Americans use food for a variety of social and emotional reasons. Food is usually at the heart of socialization, celebrations and holidays. While turning to a pint of ice cream after a bad break up isn't the healthiest way to cope with feelings, it can be an occasionally healthy coping mechanism. When you turn to food on a regular basis to deal with your emotions, you put yourself at risk for obesity and its associated medical complications.
Step 1
Talk to a licensed counselor or therapist to work through complicated emotions or difficult life situations. Enlist his help in implementing alternate coping strategies other than eating.
Step 2
Keep a food journal to help identify when and why you are eating. Write down the foods you eat and make a note of how you're feeling each time you overeat. Look over the journal to recognize patterns and better understand your eating habits.
Step 3
Find activities and hobbies you enjoy to combat boredom and to distract you from eating.
Step 4
Exercise regularly. Exercise helps combat emotional eating by relieving stress, releasing feel-good emotions into your blood stream, improving your sleep and providing you with a healthy way to occupy your time.
Step 5
Practice mindful eating. Check in with yourself before you eat to make sure you're genuinely hungry. Eat slowly, smelling and tasting each bite. Focus on enjoying your food and emphasize the role food plays in nourishing your body.
Step 6
See your doctor to make sure you don't have underlying health problems that might influence your appetite or your desire to eat.
