Recognizing emotional choices - and making different ones
I've been talking with a few clients lately about how stress and anxiety can affect our eating (and overall well being), including causing us to make choices that aren't in line with their long-term goals. How do we manage the periods where we're frustrated with how slow the progress on the scale seems to be, or with the demands being put on us both at work and at home, with how exhausting life seems to be, or with how far away our goals seem? How do we not just say "screw it," and instead stay the course?
I know it's easier said than done, but we first want to do our best to extend ourselves a little bit of grace if we "fall off the wagon" a bit. It happens. We're human - all of us. And there are going to be weeks where we're 100% on point and freaking rocking it and feeling great, and weeks where we aren't. It doesn't mean that we are "good" or "bad." The more we can think about these periods as data, as information-gathering (why did I make these decisions? what else was going on in my life? how did it make me feel? what might I do differently next time?) to help us navigate future situations, the less shame or guilt we feel we must carry.
One thing that's really helped me - which I got from my own nutrition coach - is calling out emotional choices for what they are. Like, literally naming them to yourself (I admittedly sometimes even do it out loud). You might say to yourself, "I am stress eating these cookies because I am worried about my mom's illness" or "I am binge watching this show instead of doing my workout because I feel a lot of anxiety around needing to close my next deal." These aren't value judgments on the behavior, necessarily; it's calling it out for what it is.
And it doesn't mean that it's a good excuse for the behavior. But it can help us recognize what we're feeling, and why - which can 1) help us know and understand ourselves better, and 2) encourage or motivate us to make better decisions - decisions that are more aligned with our long-term goals, and not short-term fixes for our emotions. This is only one strategy, and may not resonate with everyone; but if it does for you, give it a try next time you find yourself reaching for that stress snack or wanting to skip out on your exercise. You may find that even the act of simply recognizing and naming what's happening helps you make a different decision.
And when you "fall off the wagon," remember - the most important thing is getting back on. You start with the very next decision you can make, and then the next, and go from there. Stay the course!
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