Pushing down emotions can create an environment for emotional eating

Do you push through your day? Handle what needs to be handled. Reassure yourself that everything is okay. But when evening comes, you find yourself looking for something to eat. You're not physically hungry, but you're looking for some comfort. For some people, emotional eating starts in those moments. Not in overwhelming moments, but with years of putting your feelings aside and expecting yourself to push through.

It is easy to lose touch with what you truly need when you push your emotions down after holding yourself together in difficult moments. If this is the only way of coping, you could lose touch with what you need. 

You might tell yourself that you are “Fine” so often that you no longer notice the tension in your shoulders, or how lonely you feel when you have a moment to yourself. But your body still responds to stress even though you haven’t put a name to the feeling. Stress can affect your appetite and what food you choose to eat. 

The next time you reach for food after a stressful day, take a moment and ask yourself,  “Am I really hungry?”

When you spend years pushing down your emotions, it can feel uncomfortable at first to question why you are reaching for food. Show yourself the kindness and patience that you would show someone else if you were helping them through a difficult moment. 

Every time you pause and allow yourself to respond differently, you are learning new ways to cope. Over time, you will have what I call a “Tool Box” of options you can choose from. There are many reasons why we turn to food, and having a toolbox filled with ways to help set you up for success.

Over the next four weeks, we will be exploring four practical tools you can add to your emotional eating toolbox.

Soothing Tool

Creative Tool

Energizing Tool

Connection Tool