Controlling Stress Related Eating

© Michelle Howard Smith - All Rights Reserved

Pressures at work, strained relationships at home; How easy is it to grab for the nearest donut or cookie?  If you are like many Americans, controlling stress related eating is something you have an issue with.  Reaching for comfort foods to help deal with stress is more common than you may think.

Stress is a major factor that affects every living being on the planet in one form or another.  Some are more affected than others but how you deal with stress can have a direct impact on your physical, emotional and spiritual health.

A Common Response to Stress

The first thing many people reach for when feeling the stress and pressures of a high paced life overwhelmed with things on the "To Do" list is food - comfort food.   As startling as it may be, the number one response to stress by many adults is eating.  The clear evidence is the number of of overweight people walking around this nation. If you are one of those people, controlling stress related eating can be difficult but not impossible.

Gaining Control

The first step towards controlling stress related eating is to recognize that not everything is within your control.  Some things will happen no matter how hard you try to prevent them.  When you are under stress, instead of reaching for food, consciously do something different like taking a walk to clear your head or start journaling to write down your thoughts.  You can then revisit any issues or concerns after you have had some time to clear your thinking.  Everything can't be accomplished in a day so tackle stressful tasks the best way anyone can: one moment, one hour, one day at a time.

The second step towards controlling stress related eating is managing yourself.  You always hear about managing your time and money but managing your schedule along with your time and money is in essence, managing yourself.  The one thing within your control that many people have a problem with that leads to stress is their schedule.  Yes, the marvelous "To Do" list with the 40 things on it that you couldn't possibly complete in a day (at least not without pulling your hair out).  You create your schedule so you can change it. Count the cost before committing your time and money (yourself). Make sure you can follow through on commitments without being overwhelmed.  When the opportunity to commit presents itself, If you are unsure, then chances are you should pass.

Breaking the cycle and controlling stress related eating won't happen overnight.  Commit to making a change by managing your schedule, your expectations and doing something different than what you've done before.  Continuing to do the same thing, yet expecting different results is nothing more than, you guessed it...insanity.

While the suggestions I've offered are initial steps towards controlling stress related eating, if you have been eating as a way to cope for a very long time, you will need additional help.  Join a support group like Overeater's Anonymous as well as a local Stress Management program.  Managing your stress levels and getting to the root cause of eating in response to stress is crucial to controlling stress related eating.  You don't want to wake up one day severely obese or ill wondering how it all happened.

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