Is Emotional Eating a Healthy Coping Mechanism?

Emotional eating isn’t always bad, but when done to consistently numb certain feelings, it could be a sign of a problem.

Perhaps you’ve had a really terrible day at work and end up eating the entire pan of lasagna. Or you’re celebrating your birthday and grab cake and a few bottles of wine because what else is there to do during a pandemic? Emotional eating is a totally valid way to react to any range of emotions. When we think about big holidays, family gatherings and other special events, food is a celebration. Food can also help soothe our stress and emotional pain during challenging times.

Although there’s nothing wrong with seeking food to cope with feelings, it can become an issue if it’s something you’re doing consistently. Do you have other coping mechanisms aside from food or do you find that it’s your go-to for when you’re feeling certain emotions? If you’re experiencing the latter, here are some strategies that may be helpful.

Assess What Your Current Coping Mechanisms Are.

Having a variety of coping tools can help you sit with and process emotions. However, it’s important to distinguish whether these tools are numbing your emotions or actually helping you work through them. In my experience working with clients, consistently seeking food for emotional relief is usually done for the numbing effect.

Head on over to FOOD NETWORK to read the full article! Is Emotional Eating a Healthy Coping Mechanism?