Finding Calm When You Want to Eat for Comfort
Soothing Tools
Stress, anxiety, anger, or overwhelm can make the urge to reach for food feel especially strong. Soothing tools can help calm your body and give you a few moments to pause before deciding how you want to respond. This will be very helpful when your nervous system is overloaded and food feels like the fastest way to relieve stress.
It is hard to think clearly when you are stressed. The soothing tool helps create another way to communicate what you need. Below are a few soothing tools you can try when stress, anxiety, anger, or overwhelm makes you want to reach for food. You don't need to use them all; choose the one that best fits what you need at that moment.
Deep Breathing or Guided Meditation
When we are stressed, our breathing changes. It can become fast, shallow, or uneven. To put this into practice, try this:
Place both feet on the floor, and relax your shoulders as much as you can. Take deep breaths slowly through your nose, and slowly exhale. You can repeat this for as long as you feel you need to.
Some people find deep breathing uncomfortable, and they might feel silly doing it. If that is the case maybe do a guided meditation. There are many guided meditations on YouTube that you could choose from. Two to three minutes of uninterrupted mediation can help with lowering your stress.
Taking a Warm Bath or Shower
When we take a hot shower, it can create a sense of comfort. It can give you a transition between a stressful experience and whatever comes next. Enjoying a hot shower also puts a pause on your cravings and gives you something else to enjoy. As the water runs over you, think about the tension leaving your body. If you are unable to take a hot shower, then try washing your face with warm water.
Listening to Calming Music
Your atmosphere changes around you when music is influencing it. A slow song helps calm your racing thoughts, release physical tension, and can give you a way to feel emotions without trying to escape them.
It helps to create a playlist that has soothing songs before you might need it. When you are overwhelmed, you will not have the desire or energy to search for the right song. Including music that you feel will be comforting is better than choosing songs you think will be relaxing. When you are craving comfort foods, put your playlist on and listen without distraction.
Close your eyes and notice the rhythm, the singer’s voice, and words that stand out to you; also notice changes in your breathing and body. This isn’t about using music to make cravings disappear. This is giving yourself a chance to allow the music to comfort you as the moment passes.
You might find it helpful to have a few playlists ready. Different situations and emotions might require different kinds of music. Instrumental music might be helpful to calm anxiety; a favorite song can feel comforting when you are lonely. It is also okay to listen to music that matches the sadness you are feeling. The music playlist is designed to meet you where you are.
Aromatherapy or Lighting a Candle
Aromatherapy can help your nervous system calm down. A scented candle, a fresh bouquet of flowers, your favorite lotion, or even a cup of herbal tea can create a moment of care that your body desperately needs.
Taking time to care for yourself is important to being able to handle the everyday stresses of life. You are allowed to pause and reflect before you make your next decision.
Create a Soothing Ritual
When you create a short, relatable ritual, these tools will feel more supportive. For example, when you get home from work, keep the lights low, play a calming song in the background, make a cup of tea, and allow yourself time to decompress before you jump into dinner preparations. The purpose of having a ritual is to help you prioritize your needs before you tend to everyone else.
The soothing tool is not meant to silence your feelings. It is meant to help you create enough calm to recognize what you're feeling and decide what you need. Pausing for a few minutes when stress, anxiety, or overwhelm gives you the urge to reach for food helps you to notice how you are feeling. Then you can decide what you will do next. It is to help you feel supported and begin to listen to what your body is trying to tell you.
The soothing tool is there to help you feel supported. When you start to feel overwhelmed and want to eat for comfort, choose a soothing tool that works for you. After trying the tool you chose ask yourself “What do I need right now?”
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