So many people eat when they are anxious reaching for food as a way to self-medicate and make themselves feel better. Have you ever done this? Stress places strain on your metabolism alone and to reach for food as a result of your anxiety can be a concoction for weight gain. I know of many women who go through challenging times and some lose a lot of weight, while most gain weight as a result. Often it can be a result of not wanting to be stressed about food or the process of eating, so they don’t care too much anymore and just do what causes them the least amount of stress at that time – eat whatever is convenient. Also, many women eat more when they are stressed out because food can be a comforter and make you feel somewhat at peace with the relaxation response in the body from eating. These 3 ways can assist you to overcome anxious eating and live a healthier life:

Exercise causes the feel-good emotions that can replace the emotions food can give you.

When you exercise, you get to feel good about yourself for doing it while also feeling good internally from the endorphins. This can cause you to feel like you are connected to your body, increase your body’s ability to feel satiated and also burns calories to help you manage your weight. Too many women reach for food as a way to feel good when you can replace an excess of this with some exercise to make you feel good about yourself and have the opposite impact.

Embody and learn to feel your body.

Do some dancing, Pilates, get a massage or deep breathe so you can connect with your body again and learn to relax into it. When you are embodied and connected to your body, you are better able to feel full when eating while also you tend to value your body more because you want it to feel good. In this, make sure you choose things that bring you joy and make you feel connected because your health although it may not seem so much like it, may depend on your ability to embody. I know that anxious people may struggle with this so go slowly to begin with and take your time to gradually embody and feel the sensations of your body.

Meditate and find time for some peace.

Some like to pray, or some like to meditate or do both. Whichever way it is for you, be sure to take time out, breathe deeply into your body and find some peace. Overeating isn’t always a willpower problem; it can be compulsive or reactive concern that stems from the deep emotions you might have that some peace of mind can often prevent from occurring. When you are peaceful, you can mindfully eat and eat slower while making way for a new approach to food and your ability to enjoy your time out is something that may need developing.