The Hidden Place Where Snacking Occurs
There's a type of overeating that most people do without realizing. Overeating, emotional eating, and stress (that makes everything worse) crop up in the spaces between things.
In the car on the way to the next thing.
At the office when one meeting is over and it's time to dive into a project.
After dinner and before bed.
Looking at your to-do list and not feeling clear about where to start.
When you come home from work.
When you finish something big.
Transitions are a place of disruption between one pattern or flow (like being at work) and another (arriving home and stepping into a new role).
Start noticing the transition points in your day and in your life. Chances are pretty good that these are also some of your most challenging points of the day. Transitions are a place where many people grab something to eat — mindlessly out of habit, as a way of procrastinating "the next thing," getting an energy boost, or even rewarding yourself while simultaneously forging ahead.
Here's an easy recipe for handling transitions without overeating. Once you've identified your transition points, create small ways to pause and center or check in with yourself before you move on to the next thing. The easiest way to start is to create teeny tiny rituals or habits that you do when you are transitioning.
Things like:
– Get up and stretch
– Go fill your water glass
– Take 10 deep breaths
– Walk around the office or your house
– Change your clothes or wash your face (when you get home from work)
– Brew a cup of tea
– Take a 10 minute break
A client started a lovely new ritual of lighting a candle when she gets home as a way to mark her transition.
Another client transitions into meals by stopping and blessing her food.
As you pay more attention to your transitions, tune in to the hidden hungers you're using the food to feed (this free quiz can help). You may amaze yourself with what you discover.
Focus on this one thing, and the payoff can be huge.
Visit TooMuchonHerPlate.com, where Melissa McCreery shares tips and resources for moving beyond the 3 Os — overwhelm, overload, and overeating — so that you can create a life you love. To get her most up-to-date tips and strategies for making changes that last, subscribe to free newsletter and sign up to take the free Hidden Hungers Quiz.
