How To Avoid Irregular Eating Habits When Sad
A person who has emotional problems and displays irregular eating habits is said to suffer from an eating disorder. Such a person either experiences a loss of appetite or indulges in overeating. It’s a well-known fact that feelings of sadness can strike anyone at any age, regardless of his or her socio-economic status. Fortunately, you can avoid falling prey to abnormal eating habits, using your willpower and by following the below-listed tips:
1. Check If You’re Really Hungry!
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Unlike physical hunger, an emotion-fuelled hunger overwhelms you suddenly and prompts you to satiate it instantly. The worst part of all this is that you continue eating even if you get full. Make sure your craving for food is actually linked to your stomach rather than your feelings of sadness. You can easily do this by looking for physical cues like a rumbling stomach or a general feeling of exhaustion.
2. Regularize Your Mealtimes!
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Quite often, most of us skip meals at normal eating hours, when we are feeling miserable. Our irregular eating hours only increase our appetite abnormally. As a result, we tend to over-eat, later and fall ill. If you are also doing the same, then you should set an alarm in your clock or phone to remind you about your regular mealtimes.
3. Avoid Junk Food And Eat Healthy!
Photo by When we’re sad, we reach out for foods with specific taste to soothe our minds. These are known as ‘comfort foods’ and vary from person-to-person. Unfortunately, we prefer to eat oily, salty, or sugar-laden high-calorie treats as comfort foods. However, your comfort foods don’t need to be unhealthy, always. Try to find and consume a healthy and delectable alternative to the junk food of your choice. Have a fruit, salad, soup, yogurt, or oil-free snack instead of binging on ice-creams, colas, fried chips or other greasy fast foods.
4. Eat Small Portions And Slowly!
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Wolfing down large pieces of your meal and that too in a rushed manner will only make you eat a great deal more than you need and also leave your mind unsatisfied. The reason behind this fact is that your brain fails to register the feeling of satisfaction even when your stomach is full. When you eat slowly, then it is easy to savor each morsel and also keep your mind devoid of depressive thoughts!
5. Drink Water Regularly!
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More often than not, a sad person may mistake his thirst for food cravings. Consequently, that person will try to satiate this feeling by eating food, without any success. So, if you’re depressed and feeling unexpected hunger, then first start checking for signs of thirst. By drinking water habitually, whether thirsty or not, you will you be able to control your emotion-induced hunger as well as keep your mind calm and body toxin-free.
6. Do Something Productive Or Creative!
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When you do your favorite creative work, your brain gets distracted in a positive manner and your mood improves a lot. You can also complete productive tasks to keep your mind away from negative thoughts and their effects. Draw pictures, clean your room, wash laundry, paint your nails, or do something interesting to make you feel better.
7. Exercise, Meditate, Or Practice Yoga
Photo by Walking, running, work outs, or yoga poses help you to strengthen your body, boost the immune system, and release the ‘feel good’ hormone, the endorphin. Consequently, you will start experiencing positive feelings. You may also perform meditation as it helps to calm your mind and body. It allows you to control your emotions and their effects on your appetite.
8. Connect With Family And Friends!
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Make a phone call, send a text message, or connect online with your loved ones to share your feelings, get emotional support, and feel a sense of belonging. You can also ask for their help if you find yourself unable to fight off your eating-related irregularities.
Forever keep in mind, “health is wealth“. No matter how you feel, you should always strive to maintain healthy eating habits and avoid emotional eating, at all cost.