Body Image During the Holidays: How to Make Peace with Holiday Photos

For many people, the holidays come with cozy traditions, meaningful connection…and a surprising amount of dread around the photos that inevitably get taken.

Maybe it’s the group picture after dinner. Maybe it’s seeing yourself tagged on social media after a friend's holiday party. Maybe it’s the internal spiral that starts before the camera even comes out.

If holiday photos bring up discomfort, shame, or the urge to disappear, you’re definitely not alone. Struggling with body image during the holidays is incredibly common, especially in a culture that places so much emphasis on appearance, food, and comparison this time of year.

Let’s talk about why this happens and how to approach holiday photos with more compassion and less self-criticism.

Why Body Image issues tend to ramp up during the Holidays

The holidays are a perfect storm for body image distress. You’re often navigating:

• Increased focus on food and eating

• Family comments (sometimes well-meaning, sometimes not so much)

• Clothing that fits differently

• The impending doom of New-Year-New-Me energy

• Old dynamics and memories resurfacing when spending time with your family of origin

• A camera documenting it all

  
  

Add to that the pressure to look “happy,” “grateful,” and “put together,” and it makes sense that your nervous system might be on high alert. When your body feels scrutinized (by others or by yourself) it’s not vanity, it’s self-protection. Your brain is trying to keep you safe from perceived threat, even if that “threat” is a photo.

Holiday Photos Can Trigger Old Beliefs About Your Body

For many people, photos activate long-standing beliefs like:

• My worth is tied to how I look

• I should look different than I do

• Everyone else looks better than me

• My body is a problem to fix

  
  

These thoughts don’t come out of nowhere. They’re often the result of years of diet and wellness culture, weight stigma, and messages about which bodies are acceptable or celebrated. When a photo brings these beliefs to the surface, it’s a learned response from years of conditioning.

You Don’t Have to Love the Photos (Self-Compassion > Positivity)

A common misconception is that healing body image means looking at a photo and enthusiastically thinking, “I love how I look!” For most people, that’s not realistic, and honestly, it’s not necessary.

A more attainable (and kinder) goal might be:

• I can tolerate seeing this photo

• This photo (and my appearance) doesn’t define my worth

• I can be neutral about my body

• I don’t need to punish myself for how I look

• What would I like to remember from the memory this photo is capturing?

This is where self-compassion matters. You can acknowledge discomfort without  spiraling into shame. You can notice the urge to criticize your body and choose not to engage with it. That’s progress.

Gentle Reprocessing: Working With the Reaction, Not Against It

If holiday photos feel especially activating, it can be helpful to get curious about what is being triggered rather than trying to force yourself to stop thinking about it or “get over it.”

Some gentle reflection questions you might explore (on your own or in therapy):

• What does this photo remind me of?

• When have I felt this way about my body before?

• What am I afraid others are thinking?

• What does this part of me need right now?

  
  

In therapy, approaches like EMDR, parts work, or self-compassion–focused therapy can help process the emotional charge behind these reactions, not by changing your body, but by softening the beliefs attached to it.

Setting Boundaries Around Photos (Yes, That’s Allowed)

In a perfect world, of course you would rather just feel great about every photo you're in and allow yourself and others to take photos with abandon. But...if you're entering the holiday season with body image concerns, it's unlikely you're going to heal them overnight (Santa can't bring a healthy relationship with your body down the chimney, unfortunately). In the meantime, you’re allowed to have boundaries around taking photos, even during the holidays.

That might look like:

• Stepping out of certain photos (maybe you can volunteer to be the photographer)

• Asking not to be tagged publicly (or removing tags)

• Limiting how much you look at shared albums (set a timer, take a deep breath, and ground yourself in compassion)

• Redirecting comments about bodies or appearance (practicing how you respond to other people's comments about their bodies can help you do the same for yourself)

Boundaries aren’t about being difficult. They’re about honoring what you can handle.

A Gentle Reminder as You Move Through the Season

Holiday photos capture moments and memories, not your worth, your health, or your value as a person.

If the holidays are especially hard on you and your relationship with your body, it doesn’t mean you’re doing body acceptance “wrong.” It means you’re human, living in a culture that hasn’t made this easy.

You deserve to exist in photos, memories, and spaces exactly as you are.

Support (whether through therapy, self-compassion practices, or community) can make these moments feel less overwhelming and more manageable. If you're looking for additional support this holiday season, let's schedule a free 15-minute consultation to see if we're a good fit for therapy!