By Zoe Davis, MA, LMHC, MS, CNC
While
this is a stressful time for many, it is also an opportunity to practice mindfulness
and deep compassion for ourselves and our community. Food choices may be more
emotional at this time as people look to food for comfort to lower anxiety and
mitigate feelings of a loss of control. I hope some of these ideas for managing
stress eating will be helpful to you and will provide their own source of
comfort.
1. Try
the H.A.L.T. method for emotional eating.
When going to get something to eat, simply check in to gauge what your real need is by asking yourself: “Am I
Hungry,
Angry,
Lonely,
Tired?”
If you’re hungry, eat some nourishing food. If you’re angry (or
stressed or anxious), do something to attend to that emotion, such as
journaling, meditation, diaphragmatic breathing, drawing, or coloring
(even adults can do this!). If you’re lonely, reach out to a friend or
family member, and make regular social engagements a priority (virtually
for now). If you’re tired, rest, drink some water, do some mild
stretching, or get some fresh air with a walk to replenish your energy.
When we create more space between the thought of eating something to
soothe our emotions and the actual consumption, we create awareness of
our true need and increase the likelihood of doing something to attend
to that actual need.
2. Feed
yourself well, and regularly.
Low blood
sugar exacerbates feelings of stress and anxiety. Make sure you’re consuming regular
meals that include adequate protein, healthy fat, plenty of vegetables, and
some low-sugar fruit. Don’t go too long between meals, especially if you’re
prone to feeling anxious or stressed. Your brain and body need nutrients
regularly throughout the day, and when we are missing key B vitamins, fiber,
minerals (like magnesium), and probiotics, we can feel more amped up and have a
harder time relaxing.
3. Slow
down your meals/snacks.
Take a
few deep breaths before eating and chew your food thoroughly. Eating this way
engages the parasympathetic nervous system and allows for better digestion and
greater benefit from the foods you eat. This practice also naturally moderates
the amount and types of food your body actually needs, drastically reducing the
need for willpower.
4. Keep
non-nutritive “comfort” foods out of your home.
Now is a
great time to focus on the essentials and avoid foods that fill you up but
don’t actually nourish you. Try making warm broth-based soups, roasted root
vegetables, baked pear or apple with cinnamon, and gluten-free whole grains or
pseudo-grains like wild rice, quinoa, and buckwheat as part of your comfort
foods instead of white flour-based foods or sugary desserts.
5. Avoid
stimulants.
Stimulants—such
as refined sugars, too much caffeine, dyes, additives, and artificial
sweeteners—can irritate or over-activate the nervous system and exacerbate
anxiety, making it more difficult to experience a sense of calm.
6. Make
time with family or friends to enjoy meals together.
If you
live with others, take turns cooking and prepare the table where you will eat
as a part of the meal to be enjoyed. Light candles, play relaxing music, and
have positive conversations as part of the meal. Avoid stressful conversations
with meals, and if you live alone, invite friends to a virtual dinner party via
computer or phone. You can enjoy each other’s company even when not in the same
space.
7. Practice
gratitude.
Consider
the work that went into growing or raising your food, the incredible abundance
of our planet, and the many people along the way from planting to delivery that
work hard every day to keep you nourished. Gratitude keeps us focused on
appreciation, which is a boost to our immune system and can significantly lower
stress levels.
8. Include
intentional movement in some form on a daily basis.
When we
move, we’re more in touch with our physical body and tend to choose healthier
food options and drink more water. Additionally, exercise is immensely
beneficial for lowering anxiety, improving our immune resistance, reducing
stress, and encouraging sound sleep. While much of our lives may be more
confined than we would like, we can still move every day. Some ideas include
going for brisk walks/hikes in our neighborhood, taking dance classes online,
doing weight resistant exercises with an app, or completing a regimen of yoga
poses from books or instructional videos.
9. Tap
into your creative self or learn something new.
Try a
virtual class online, get out your paintbrushes and paper, do collage, sing,
dance, write poetry or stories, learn a language (or re-learn one), play a
musical instrument if you have one, sew, knit, or anything else you’d like to
try. Creativity is a great way to express yourself and de-stress. When we are
creative and feel ourselves expressed, we are using energy in a positive way
and tend to feel less restless. Decreasing feelings of restlessness can keep us
from eating out of boredom.
10. If
you have the capacity and aren’t doing too much already, offer to help someone
else.
Volunteer in any way that is safe for you.
Volunteer Match
has thousands of opportunities, and you can do many of them virtually,
or you can come up with your own way to help in your neighborhood. When
we feel a sense of contribution and connection with our community, we
tend to feel more in control and more grounded. This feeling is
empowering and often leads us to take better care of ourselves (with
food, movement, sleep, and more), as we feel more important to those
around us.
11. Practice
good sleep hygiene.
Try to go
to bed at the same time each night and limit foods at least 2 hours prior to
sleep. Use blue-light filters on computers, phones, or tablets if you need to
use them in the hour prior to bedtime. Getting at least 7 hours of sleep
regularly helps to regulate hunger hormones, improve energy, and increase our
stress tolerance.
Zoe Davis, MA, LMHC, MS, CNC is a nutrition therapist,
integrative health coach, and certified Irlen screener at Amen Clinics,
where she has been honored to work with patients over the last four
years. Zoe has Master’s degrees in human nutrition and functional
medicine, is a licensed mental health counselor, and has a post-graduate
certificate in nutritional psychology. This unique combination of
education in both nutrition and psychology allows her to use a mind-body
approach in a deeply integrated way.
Find out more about Amen Clinics, which offers comprehensive
clinical evaluations and remote therapy sessions as well as in-clinic
brain scanning, by speaking to a specialist today at 866-319-2743. If
all our specialists are busy helping others, you can also schedule a time to talk.
