, you don’t have to engage in a situation that is making you uncomfortable. Politely change the topic or “go get some air”. 2. If you need to go take a walk, do some breathing exercises, or Irish exit to the bathroom to watch a few comfort tik toks, there is no shame. 3. Have a support buddy ready either in person or on text, someone you can text “SOS” and they’ll respond with “fake emergency??” right away. 

At the end of the day, if you show up, you’re doing great. If you don’t, you’re doing great. If you eat, don’t eat, take breaks, set boundaries, you’re doing great. If this holiday you are not thriving but surviving, that’s ok. Especially this time of year, a little empathy, awareness and keeping your food and body comments to yourself goes a long way. 

You’ve got this Quilly Girls.