Stress and emotional eating - strategies to help

SO many ladies say to me, they turn to food during emotional and tough times. Whether out of stress, anxiety, sadness, boredom, or grief, it’s understandable why we turn to food for comfort.

Food offers a pretty great—if very temporary—solution to our suffering. Eating feels good, right??

The problem is, those pleasurable feelings don’t last.

Think of it this way: When you stress eat, you’re using food to solve a problem. Only it’s a problem that food can’t solve. 

What’s more, most people who experience emotional eating feel trapped and guilty afterward, which just perpetuates the behavior.

Here are a couple of strategies to try, if you are an emotional eater.

The first one - over eat. Go on, do it. Eat that entire packet of biscuits, or that whole king size block of chocolate. But after you’ve done it, I want you to write down HOW YOU FEEL. Has that food solved your problems? Did it make you feel better? Sure, maybe for a little while, but how do you feel now? Guilt? Shame? Maybe you’ve got a bloated tummy? I want you to REMEMBER HOW YOU FEEL the next time you decide to over eat. Maybe you’ll over eat again, or maybe you’ll stop and think to yourself - it’s not worth it.

The second strategy - create a nourishment menu. Food brings us pleasure, but other things can bring us pleasure too. So I would encourage you to stop, before you decide to rip open that packet of chocolate biscuits:

For example, you could:

  • Take three deep breaths

  • Drink a big glass of water

  • Mentally check for signs of physical hunger

  • Play with your pet for five minutes

  • Do some quick stretches

  • Listen to a favorite song or a few minutes of a podcast

  • Go for a short walk

  • Spend a few minutes on housework (like folding your clothes or organizing your desk)

The most effective nourishment menus include actions that line up with your goals and values. They’ll be more likely to offer the same feeling of relief you were hoping—consciously or not—to get from food.

For example, if you deeply value your close friendships, calling or texting a friend could be one of your menu options.

Another tip - put your nourishment menu somewhere visible.

Post it on your fridge, kitchen cabinet, or anywhere else you’re likely to see it before eating. You’re less likely to ignore it if you can see it.

And if you ignore it occasionally, it’s not such a big deal. The key is to get a little bit better over time, not be perfect. So if you use the nourishment menu once every third time you want to stress eat, you’re still making progress.

And if you try a couple actions and still want to eat? That’ll happen. But remember: You’ve already done some really good things for yourself in the process. So go ahead and have a couple of biscuits if you want to. You should feel proud of yourself that you tried to interrupt those ‘stress eating’ thoughts, and given this nourishment menu a go instead. Well done.

I hope these strategies help - it may not work every time, but the more times you give it a go, the better you’ll get at it. Like anything, practice makes perfect. I’m always here if you need help too. Sarah xx

Sarah Martelli