Even if you’re not necessarily aware of the formal descriptor, you’re almost certainly aware of the experience; because it’s something we’ve all done at times and it’s something some people do too often!
To what am I referring?
Comfort eating – when you eat (sometimes excessively) because you’re upset rather than because you’re really hungry!
So, firstly, let’s look at why this is unhelpful and why should we look to do something about it?
Because it usually means we (1) eat more than we should and often, eat unhealthily and (2) don’t properly process negative emotions which means they’ll just rear their ugly heads more often and more intensely.
The bad news is that eating when we’re upset is relatively effective; it kind of works! Consuming certain ‘comfort’ foods does tend to reduce negative emotions; which is bad news because it means the behaviour can be become more established and self-reinforcing.
The good news, however, is that there are other more effective ways of managing unpleasant emotions; and if you can master these alternative strategies and use them to replace comfort eating then in the longer term you’ll definitely enjoy better physical and mental health.
If, therefore, you want to reduce comfort eating and/or replace it with other, more effective strategies then give some thought to and start to try out the following:
- As already discussed, in previous lessons, begin by practising mindfulness (of your emotions) more often; at least once or twice each day, even if just for a few minutes, be mindful of how you’re feeling
- Following this, be mindful of what you do or feel like you want to do; do you feel a desire to eat and/or to consume particular types of foods (especially when upset)?
- Get comfortable feeling uncomfortable! An important, but often neglected aspect of happiness is accepting and getting used to being unhappy. We don’t always have to ‘fix’ unpleasant emotions
- At the same time, we don’t always have to put up with distress either so, where and when possible, generate a list of alternative, more helpful behaviours. Focus on things you can do when you’re upset that don’t involve eating
- Some examples might include, writing down how you’re feeling (journaling), talking to a friend, practising meditation, going for a short walk, or just sitting it out – riding the wave of desire until it dissipates (which it eventually will)
It’s all about finding the right balance between being aware of and accepting your emotions and taking on a more active role of looking for ways to make yourself feel better. Let us know how you go with this week’s lesson by leaving a comment or jumping into the Members’ only Facebook page.