Emotional eating refers to the consumption of food for the purpose of managing our emotions and stress levels. Although foods which are high in sugar, fat and carbs lift our moods temporarily, this comfort is usually short-lived.
What causes emotional eating?
While there are a number of psychological determinants of emotional eating which are related to our personalities (restained eating, reward sensitivity and impulsiveness), it’s important to understand situational determinants too.
Situational determinants are described as current circumstances or factors that influence our eating behaviours. One of the most common situational factors is stress, whether that’s a result of work, family or pandemics that are out of our control. In addition, some people associate their stress with sensations of hunger, increasing their urgency to binge on junk food.
So, what can we do to combat emotional eating?
Identify your comfort eating triggers
Every time you feel the urge to eat or binge on junk food, take a moment to figure out what the trigger is. If you keep a diary and write down your feelings alongside your food consumption, you’ll soon start to see a pattern emerge. However, make sure you’re honest – look at what happened to upset you, how you felt before you ate, and how you felt afterwards. Once you are able to identify your emotional eating triggers, you can find healthier ways to satisfy your feelings.
Alternatives to emotional eating
To stop comfort eating, you need to find other ways to fulfil yourself emotionally. Some alternatives to comfort eating include:
Calling someone who makes you feel better or playing with a pet, if you have one. This works well for people who are lonely or have depression.
If you are feeling anxious, you need to burn this energy off. If you enjoy exercising, head out for a walk or run. If not, focus on something else you enjoy, like drawing or completing a jigsaw.
If you are feeling stressed, take a bath, make yourself a warm drink, and wrap yourself up so you feeling safe and cosy. Then, turn to an activity you enjoy like reading a book or watching your favourite TV show.
Ultimately, to combat emotional eating, you need to identify what’s causing it in the first place and then find other ways to deal with your feelings.
To find out more about how health psychology can help you to make positive lifestyle changes, please contact me today. I can help you assess how your mood affects your eating habits, and you will cultivate a positive health behaviour change to manage emotional eating.
