Stress Eating: Food consumption not necessarily driven by hunger but rather by an urge to soothe the feelings associated with stress.
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*Stress (noun) pressure or tension exerted on a material object / / demand on physical or mental energy *Eat (verb) consume food // devour // feed d e s t r u c t I v e l y on *Canadian Oxford Dictionary definitions. Okay feed destructively is a little extreme and was in reference to “mosquitos eating human flesh” … but you’ve never seen me hangry. I can eat like it is nobody’s business. |
As outlined above, stress = pressure or tension exerted on a material object. That material object is you.
Stress is a normal part of life. Whether we stress over money, work, relationships or our body image, we are all capable of feeling stressed out.
What exactly is stress?
Stress is a biological response to life events. These biological changes include fluctuations in hormones, blood flow, muscle activity, respiration, perspiration and mental focus. Often linked to the “fight or flight” mode, the stress response prepares our bodies into one of these two states when faced with life demands. Want to learn more about stress? Check out – Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers by Robert Sapolsky, for a hilarious and informative account on stress research.
Stress: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
The stress response = survival. If your body didn’t experience the stress response, you likely would not survive.
- Good stress is what helps you get going when you need a little kick in the pants. Good stress helps you perform in job interviews, look both ways when crossing a busy intersection, complete time sensitive work assignments, play sports, etc.
- Bad stress is associated with chronic stress. When you are chronically stressed, health problems occur.
- The Ugly is the problematic ways you cope when stressed out. Enter: s t r e s s e a t i n g
Who stress eats?
To start off, not everybody stress eats. Some people when stressed out, don’t feel hungry at all. I am typically not one of those people. Stress eating and me are old friends. But it turns out there is research* to suggest there are stress factors that make people more likely to reach for the donuts and other factors that lead to no appetite at all...sans donut.
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Factors that increase stress eating behaviours:
Factors that decrease stress eating behaviours:
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Is there Hope for Stress Eating?
Of course! First off, it is okay to eat when you feel stressed. Mindless stress eating is actually the ugly stress. When you tune out of your body and leave the present moment while eating, you are losing out on the full benefits, pleasures and joys associated with eating. In addition, when we mindlessly eat, we often overeat or eat to a point of feeling uncomfortable. So now I am stressed out and bloated. Great. Where is the hope?
Hope = Mindful Eating
Mindful Eating is the act of eating by evoking all of your senses and staying present without judging yourself. Although the goal of mindfulness in itself is not to make you feel good, it often does feel soothing to tune into the sensations associated with eating. When I am able to pause, take a moment to orient myself to the present moment, and then tune into the act of eating a gooey-chocolatey-donut, boy-oh-boy, I do start to feel better. I am also more aware of how much I am eating.
This takes practice. It is very easy to get distracted while practicing mindfulness for the first time. There are ways to mitigate some distraction. Turn off the TV, avoid reading, and sit down at the table – are simple suggestions to keep you more present with your food, especially if you are using food to de-stress. Check out Mindful Eating: A Guide to Rediscovering a Healthy and Joyful Relationship with Food by Jan Chozen Bays for more information on mindful eating.
Want other techniques for de-stressing?
Click here for a quick list of de-stressing techniques for stress eaters.