Mindfulness, Feelings and Food

Mindfulness, Feelings and Food

We eat to celebrate, we eat to soothe hurts, we eat to deal with boredom, and we eat to distract ourselves. We eat when lonely or depressed to numb the pain, and we eat when stressed. We even sometimes eat “at someone” in anger or frustration. In our culture we have bestowed food with powers it was not designed for in humans. Food, in case you’ve forgotten, is for sustenance, to provide energy and strength to our bodies. Food is not designed to resolve emotional stress.

Since childhood we have linked food with celebration (Happy Birthday!), with helping us heal (Skinned knee? Oh, have a Twinkie. You’ll feel better.), and with numbing ourselves from emotional pain. I mean, come on, the research shows chocolate is good for depression!

Don’t get me wrong! I am not trying to say I am above using food to heal these affairs of the heart, but to say – it does not work! In the long run, after a time of eating to deal with feelings, we are fat, sick and unhappy, and we still have the unresolved emotions. Nor have we learned coping skills to deal with them as they arise again. And they will!

Becoming more mindful of our feeling state can help free us from this pattern. Here are a couple methods to experiment with:

For one day, log your food and feelings when eating. At the end of the day note the links between eating and feelings. Consider if the amount or pace of eating was influenced by your feelings at the time. Note the times you chose wisely despite your feelings. Explore whether just the act of logging your food and feelings increases your awareness and thus helps you make more mindful choices.

Experiment Two: This week as you find yourself being called to the bag of chips or cookies or ice cream, pause and ask yourself “What am I feeling?” Once identified, you can then choose to address the feeling more directly. You may choose to call the person you are upset with, finish a task you’ve been putting off, or allow yourself to feel the sadness - to cry. Or you can choose to go ahead and eat the food you are craving. Either way you have increased your mindful awareness of the role of feelings in your relationship with food.

JME Affirmation for the Day:

Today, I recognize and honor my feelings. As I become more and more conscious of feelings guiding my choices, I use my thinking mind to guide me to healthy food.