Living in the time of Coronavirus means we're spending more time than ever within the confines of our homes. The further we're getting into quarantine, the more we're feeling a bit like caged animals and we're all fairly certain we were not meant to spend this much time with other humans, no matter how much we love them.
Cue all the stress.
If you've found yourself heading to the kitchen more than usual, looking for something to ease your boredom or stress, you're not alone. The good news is, you can conquer your snacking habits if you follow these 5 pointers for how to stop stress or boredom eating!
1. Whenever you're feeling the urge to snack, drink a glass of water first
Drinking a glass of water before you head for the snack drawer will help curb any phantom hunger pangs you might be feeling, and give you a chance to decide if you're actually hungry or just bored. Which leads to our next tip...
2. Ask yourself, Am I hungry or bored?
A few years back, in an effort to stop eating out of boredom, I started a new practice. Whenever I have the urge to snack on something, I stop and ask myself, Am I hungry enough to eat an apple right now? If the answer is no, then I know I only want to snack because I'm bored. So ask yourself, Am I hungry enough to eat a piece of fruit? No? Then I guess you're bored and not, in fact, in need of a snack!
3. Do 20 jumping jacks
I know it might sound crazy, but if you're sitting around at home and find yourself snacking more than usual, before you head to the kitchen, stand up and do 20 jumping jacks, or pushups, or sit-ups - you choose! Sometimes all you need to do is move your body and give your mind a chance to focus on something else to do other than eat.
4. Keep your hands busy
When you're hanging out watching TV or scrolling the internet, it's easy to mindlessly snack on things. It often has nothing to do with being hungry, and more to do with needing to do something with your hands.
Instead of snacking, take out the kids LEGOs and build something while you watch TV. Buy some sort of fidget toy to keep your hands busy. Color or draw while you lounge. There are a multitude of fun ways to keep those hands busy so they don't have time to lift all the snacks from your bowl to your mouth.
5. Keep tracking your food
Arguably, the best way to hold yourself accountable and overcome stress eating, is to continue tracking everything you eat. Make sure you're doing this, even if you've eaten more than you wish you had. Give yourself a chance to see what's going into your body every day, so you don't get too far off track while you're quarantined at home.
Remember, this isn't a perfect practice. Show yourself grace and patience during this time, and always for that matter. Let us know if you try any of these tips and how they worked for you. We believe in you and we're in this together!