Often, when I’m feeling down, I gravitate towards the fridge. Even when I know the contents in there by heart, I end up opening and closing the door many times. I read the jokes about ‘eating your feelings’ online and laugh along. It is hilarious.
But stress eating can be so much more than just a funny little craving to gobble something. It can be a real indicator of your mental health as well as your emotional health.
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To understand how to stop stress eating, it is important to understand how it comes about and why it helps. When people are stressed for a long amount of time, a hormone called ‘cortisol’ is released.
This hormone not only increases your appetite, but also increases motivation to combat the feelings that come with stress. However, it inversely also skyrockets the motivation to eat. This leads us to try and find comfort foods in our daily life.
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Whenever I am eating too much, there is a distinct preference I have for sweet and sugary foods. It is a pretty great indicator of my mental health as well as the reason for my binge. Sugar and sweeteners can help with damping negative emotions and stress.
No wonder ice cream and chocolate is the food of choice for those trying to put their emotions on a plate! I have often been accused of ‘eating’ my feelings and even though it stings, after quite a while of thinking about it, I have realised that I do tend to try and replace all negativity with food.
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Self-isolation during Covid has led to the creation of many different kinds of unhealthy behaviors. Boredom and stress have led to some critical lifestyle changes. During this lockdown, as all of us are stuck at home worrying about the future, food becomes salvation.
Eating too much because there is nothing else to do is not the best thing when you’re trying to stay healthy.
You can regulate your food intake during quarantine by removing temptations and maintaining meal schedules. Sadly this means we’ve all got to stop ordering chocolate in bulk online. It also means stopping all my late-night binges, I must admit to myself bitterly.
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While restricting food intake can be a simple (and painful) answer to binge eating due to stress, the fundamental problem does not go away just because you stop defensive eating. The only way to address the core problem is by taking some time to go through your emotions.
Figuring out the reason why you’re being compelled to eat can help you overcome stress eating.
Often, right before binging, I think to myself ‘eh, don’t care.’ it took me years to realise that the quick, intense, hunger that comes with strong emotions has nothing to do with what my body needs. It is a completely mindless craving which often leads to guilt and shame.
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It is critical to remember that emotional eating or defensive eating is not always a bad thing. Occasionally binging, especially if you usually follow a strict diet, is okay, and nothing to feel guilty about.
We need to sort out the reasons for our cravings, however. Sometimes I go scavenging for snacks when I am sad or confused. Other times, it is just because I’m bored and have nothing better to do than munch.
Accepting that I am a stress eater has, however, helped me a lot with cutting down. Preparing my own meals, taking time and effort to cook every part of a meal, and cherishing the whole process has also helped me stop eating without thinking about it.
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Practicing mindful eating in only a small part of the whole issue, just as figuring out your emotions is. The main way you can help yourself in getting out of a stress eating situation is by either finding new stress relieving activities or getting professional help to manage your emotions.
A lot of people think that they need to be in severe emotional or mental distress to go to a therapist. Untrue. All you need is a slight feeling that something is awry. Therapy and mental health professionals can help you reach for another human being instead of the fridge door.
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Taking small steps everyday is important. Hoping that your stress will go away soon doesn’t help. I waited years for my anxiety and stress to abate. But emotions make us tick, and so they’re always going to be within us forever.
It is up to you and I to take these emotions, understand them, and not turn them into carbs.
Social and lead image credit: Yash Raj Films and Instagram/priyankachopra
