Stress is a good thing, but that is only if you make yourself believe that, which I do. But eating all the time is not healthy because of the stress you’re under.
Whenever I open up to people about my stress eating issue, people always say, “Oh David, you just have a high metabolism” or “You’re too skinny.” Which is fine and acceptable because humor is a great way to deal with things and support people. But that is also a problem because, as a society, we don’t take mental health as seriously as we should still.
People like to over-dramatize stress eating, but research shows it is an actual issue that comes from dealing with stress by using instant gratification and is another category of mental health. Due to the 10 million things I have going on while going 100 million miles an hour, I find myself eating two breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, along with periodic snacking.
I’m not exercising or eating healthy either. I’m always in front of my computer working. The exercise I get is cleaning the house and doing chores.
I think the first thing I need to do to combat this is to define what stress eating is.
Understanding the negative aspects of your life and defining them can help you overcome is what I have always believed in.
Stress eating is a term used to describe the tendency of some people to engage in comfort eating or emotional eating when they are feeling overwhelmed or anxious. It’s a common problem and one that can have serious impacts on our physical, mental, and emotional well-being if left unchecked.
Let me reiterate: For me, stress is a positive thing because it means that I have active involvement in my life to control my own destiny. If I had no stress then my life would be complacent. It’s a positive thing.
But why do we stress eat? Let’s take a look at some of the most common reasons why we might turn to food for comfort:
- Stress triggers an increase in appetite hormones. When we experience stress, our bodies release the hormone cortisol, which can lead to an increase in appetite. This creates an urge to consume more calories than usual – even though the body actually doesn’t need them – resulting in mindless eating.
- Eating releases feel-good hormones: Eating certain types of food releases dopamine and serotonin, hormones associated with pleasure and relaxation. This encourages us to continue seeking out these feelings through food, resulting in unhealthy habits such as overindulgence and addiction.
- Food often serves as a distraction: When faced with difficult situations, turning to food can be a temporary distraction or escape from reality; albeit a short-term one at best!
By understanding the underlying causes of our stressful eating habits, we can look for healthier alternatives such as practicing mindfulness, engaging in calming activities like yoga or listening to music, and talking about our emotions rather than attempting to ignore them.
I wanted to speak up about this as the first step to figuring out how to beat this bad psychological habit.
The mind is a powerful tool and I must keep molding it to discover who I am to live the life I want.
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