Feed the Passion You Hunger for

This morning, Anna Stookey, a psychotherapist in Beverly Hills specializing in health and wellness issues, joined us for her discussion about emotional eating. In caregiving, you can feel like you eat for two—you and your stress. It can seem so easy to reach for the Oreos, especially when it seems the Oreo offers just what you think you need. (You can listen to our show via the player at the bottom of this post.)

Today, Anna challenged us a different way to look at our hunger. Consider: What does eating provide for us, she said. We can ask ourselves: Can I meet that need in another way other than eating?

And, as family caregivers, you become so used to “doing” that eating is another thing “to do.” And, it could be something we do when we really we need a nap or rest, but feel too guilty to do just that.

To better understand how you feel, Anna suggested we list our feelings and then determine how that feels in our bodies. This way, we can understand your physical cues. For instance, perhaps when you’re tired, you can feel your sense of humor slowly disintegrate—a signal you need to rest. Or, when you’re feeling lonely, your body decides to pace the house. The pacing becomes a signal to reach out to a friend or family member rather than to the ice cream. The feeling of loneliness is different than the feeling of hunger—we can know the difference, Anna said.

Anna also suggested we really think what hunger feels like, assigning our hunger a number from 0 to 4, with 0 being the lowest and 4 being the highest (you are really hungry). Then when you find yourself reaching for food, rank your level of hunger. If you’re really not hungry, then move away from the food.

Anna also said that family caregivers give away so much away that they forget about the artful, creative parts of life. What are the true hungers in your life? Feed those passion, she said. Make a list of five to six activities that “light you up inside” (hobby, songs, friends, etc.) then reach for that list (not the Doritos!) when you have a craving. Integrate an activity from your list into your day, every day.

Resources

• The Body Reunion Solution

• Breaking Free from Emotional Eating by Geneen Roth

Related articles

• The Genesis of Shame (caregiving.com)

Tags: mindful eating, self-care