Stress eating is a specific kind of emotional eating wherein stress is the main trigger of excessive face stuffing and cravings. Because it is a form of emotional eating, the ways on how to stop stress eating is pretty similar to that of emotional eating.

1. Recognize what is making you stressed.

• Knowing what gives you stress is the first step to managing your stress levels and your reaction to the stressor.
• Since identifying your stressors may be a challenge, writing down your moods or feelings in a journal helps in sifting through the daily happenings in life. With a journal you can easily spot if it your cause of stress, whether it is work, family, friendships, finances, etc.

2. Find other ways to manage your stress other than food.

• Stress management is different for everyone and it also depends on what makes you stressed.
• Some find comfort in doing something art related like drawing, painting or crafting.
• Others clear their head through physical activities such as walking, jogging, yoga or any other sport.
• Some have simple and instant pick-me-up moves such as listening to music, sniffing a calming scent (such as lavender) or stretching.

3. Check your fuel first.

• Some doctors and dieticians suggest thinking of the body like a car to avoid stress eating.
• This means to check the fuel levels before refuelling. Ask yourself, what time did you eat your last meal? Is that really a hunger pang you are feeling?
• Consciously checking your physical signs allows you to think first and helps you avoid stress eating.

4. Pause before you eat.

• Even if you really think you are hungry, pause for about 10 seconds before grabbing a snack when you are stressed.
• Pausing allows your brain to rationalize and your levels of cortisol to stabilize.
• Remember that if you are really hungry, you can eat anything. If you are just out to stress-eat, you have a certain craving.

5. Check your lifestyle.

• Are you getting enough sleep? Sleeping gives an overall feeling of well-being and lowers your stress levels. Having a proper sleep routine also helps you avoid reaching for food at odd hours.
• Are you on a diet? Different kinds of diet requirement cause changes in your body and not just your weight. More cortisol is generated if you do not eat enough or when you skip a meal, thus you feel more need to go stress-eating.
• Practice time management and organization so you are less stressed.

Tips

• If you are not fond of writing in a journal, find an app to substitute it instead.
• Talking to friends also help you vent and feel less stressed. But make sure you talk and not eat at the same time or you end up stress eating together.
• Find healthier substitutes for you go-to items when stress eating so that even if you eat when stressed, the damage on your body is not going to be as much.
• Try seeking professional help to address stress problems.

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