Have you ever eaten an entire special cake at a birthday party because you were stressed? Or perhaps a bag of potato chips because that’s all you could find at the time?
And do you think this is good for you? Certainly not. It is perfectly healthy to indulge in foods that you enjoy. But chugging down whatever you can find in your mouth because you’re stressed isn’t healthy. This is primarily due to your inability to process your emotions normally. Why? Let’s take a look at that further down.
When deadlines or emergencies arise, it’s normal to feel suddenly hungry. Experts claim that stress triggers the release of cortisol from your adrenal glands, which increases your appetite. Additionally, stress impairs the function of hunger-controlling hormones like ghrelin. A lack of sleep increases appetite, which is exacerbated if anxiety is keeping you up at night. You frequently experience an overwhelming sense of being out of control when you’re under stress. And as a result, strange eating patterns may develop. So eating when you’re not hungry but stressed, bored or anxious isn’t entirely your fault. But how do you put a stop to it? In this blog, we’ll look at some ways to overcome stress eating.
Ways to overcome stressful eating:
Make an effort to recognize your triggers
Try to pay attention to your feelings with interest and without passing judgement. Identify the reason behind your attempt to use food to fill a void. Is it stress, boredom, or anxiety? Do you feel alone or depressed? How does this make you feel? You can attempt to plan for your trigger if you are aware of it. For instance, if feeling alone is a trigger, think about calling a friend or going to a jogging meet-up. Keep in mind that turning to food won’t always be a good way to deal with your feelings as you examine yourself with kindness and compassion.
Improve your coping mechanism
After you’ve identified your triggers, think about your options for coping. Examining your current coping skills to determine their effectiveness can be beneficial. Try other approaches if you find that eating is your only coping mechanism for difficult emotions. Things like listening to music, meditating, working out, spending more time outdoors, or speaking to a friend, family member, or therapist. Keeping a journal or getting a new book can also be beneficial. Try one of these coping mechanisms when you feel the urge to turn to food and see if it makes it easier for you to manage your emotions.
Try to keep your life in balance
Emotional triggers can include feeling both overwhelmed and bored. Perhaps there is something you can let go of if you are feeling stressed and exhausted. Even if only for a short time. If you find that you have too much free time, look into enjoyable hobbies or activities and try to fit them into your schedule. It can be as easy as starting a new, social activity like running or simply adding a quick, 15-minute stroll to your daily routine. Make sure you are allowing time for relaxation and adequate sleep at night. For those with insomnia who also binge eat at night, this is crucial information.
Review your eating schedule
It can be detrimental to have unstable blood sugar levels or to not eat regularly all day. It may cause a person to mistakenly believe they are experiencing true hunger. Your mood may suffer from low blood sugar, which may lead you to choose less wholesome foods. Be sure to pay attention to the signs of undereating for weight loss, such as constant fatigue. Then, make sure you’re giving your body sufficient strength to get through the day. This is critical if you don’t want to start stress eating all of a sudden. And it frequently happens if you don’t establish a good eating routine.
Pay attention to your food while eating
It can be challenging to be fully present while eating given the technology and myriad distractions of today. Think about the foods you’re eating and use adjectives to describe them aloud to reduce mindless eating. For instance, is the food hard or soft, crunchy, mushy, bitter, or savoury? You can take your time and savour the food in a mindful manner by allowing yourself to taste and describe it.
