Are you tired of mindlessly snacking your way through the day whenever you feel stressed out? Do you find yourself reaching for chips, chochy or lattes out of boredom or emotional stress? If so, grab a herbal tea and learn five ways to combat emotional and stress eating. Its time to take control of your snacking habits and create a more mindful approach to nourishment with my 5-Day Mindful Snacking Challenge!
Emotional & Stress Eating
We both know that iced Frappuccino didn't just jump into your hand. Neither did the packet of barbeque Shapes that were destined for the kids' lunchboxes. The reality is, stress eating is often such an automatic response, we don't even realise we are doing it UNTIL afterwards!
Cue the inner mean girl, guilt, self-judgement and all the rest. But it doesn't have to be a vice. Stress eating is simply a bad habit, a knee-jerk response, and one that 100% can be changed and overcome. And I am about to share the simple way you can kick-start the process!
The 5-Day Mindful Snacking Challenge
Ready to stop mindless snacking in the next five days? Well, I'm about to share the easy yet deeply transformative practice that can effectively help you break free from the cycle oversnacking and emotional or stress eating. On the challenge, you'll learn how to recognise and identify your emotional triggers, what to do instead, and how to develop healthier eating habits all at the same time.
Say goodbye to mindless, stress eating and hello to a healthier relationship with food!
To start the 5-Day Mindful Snacking Challenge, choose a day (like Monday) to start, and then number your calendar for the week from 1 to 5. Each day return to this blog article to read the day's strategy (or tune in the Facebook group).
Screenshot or print off this post, and apply the method for each day as you go about your daily life. Be proactive and see if you can catch yourself in moments before you reach for food as comfort. If its after the fact, don't be discouraged. Its actually the first step in realising change needs to happen here and a positive sign of process. Awareness is key. Then you can begin to do something about it.
I'd love to hear how your journey goes with the challenge. Pop down and say hello in the comments. I'm even going to have a special giveaway for those of you who actively participate here on the blog--you don't want to miss out!
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The 5-Day Mindful Snacking Challenge
Ready? Let's deep dive into this! Simply follow the prompts for each day and see how you go over the next week. At the end of the week, hop in the Facebook Community to share your experience.
Day 1: Pause & Assess Hunger Cues
Before reaching for a snack, take a moment to pause and assess your hunger levels. Are you actually experiencing genuine physical hunger, or is it being driven by an emotional trigger or something else? Take a moment to check-in with yourself and your emotional versus physical state.
This practice allows you to tune into your body and differentiate between true hunger and other factors that may be influencing your snacking habits. If you are having one of those days where the kids are running riot and your morning has already got to pot before 10am, chances are that sugary snack in your hand is a stress response. Put the Danish down, step away and breathe instead.
Ask yourself what you really need right now (and its not that sweet pastry). Then go do what you can in the moment to be kind to yourself and satisfy the emotional need without food stuff.
Day 2: Determine Your Hunger Vs. Emotional Needs
Once you've tried assessing your hunger throughout the day, its time to get in the habit of asking yourself what your body truly needs in that moment. Is it nutrients to balance your blood sugar levels, hydration to combat thirst, or it actually emotional support that you need right now?
By taking a moment with yourself to dial in and identifying your genuine needs, you can then start to make more health conscious choices that align with your well-being. This is such a critical step working towards breaking the cycle of stress eating and mindless snacking.
Day 3: Explore Healthier Alternatives
You know that TimTam or the leftovers on your kid's plate does not need to end up in your mouth. But somehow it's popped in there and your awareness is an after thought. Before you cue the guilt and inner mean girl marches in, forgive yourself, and then congratulate yourself. You just recognised yourself stress eating in the moment.
Now, I know realising it after the fact might still seem like a stuff up, but I assure you its not! In fact its a sign of progress that you are beginning to recognise this automatic response in action, and that means you can now start to do more to combat it in future.
The next time catch yourself mindlessly snacking, pivot and put the biscuit down and then explore a healthier alternative (even if you don't end up eating just then). Craving a sugar hit? Try apple slices with a but of nut butter. Want savory and salty, try avocado smashed on a quinoa rice cake. Once you can catch yourself grabbing a snack, you can then work towards going for more nutrient-dense options such as fresh high-fibre, sweet tasting fruits, crunchy vegetables, or a handful of salted nuts.
These sorts of food choices provide nourishment while satisfying your hunger. They are great buffer while you are still in the process of ending the cycle of emotional and stress eating. At first, allow the snack but just make it a healthy one. Later on as this becomes habit, you can work harder towards only eating when you legit are hungry.
Day 4: Practice Portion Control
Another aspect of mindful snacking is practicing portion control. I think its fair to say we've all had our hand in a bag of crips and without realising it, devoured everything but the seasoned dust. Portion control is so important and is another excellent way to start regulating your eating habits and reduced stress eating.
So, instead of mindlessly devouring the whole bag of Smith's Double-Crunch chips, portion only a measured amount into a small dessert bowl, and be sure to savour each bite. Pay attention to the chip flavour, its crunchy texture, and satisfying sensation of enjoying the food itself. This approach might sound counter-productive, but its not. Mindful eating is an empowering way to find balance and allows you to still enjoy a snack (in moderation) while you are learning to become more in tune with your body's signals of satisfaction.
Day 5: Reflect & Learn Your Hunger Cues
After eating today, take a moment to reflect on how you feel physically and emotionally. Did you really need that bowl of berry swirl yogurt or extra latte? Were you thirsty, and not really that hungry because you'd only just had lunch not long ago? Did you misinterpret your emotional cues as hunger cues when what you really needed was a little self-care?
Begin to really notice any changes in your energy levels, mood, or sense of satisfaction throughout the day. For many people, especially us mums, our needs can fluctuate throughout the day. For some mid-morning might be that peak time where you begin to feel under stress or restless and reach for second cappuccino to boost your mood. For others, it often the late afternoon when energy crashes, nerves get frayed and a chocolate biscuit with your tea does the trick.
The above self-reflection can help you become more aware of your needs during your day so you can start making healthier choices or begin to put in place non-food related supports. The impact of doing this means you'll soon begin to snack less, and can become more focused on topping up your self-care habits instead.
You Completed The Mindful Eating Challenge!
Congratulations if you've followed the challenge this far! By embracing these simple principles and strategies found in the Mindful Snacking Challenge, you can kick-start a much healthier relationship with food, quit the mindless snacking, and create a more balanced approach to nourishment. Just keep at it, rinse and repeat the challenge steps until you have real and truly mastered these bite-sized strategies. I promise, it's going to make such a difference, and leave you feeling much more in control of your stress levels and your food choices.
Remember, this challenge is not about perfection, but rather about creating progress and encouraging self-discovery. Be kind to yourself throughout the journey and celebrate your big and small victories. One way I recommend that clients do this is with an Emotion Journal, a place where you write your private thoughts, feelings and reflect on your emotional wellbeing. If you'd like to try this, click here to grab my beautifully designed reflection journal, or visit the shop.
You truly do have the power to transform your snacking habits, and nourish yourself in a kind, and more mindful and fulfilling way. You got this!
Want a little support while on the Mindful Snacking Challenge? Join us in the Eat Nourish Glow Facebook Community as we use this transformative challenge to create a much needed positive impact your well-being. And remember, nourishing yourself goes way beyond the food you consume—it's all about nurturing your mind, body, and soul.
Healthy + happiness,
Emma Lisa xx
HEALTH & NUTRITION PRACTITIONER
Check my healthy, wholefood-based dessert recipes that you can enjoy guilt-free!
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