We’ve all heard of emotional eating, but did you know “the gap” can be filled with more things than just eating; social media scrolling, spending/shopping, and watching TV, are all ways to fill the gap.
So why do we do these things? They fill a void or make a pain go away. The problem is, when we indulge in over-eating, spending or the mind suck that can be social media, we usually end up feeling worse after we do it.
Here are some simple tips from Corry and Stacia on how to identify this behavior and break the habit.
First – if you can catch yourself in the moment, step back, pause and try to figure out what you are feeling? Is it stress, over worked? Are you tired? Just need a break from everyone around you? Or, are you feeling bored and just looking for something to fill the time.
Once you’ve taken the moment to pause, ask yourself these questions:
Emotional Eating – Am I hungry enough to eat a chicken breast? Nope! Then you aren’t really hungry, and we need to re-direct.
Emotional Scrolling – How do I feel right in this moment looking at everyone else’s feed? Bad about myself? Then it’s time to move on and put things in place to stop break this habit.
Emotional Spending – Will this purchase bring JOY to my life (yep, we’re borrowing this one) and when I get my credit card will I regret this purchase, or will I be thankful I bought it?
Many times, a simple pause is enough to help us re-direct. For the next week we encourage you keep a journal and jot down the times you grab the food or your phone. What time of day is it and how are you feeling? What else do you notice about yourself? What about what’s happening all around?
Here are 13 other things you can do instead of enabling your emotions.
- Read a good book
- Go for a walk
- Meditate
- Call a good friend
- Drink a glass of regular or sparkling water
- Walk the dog
- Pet your dog
- Take a nap
- Lift weights
- Do a yoga video
- Make a cup of coffee
- Have a healthy snack
- Make a gratitude list
How have you overcome these habits? We’d love to hear from you. And, if you need help getting your brain to wind down, try Stacia’s Guided Meditation. (Just don’t listen to it while operating heavy machinery!)