Now, let’s be clear: Emotional eating isn’t inherently bad.
Sometimes, a glass of wine or a cheesy pizza after a stressful day is truly the self-care we need.
Food — sweet and salty energy-dense food in particular — can provide an immediate hit of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that plays a role in reward and reinforcement and provides us with an immediate sense of relief and comfort. But conscious choices are everything when it comes to having a better relationship with food. It’s important to be able to recognize when emotions are driving your appetite and when you’re relying on that hit of dopamine instead of dealing with problems head-on.
Emotional eating becomes a problem when it:
o Leaves you feeling worse, whether it’s in the short or the long term.
o Causes health problems, which can range from digestive issues to more serious health concerns, like disordered eating and eating disorders.
o Results in feelings of guilt or shame.
o Is your primary coping mechanism.
The key question to ask yourself is whether, in general, emotional eating is making you feel better or worse?
If emotional eating is something you’re struggling with, you might be reacting to one or both of the following triggers:
1. Suppressed emotions (e.g., anxiety, sadness, boredom, trauma)
2. Unmanaged stress In some ways, these are also linked.
As children, we’re taught to keep our emotions under control. (Does “Don’t get so emotional or Don't cry” sound familiar?) Sometimes, this prevents us from learning healthy ways to express, validate, and dissipate what we’re feeling. And to cope with those uncomfortable, suppressed emotions, some folks turn to eating. Trying to keep a lid on all these emotions is exhausting and stressful in and of itself.
And if you are a women, you are already juggling a ton of competing priorities, and when suppressed emotions are added to the mix — it’s a recipe for stress. And, unfortunately, when we’ve asked women in our community what they do for stress management, more often than not the answer is, “I don’t do anything.” Some women emotionally eat to cope, and then end up feeling more stressed and guilty afterwards.
It’s a vicious cycle!
So what can you do if you struggle with emotional eating? You can learn some techniques for better managing stress and releasing those pent-up emotions.
Stress Management - Having multiple ways to manage and dissolve your stress is a crucial part of balanced mental health and self-care. There are several strategies for stress management. For example, I encourage a self-care plan that brings relief and comfort through health-promoting and relaxing activities like meditation, spending time outdoors, and exercising.
JOURNALING - Journaling is a fantastic way to tap into and release your emotions. You can do it anywhere, anytime. And if you aren’t comfortable talking about your emotions with others or don’t have anyone to do that with, it’s a totally private way to work through how you’re feeling. When you can tune in to what you’re feeling and get to the root of what you really need and want at that moment in time — you can make a conscious choice. You can consider what you need right then, and what Future You needs to feel better in the coming hours and days. The following prompts will help open that internal conversation around how to change your relationship with managing emotions and stress (or anxiety, or complacency, etc.) and, therefore, with emotional eating. And remember: Journaling is for your eyes only, so don’t hold back. If you’re concerned that someone will see what you’ve written, then tear it up and throw it away after you’re done. It’s not important that you keep the paper; it’s important that you just get your emotions out.
Over the coming weeks, you’ll already be working on tuning into your hunger and appetite in general. If you want to take it one step further, work on identifying when you’re emotionally eating. Think about what you’re feeling and what need you’re trying to fill with eating. Then, consider if any of the techniques you applied here could help you cope with that stress just as (if not more) efficiently.
You can ask yourself: “What action will help me feel better not only right now, but also in the future?” There’s no wrong answer. Whatever you choose to do, simply do it consciously. You already took huge steps simply by being here today and working toward building your awareness! This can be difficult stuff to sort through, so fantastic work. You should be really proud of yourself.
If you relate to this article, stay tuned for another part of this series where we will go deeper into your emotional ties to food & discover the difference between hunger and appetite!
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