We’ve all turned to food for comfort at some point. That ice cream when you felt sad, or that burger when you were bored? Just amazing. A quick shot of dopamine and euphoria, and you’re feeling all good!
While it might have felt good at the moment, I wanted to talk more about why it’s not helping you feel better in the long run, and how this is only an escape from your emotions.
The Urge to Eat
This random urge or craving usually comes up when you feel a certain way. Sadness, anger, boredom, excitement, etc., can all induce a state of stress and overwhelm.
When you’re overwhelmed with emotions and don’t have the skill set to regulate them, turning to food is a quick, effective way of putting those emotions aside and getting a burst of happy hormones. The usual culprits are heavily flavored foods like chips, chocolate, candy, burgers, and fried foods… let’s be honest, these are the most fun to eat.
Pause, Breathe, Feel, Release
So, first things first, to be able to catch yourself in a moment of craving, you need to build an awareness of your behaviors. Without awareness, you’ll be on autopilot all day and end up doing things you haven’t even thought about.
You can read about body scanning in my previous post here. It’s one of the best ways to start expanding your self-awareness.
So, let’s say you just felt an urge to munch on a bag of chips.
First, take a moment.
Breathe in deeply a few times.
Ask yourself what you are feeling.
Are you hungry? Is your stomach feeling empty and grumbling? When was your last meal?
Or are you feeling bored? Sad? Angry? Happy? (yes, cravings are not only for the sad and angry). It can be any other emotion too.
If it turns out that you are hungry and it’s time for a meal, consider what you want to eat. Do you want to eat a bag of chips, or would you rather eat something more nutritious and fulfilling? It’s all about making the choice consciously, rather than without thought.
Then, if it instead turns out that there is an underlying emotion that is driving you to eat, pause right there.
Tune into your mind and body. Try to identify the emotion. What does your body need in this very moment, to allow the emotion to be felt and to pass?
Do you need to cry, scream, shake, jump, dance? Do you need to connect with someone, or do something you enjoy? Whatever it is, listen to your body and do it!
Emotional awareness is all about being able to recognize an emotion arising, identifying it, and allowing your body and your mind to do what it needs to move through you and be felt.
A Short Story...
The other day, I was feeling super bored. I’ve been unemployed for a few months, and after the initial joy of relaxation and free time, I began to feel like I had nothing to do and was getting tired of the same daily routine at home.
After a long day of not doing much, I had this huge urge to just order a burger. I asked my husband and he said he doesn’t mind a burger as well (he enables me :’)). I found my favorite burger place and was on the verge of doing it.
Something stopped me at that moment (it was my inner inquisitive self). I took a moment, wondering why I was even doing this when I had a fulfilling lunch not long ago and I wasn’t even hungry. We had snacks, fruits, and other yummy good things to eat at home. I could also save some money rather than spending pointlessly.
I realized I was just feeling bored and wanted something to give me a boost. My cravings told me a burger would have been perfect for that. It tastes delicious, it’s fun to eat, and it’s something to do in this moment of boredom.
But how long would that moment have lasted? 10, 20 minutes? That doesn’t sound like much. Just a quick fix.
I would’ve spent money for no real reason, eaten too many calories, and then felt crappy from overeating afterward.
This all happened within a couple of minutes of just tuning into myself. I asked myself again, do I want to eat this burger or am I just bored?
I was just bored.
I decided not to order and ended up hanging out with my husband and reading my book, which helped me enjoy my time with a more fulfilling feeling. I felt like I did something worthwhile, and that feeling lasted much longer than a burger would have given me.
Take Back Control
The reason why emotional eating doesn’t help is because it keeps you further away from confronting yourself. You are using food to escape from what you are truly feeling. And that is no good!
It is a vicious cycle that keeps you stuck. Emotional eating can affect your physical health as you end up eating more food than you need. Which in turn can lead to mental health issues where you feel out of control and crappy about yourself. This fuels even more emotional eating. And repeat.
Remember, emotions are with you, not against you – but don’t let yourself be controlled by them. You are the master of your mind and body, and you know yourself better than anybody. All you need to do is get to know yourself, truly.
In Conclusion: Fulfill Yourself
When it comes to emotions, it is important to remember that they are there to guide you towards what you need. They are not fighting against you. They are there to shine a light on the part of you that wants and needs to be let out, to be seen and felt.
Eating your emotions away does not help with feeling them, it instead pushes them down even further. The more you ignore these emotions, the deeper they’ll be buried.
This is what I believe:
It is important to expand your awareness, recognize your emotions when they come up in these moments, and learn how to feel and process them. It can truly help in taking back control of your actions and finding what truly fulfills you, rather than living on quick fixes.
