It’s day fourteen twenty hundred of quarantine, and all the snacks are gone!
At least, that’s what it seems like.
Eating out of stress, boredom, loneliness, or emotion is a common theme lately. Here are some ways to cope with stress without eating your precious food supply.
Create a schedule, structure, or routine for yourself and your household. This brings a sense of normalcy and sets expectations. It can reduce sense of feeling out of control.
Find ways to serve and help others. This can happen even with social distancing. Donate to a charity. Send a friendly text. Sew a mask for a friend.
Make mindful choices about food. One study found that when people planned ahead for emotional eating (“When I am stressed I am going to choose an apple.”) they made more healthful choices.
It’s ok to emotionally eat. If the ice cream really hits the spot and that’s what you’re craving, go ahead and give yourself permission to eat it. Notice if it worked. Did you feel satisfied? Did it soothe you? Emotional eating only becomes problematic if it’s the ONLY coping mechanism you have.
Other things to ask yourself:
“If this weren’t about food, what would it be about?”
“What do I need right now?”
“What am I feeling right now?”
“What can I do for myself to make me feel a little better?”
Other activities to ride out the emotion:
Read a book
Watch a show
Listen to music or a podcast
Exercise
Take a slow walk
Sit with the emotion. Let it “metabolize.”
Reach out to a friend or family member
Journal about it
Change the sensory experience: smell a pleasant odor, splash cold water on your face, wiggle your toes, breath deeply.
Marisa Michael, MSc, RDN, CSSD is a registered dietitian with a master's degree in sports nutrition. She helps people achieve better health and performance through nutrition.
