Stress Eating: Causes & Solutions

You are probably very familiar with the term “stress eating.” Many of us do it- eat when we are stressed or overwhelmed. This type of eating is mindless and numbing, and usually serves only as a brief distraction from our worries. At the same time, it fill is with (often) unhealthy food, unnecessary calories and a negative relationship with food. So, why do we do it???

Causes of Stress Eating

1) Lack of Stress Management Skills

If stress causes overeating, it seems obvious that the worse we are at managing stress, the more likely we are to stress eat. Many of us have no other ways to combat stress or feel completely debilitated by stress and feel we have no other options than eating.

2) Cortisol

Often times when our bodies experience stress, it impacts our hormones- specifically our stress hormone, cortisol. This is the hormone responsible for our “fight or flight” response so it makes sense that it would kick into gear during times of stress. The problem with this increase in cortisol is that it often causes an associated increase in appetite. Hello, stress eating!

3) Comfort Foods

When our bodies experience stress, other hormones are impacted too. Insulin and ghrelin (our hunger hormone) also feel the effects. This impact causes us to crave foods high in fat and sugar. Why? These types of foods (often known as comfort foods) seem to chill out the part of our brain that sends stress signals.

4) Fear of Emotions

As human beings, we are emotional creatures. This means that we experience a wide variety of emotions, running the entire spectrum from positive to negative. But a lot of us think that when negative emotions appear (sadness, frustration, anger, overwhelm, etc.) we have to stop them immediately and can’t allow ourselves to feel them. So, we look for an immediate distraction. Again, this is often food.

So, given all of this, what can we do about it? Well, there are several proactive steps you can take to manage stress and keep stress eating at bay. Here are some suggestions:

1) Physical Activity

Getting up and getting the blood flowing and getting fresh oxygen can be a key component to managing stress. This is all about building serotonin and oxytocin- neurotransmitters/hormones that will counteract cortisol. In addition to that benefit, this type of movement can be a welcome distraction from your source of stress and is a great way to reset your brain so things become a little clearer and more focused. Its amazing how getting active for just a few minutes can change your perspective and help you feel refreshed and more capable. You can dance around your house, take the dog for a walk, climb some stairs, have sex, do yoga, or anything else you can think of that gets the blood flowing!

2) Meditation

Meditation is a wonderful stress management tool as it can calm both the body and mind simultaneously. In addition to providing that calming effect, it can also help build mindfulness skills which can translate to more mindful eating. So, you will be much more aware of your eating, which may stop you from reaching for those comfort foods. You can get these effects from meditating for as little as 5 minutes a day! New to meditation? Try a guided meditation app to help you learn the ropes and feel more comfortable.

3) Sleep

Getting solid quality sleep can help ensure your body’s resources are replenished to help you fight stress. Utilize the following tips to make sure you are getting quality sleep every night:

 Make your sleeping environment as dark as possible. Consider getting blackout curtains or use an eyemask.

• Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco near bedtime
• Keep your bedroom between 60 and 68 degrees
• Avoid TV and other blue light (computer screens) in bed
• Try to go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time every morning. You will create an internal sleep clock for yourself.
• Create a pre-sleep routine that does NOT include your phone or TV. Try reading a book, sipping a cup of tea, or meditation.

4) Build Your Stress Management Toolkit

There are numerous other things you can do to help you manage stress on an ongoing basis. All of these things combined create your “stress management toolkit” which can be comprised on things you do every day, things you do periodically, and things you do when stress arises. In addition to the above suggestions, this toolkit can include baths, journaling, spending time in nature, talking to a friend, do art activities, listening to music, stretching, volunteering, exercising, doing games or puzzles, reading, or anything else that makes you feel calm and good.

Start working on building your Stress Management Toolkit today!