6 Ways To Combat Stress Eating

Stress eating is a real thing! It is no wonder that we stress eat while trying to balance work, family and other commitments. Your health can suffer because of this so keep reading friend!

Do you ever find yourself going to bed exhausted, feeling sick to your stomach? All because you have been in a constant cycle of sabotaging yourself by eating for no reason at all? At times, people tend to feed their emotional hunger through food. Most of you reading this have probably been a victim to stress eating at some point or the other. Sometimes it is tough to stop eating even when your stomach is totally full, and that's precisely what stress eating is. 

The good thing is that there are many ways by which you can control the urge of stress eating when life gets hard.

Let’s go over some proven ways where you can learn to deal with this immense struggle of over-eating:

1. CALL A FRIEND

When you have a good support system around you, you won't be relying on food to make you feel better. Close friends, family, or anyone that you consider close to you can help you out in this regard. Many times, food stands as a distraction from any stressful situation in life. When you find an outlet to vent correctly, you will learn to deal with the painful situation. It will be a great way to relieve the stress burning up inside you and also make you feel better. Avoid emotional triggers that can lead you to overeat.

2. WRITE IT DOWN

When you start to pen down everything you are feeling, you are creating a talking space for yourself. You can also note down all the details of whatever you are eating and how much. This might also help you find your triggers when you start stress-eating under any dire situation. Depending on your mood, you may be opting for food to relieve your stress. Writing everything down will help you identify the triggers and provides a therapeutic way to deal with your problems.

3. CREATE A PLAYLIST

Music is the perfect outlet for any stressful situation. You can add different songs to make varied playlists depending on your mood. A dance playlist can put you in the mood to dance it out which will help to tune everything else out. A relaxing playlist will help you calm down from the painful problems that you are facing. The soothing solution of music is a great way to deal with stress-eating.

4. MEDITATION

Meditation brings you closer to that peaceful mindset which helps you make better food decisions. When you are particularly stressed, meditation and deep breathing can substantially increase the flow of oxygen to your brain. Simple meditation exercises can be an excellent tool for managing your stress levels and hence distract you from over-eating. You will be much more aware of what you are eating and how much you are eating. It provides a certain kind of comfort to your body and mind that is incomparable to anything else. Proper deep breathing exercises can help reduce the level of stress hormones in your body, thereby providing immense relief. This doesn’t mean you need to hit the mat or meditation pillow for long periods of time either. Sometimes, simply taking 1 minute to breath can calm the nervous system and you can overcome those triggers that lead to stress eating.

5. YOGA CLASS

Since ages, Yoga has proven to be a top stress-relieving technique. With the calming influence of yoga, you will learn to release the tension and stress you are holding within. It promotes relaxation of the physical body and hence, keeps you away from over-eating during any painful emotional situation. When you have a healthy body and mind, you will eventually learn to let go of unhealthy coping mechanisms like stress-eating.

6. SOOTHE WITH SCENTS

Different fragrances have proven to provide a soothing effect on your mind and body. There are many different products and aromatherapy oils which can help you calm down in stressful situations and deal with stress eating. You just have to find a scent that works perfectly for you. Everyone has a different taste when it comes to smell. Several studies have shown that soothing scents can have a positive effect on brainwaves to bring about a calming effect. My favourite oils are from my good friend Laine - Rae Dunphy Aromatics

From the oil professional Laine: “Fragonia- is amazing for repetitive behavioural patterns, stress and grief. There’s a lot of information under the listing for Fragonia on the website.

The calm roller and the rest assured roller are both great. Calm is more for acute anxiety, nervous tension and panic feelings where rest assured is a bit more grounding, for general stress and upset. Frankincense can be really powerful for slowing down and deepening the breath which helps us remain more present”.

COMBAT STRESS EATING SUMMARY

When you opt for better and healthier methods of dealing with stress, you can successfully overcome the trouble of stress eating. It’s important to know the particular ways which help you calm down your mind and body. It’s high time that you learn to treat your physical body with the love it truly deserves without subjecting it to unhealthy modes of eating.

If you need some additional help and support, that is what Dunnebells is here for.

If you are ready to take control of your eating habits and better the relationship you have with food I recommend using these tips and following a flexible macro diet. You WILL see results like 100’s of my clients around the world who take part in the 8-week program.

Stay strong. Be the fire.