Stress and anxiety are part of everyday life. Whether it be school, work, family, etc., these problems can fill up our minds and prevent us from being in the moment.
Did you know that we have an average of 60,000 thoughts a day? Our minds are always working to make sure we are safe. And those thoughts are filtering, planning, responding and reacting. While this is beneficial and our minds job, it can be detrimental to our mental and physical health. Sometimes, without thinking about it, we resort to food to cope with our thoughts. That is why I am always talking about the space between the thought to eat and the action to eat. In order to cope with stress, anxiety, pain, even boredom, our minds try to solve the "problem" with something more fun and this can lead to poor eating habits.
Many assume that the most essential aspect of developing better eating habits is to change the foods you consume, including diets. But what if I told you there is a way for you to continue eating what you love while also taking care of your body and mind?
One of the key action steps I give my clients is to find their mind when it might drift off to something besides the moment you are in.
Repeat after me:
Where is my body?
Right here.
Where is my mind?
Where is your mind? Find it! Your mind could be on a presentation for work tomorrow, something you regret from yesterday, or so many other things. Finding your mind and making sure it's in your body is the most important step forward in your wellness journey. This action step will help you practice mindful eating, meaning you are aware if you are hungry or just looking for something fun. We are working on the space between the thought to eat and the action to eat. Once you know you are thinking about food you can jump right into rule #1: eat when you are hungry instead of eating to "feel" better.
Saying you want to change is a step in the right direction, but now we must take action. Thankfully, there are so many ways we can tame our minds. Thankfully our minds can be changed instantly and we can train our minds to come back to this moment, we just need to begin to notice when our thoughts go to what happened yesterday or from thinking about what we are going to eat next Wednesday. A helpful tool that I use is meditation - whether it be a five-minute video online or a mantra you create on your own, practicing mindfulness through meditation can clear the mind and open a path to focusing on the present moment. I make it easy for myself. Sometimes I use an app, sometimes I just google a meditation on you tube. I type in the length of time I am willing to meditate for and the intention I want and that's it. I make meditation non-negotiable in my life, which means I do it everyday, even if I don't want to. We all need to tame our minds, or train our minds and the good news it's all doable.
Your physical and mental health are intertwined - to be good physically you need to feel good mentally, and to feel good mentally you need to feel good physically. Take steps to care for both your body and mind and practice self love to encourage healthy eating habits!
Live in the moment. Don’t let the past and future weigh you down! You are stronger than your stress and anxiety.
Xx
Kim
P.S. Come visit me on Instagram and leave a 🍓 in the comments for a little treat from me.
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Kim Shapira
dietitian and nutrition therapist.
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