"Mindful eating is about awareness. When you eat mindfully, you slow down, pay attention to the food you're eating, and savor every bite." ~ Susan Albers
Cotton bro Studio / pexels.com
With the holidays approaching, many of us will soon gather around tables with those we hold dear. And perhaps this is a good time to consider another kind of self-care — not only what we eat, but what we bring with us to the table.
The words "Self-Care" are everywhere right now, and for good reason. When we hear them, we often think first about caring for the body. But self-care is about more than that. Our minds, hearts, emotions, and bodies are continually responding to one another.
Here's an example:
My husband and I sat down a few weeks ago to enjoy our homemade pizza ritual. Before eating, we started a conversation about an ongoing issue we'd been debating. It became heated, and by the time we stopped, the pizza was cold, and we both pushed our plates away. When we went to bed, my stomach was hungry, but the appetite from the heart and mind had no interest. I wasn't going to 'eat' to 'eat'. That night I tossed and turned, feeling unsettled, like an important sentence without a period. For the moment, we agreed to a truce.
In the morning, we woke up to the birds outside. I thought about this new day and sighed a breath of relief.
After meditation, with a hot cuppa joy in hand, we both revisited our debate. The space to listen to each other helped resolve the issue, and we cleared the air. Only then did I notice my stomach rumbling; this time, even though it was early morning, the pizza in the fridge looked delicious. Nothing about the pizza had changed. But we had. And this time, I was present enough to enjoy it.
I began wondering how often I was caring for my body while allowing my mind to be somewhere entirely different. I have become more intentional about giving meals and exercise their own space whenever possible.
I am not suggesting that we avoid conversations about the people and situations that concern our hearts, or that we stop paying attention to what is happening in the world. Those conversations matter. They give us opportunities to console, uplift, and offer one of the most precious gifts we can give another: listening. There are times when we need to release, vent, feel heard, and know that someone cares. I’ve simply begun to recognize that perhaps every moment does not have to hold everything. A meal, a walk, or time spent caring for my body can have its own space too.
Food is more than fuel. Around tables, we share culture, family, stories, traditions, friendships, laughter, and belonging. So perhaps the approaching holidays invite us not merely to eat more mindfully, but to be at the table we’re sitting at.
Thought to Ponder
What might change if, for one meal or one walk, we allowed ourselves to be fully present for what was right in front of us?
Have a glorious month ahead.🍁
In peace and joy ~
Terry
©Terry Pottinger 2026
Taken by the author in Taormina, Sicily