Navigating Easter with Compassion and Balance
Chocolate, Guilt, and Easter Eggs: Finding Balance in a Season of Sugar Overload
Discover how to embrace Easter with a sense of peace and nourishment. Learn to navigate celebrations without fear, and find joy in food freedom.
Becky Stone
I’m Becky Stone, an online qualified eating disorder therapist based in Canterbury, Kent. I work with teens and adults, offering a calm, non-judgmental space to explore what recovery means, on your terms. With a background in supporting people through anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, and body image struggles, I know how complex and personal this journey can be.
My work is shaped by both professional training and lived experience, which helps me connect with clients in a real, honest way. I specialise in supporting neurodivergent individuals, including those with ADHD, and I believe in flexible, shame-free recovery. At the heart of my approach is trust, trust in yourself, the process, and the idea that recovery is possible.
Understanding Easter's Emotional Landscape
Modules to Support Your Journey Through Easter
The Science Behind Chocolate and Dopamine
The Excitement and the Overload
Easter. A time of daffodils, pastel wrapping, family meals, and chocolate eggs. Piles of them. In my childhood, Easter morning felt like a treasure hunt of joy. I’d count my stash, hoard them, hide them… and often eat them all before the Easter holidays even ended.
As a kid, that felt cheeky and fun. As an adult struggling with an eating disorder, that same behaviour felt shameful. The cycle would begin: binge, guilt, starve, repeat. I’d buy Easter eggs for my kids, then eat them myself in moments of overwhelm.
I’d laugh it off: “The chocolate monster came!”
But inside, I felt hopeless.
The Role of Shame in Eating Behaviors
Why Easter Can Be Hard If You’re Struggling With Food
Easter (like Christmas) is a social permission slip to indulge. But if you’re dealing with an eating disorder, whether diagnosed or not, that permission can feel like a threat.
You might:
➔ Binge and feel sick
➔ Feel ashamed of “giving in”
➔ Restrict afterwards in punishment
➔ Promise yourself you’ll “do better” next week
And that’s the trap. The cycle. The internal war where food becomes the enemy, when really, it’s your body asking for regulation, nourishment, and kindness.
Food as a Source of Joy and Balance
The Neuroscience of Chocolate (and Why It Feels So Good)
After the sugar high comes the crash. Not just physically, but emotionally. That internal voice kicks in:
“You’ve got no self-control.”
“You’re disgusting.”
“You’ve ruined everything.”
Sound familiar? That’s not the voice of truth. That’s the voice of shame.
And shame isn’t just a feeling. It’s a state that shuts down the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that helps you plan, regulate, and make thoughtful choices. It throws you back into survival mode, where bingeing or restriction feels like the only option.
The antidote to shame? Compassion. Connection. Curiosity.
Balancing Blood Sugar
How to Break the Easter Guilt Cycle
Here’s what I teach my clients: food isn’t punishment, and recovery isn’t perfection.
To support your brain and body this Easter, try:
➔ Three balanced meals a day, even on chocolate-heavy days
➔ Pairing chocolate with a meal, not having it alone when your blood sugar is low
➔ Focusing on complex carbs, protein, fibre, and colour on your plate
➔ Pausing before a binge to check in: “What do I actually need right now?”
➔ Choosing darker chocolate if it feels more satisfying and easier to regulate
Chocolate isn’t the problem. Punishment is.
Permission and Pleasure: You’re Allowed to Enjoy This
What if you permitted yourself to enjoy Easter on your terms?
What if you believed that pleasure was part of healing?
You don’t have to “earn” your chocolate by skipping meals.
You don’t have to “burn it off” in the gym.
You don’t have to punish your body for enjoying something sweet.
You’re allowed to nourish and delight in the same breath.
Reimagining Easter
If This Is You Right Now…
If you’ve already eaten the Easter eggs…
If your stomach feels heavy and your heart even heavier…
If you’re caught in the old cycle and feel like there’s no way out…
Pause. Breathe. Eat something nourishing. Drink water. Call a friend.
You’re not broken. You’re not failing. You’re a human being trying to feel safe.
And you can learn in a different way.
Reach Out for Support Today
You’re not broken. You’re just stuck in survival mode.
If food feels like the enemy, or you’re trapped in a binge-restrict cycle, you’re not alone. I work with teens, adults, and parents who are exhausted by food rules, overwhelmed by guilt, and ready to find a way forward.
This isn’t about control. It’s about compassionate, trauma-informed therapy that helps.
Let’s rebuild trust in your body, choices, and recovery.
