Stress eating is something we talk with clients about all the time. A lot of people reach for comfort food when they’re feeling stressed. While you may feel better now, the relaxing feelings don’t last. And you may even feel worse because you ate something you wouldn’t have eaten otherwise.
In this blog, you’ll learn about how to overcome stress eating in three steps and also get some ideas of things to do other than hit the refrigerator or pantry!
Step One -> Pause and Box Breathe.
The first step to combat reacting to stress with food is to pause and breathe. While this concept of pausing and breathing might sound cliche, the truth is there’s a lot of research to support the practice of deep breathing for stress reduction.
Box breathing is a deep breathing technique that can help you slow down, re-center your thoughts, and calm down your nervous system. To practice box breathing, follow these steps:
- Breathe in while slowly counting to four.
- Hold your breath for 4 seconds.
- Slowly exhale through your mouth for 4 seconds.
- Repeat until you feel re-centered.
While the practice of box breathing is simple, the results are powerful. Backed by research, box breathing lowers the stress hormone cortisol and blood pressure while also helping to calm the mind and improve focus.
Box breathing is something you can do anytime and anywhere! If the feelings of stress, anxiety, and overwhelm start to creep in, pause and box breath. After completing the box breathing exercises, move onto the next step!
Step Two-> Check in with yourself.
Before grabbing the bag of chips, diving into a pint of ice cream, or dishing up more pizza, check in with yourself. Do a quick head-to-toe scan and see what’s happening in your body. What do you notice? Here are a few questions to ask yourself:
- Am I tired? Have I been getting enough rest? Maybe I need a 10 – 30 minute nap.
- Have I been working at the computer or inside for a few hours? Perhaps I need fresh air?
- Am I feeling anxious or nervous about an upcoming meeting? Is there someone I could talk to about this?
- When was the last time I fueled myself? Did I give my body enough nourishment?
- Am I hungry? If I’m not hungry, what else is going on?
- Have I been hydrating myself? Maybe I’m thirsty?
By calming down your stress response and checking in with yourself, you empower yourself to make choices and lifestyle changes instead of reacting to stress by eating or drinking excessively.
Step Three -> Make a choice
You can go ahead and eat even if you’re not hungry. Or, you can choose to get outside and take a walk, call a friend, or get a glass of water (see the mini article below for more ideas). Stopping to make a choice helps you decide what you want to do instead of running on autopilot for food.
If you decide you are not hungry, here are some stress-reducing activities to choose from:
- Step outside and take a few deep breaths (bonus for taking your shoes off and standing in the grass)
- Take a walk
- Call a friend
- Journal
- Color in a coloring book
- Read a book
- Meditate
- Drink a glass of water
- Take a power nap
- Play with a pet
Bonus step-> Keep a journal to create awareness of what triggers stress and how you choose to respond. Write down what is working and what you feel stressed about, your choice, and if you’d do anything differently next time. Keeping notes about what’s going on can help remind you how you reacted in the past and what changes you want to make in the future.
Let us help you even further and make a customized nutrition plan exclusively for you. The plan will fit into your daily schedule, take any food preferences into consideration and most importantly be tailed around the specific goals you are wanting to achieve. Schedule a complimentary phone consultation today to learn more!
