How You Can Stop Stress Eating
By Sara Butler
To say that 2020 has been a stressful year would be an understatement -- and it's not over yet. There are still a few more months to get through which is why it might be a good idea to take a look at how you're handling stress.
If you're one of the many Americans who deal with stress by eating, then you're in good company. According to the American Psychological Association, almost 40 percent of adults self-identify as stress eaters. While it may serve as a distraction during stressful times, it's not a sustainable way to deal with stress. It really doesn't help you to control the stress you're feeling at all, which is one of the reasons it's a good idea to take steps to stop it. Here are some tips to help you get started.
Pinpoint the Stress
The next time you open the freezer to take out that pint of Ben and Jerry's, stop yourself and ask why you're feeling so stressed out. If you want to break bad habits associated with food, such as stress eating, then you have to pinpoint what is stressing you out in the first place. Then take actions to help mitigate the stress, such as journaling or going for a walk instead of eating.
Clean the Kitchen
Stress eating is a habit for many people, which means that it's something you sort of automatically do without much thought behind it. To help stay away from mindless eating as your stress response, you should try to keep foods that aren't good for you out of sight. That means that a good strategy to avoid stress eating is to give your kitchen a good deep cleaning. Keep the bad-for-you things out of sight so that they'll stay out of mind when you're stressed. Have things that are healthier for you, such as fruit and vegetables, accessible and visible when you can. Organizing your kitchen can help to keep your eating habits under control.
Have a De-Stress Routine
You cannot eliminate stress from your life, so don't even try to. You should try instead to find healthy ways to deal with it and create a routine around those ways. Walking or some other form of exercise is a good daily habit, but so is doing something nice for yourself, such as going through a skincare routine or listening to relaxing music you enjoy.
Stress happens so you must come up with ways to deal with it that aren't unhealthy.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in South Jordan, Utah.