Do you grab for something crunchy, like potato chips or crunchy candy when you get angry or frustrated? If the answer is yes, then emotional eating may be part of the reason that sticking with a diet is so difficult for you. You’re literally “eating your feelings” and stuffing them down in an attempt get through the stress or find a solution. How do you solve the problem? One way that helps is journaling, it offers several benefits that can help you get a grasp on the problem, so it doesn’t continue to plague you.
Journaling makes you think.
Stress can scatter your thoughts and the first thing you want to do is feel better. Rather than focusing on feeling better, journaling makes you focus on what triggered the eating episode and desire to eat. Writing about the issue that caused the stress can help you get to the core issue that caused you to use food in the first place. You won’t necessarily realize that when you first write it, but reading what you wrote later, when your mind is clearer, can help you get to the bottom of the issue and what really sets you off on an eating binge.
If you’re busy writing, you aren’t eating.
If you make it a habit to reach for your journal when you feel like you want to eat due to an emotional situation, it gives you a chance to pause and rethink it or at least slows you down. If you’re writing, while you might also have a snack in hand, it takes time and that time can be enough for your stomach to send a message to the brain that it’s full. You focus more on the why and think about it, rather than just go through the motions of eating and avoiding the feelings.
Journaling can help you see a pattern and understand your feelings more thoroughly.
The act of journaling can be an emotional release, but it also helps you learn the pattern you’ve established with food and emotions. The more information you give, the easier it is to recognize the pattern. Eventually, you’ll learn to make more appropriate changes and learn new ways to deal with frustration, anger, sadness or stress. It’s far easier, when you understand your own feelings.
- Journaling can be done on paper, in a notebook or on a digital device. Keep your journal private, so you’ll be more apt to include more personal emotions and be honest with your entries.
- While there’s no right or wrong way to journal, putting a date at the top of the page can be important. It gives you an opportunity to look back on your feelings.
- Don’t judge your thoughts before you write them down, there’s no right or wrong thought.
- Journaling can help you discover the types of food you eat for emotional release. While you’re learning to deal with issues, you can find healthier foods that simulate those you’ve been eating. Instead of potato chips, get that crunch from celery.
For more information, contact us today at Wellness On A Dime Coaching