Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat for Binge Eating by Michelle May M.D

Author:Michelle May M.D. [Michelle May]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: -
Publisher: BookBaby
Published: 2020-02-28T16:00:00+00:00

Shift Them

Emotions are often felt as energy in your body, so the ability to shift your physical and emotional energy helps keep you in balance. For example, when you feel stressed, anxious, or uptight, you may need to unwind and calm yourself down. When you feel sad, lonely, or tired, you may need to do something to feel energized.

Many people who struggle with food have learned to shift their moods and energy by eating. One way to expand your repertoire beyond food is to use other physical sensations to calm or energize yourself. Think of how a young baby learns to soothe or stimulate her nervous system without the aid of a parent. She may cry, rock back and forth, suck her thumb, listen to a lullaby, watch a colorful mobile, cuddle a teddy bear, sniff her favorite blankie, play with squeaky toys, or kick her arms and legs. These sensory activities—sight, sound, taste, touch, smell, and other physical sensations such as movement—have a soothing or stimulating effect on the nervous system. Here are a number of ideas to inspire you.

Sight: Look at a photograph of a favorite person or animal, nature scene, or memorable vacation. Watch the view through a window. Gaze at your favorite color. Use soft light in your environment or allow more light in by opening the curtains.

Sound: Listen to nature sounds. Focus on the sound of a ticking clock or a fan. Listen to yourself breathing (experiment with plugging your ears as you listen). Play energizing or calming music. Create mood-setting playlists. Play drums or another musical instrument.

Taste: Since you probably tend to soothe yourself orally already, try to de-emphasize food flavors as you build your repertoire. Instead, try brushing your teeth, chewing minty gum, or sipping on flavored herbal teas or lemon water.

Aromas: Light a scented candle. Apply scented lotion. Use aroma therapy oils that are calming or stimulating. Smell flowers, your baby’s lotion, your partner’s cologne, or freshly squeezed lemon. Be cautious about using food-related scents, as they can be a trigger.

Physical sensations: Rock or sway gently. Caress a favorite fabric or rub a smooth stone. Pet your dog or cat. Take a hot bath or a cold shower. Massage your hands, feet, shoulders, or neck. Feel the breeze or a fan. Sit quietly and see if you can feel your pulse in your fingertips. Take a walk around the block or down the hall. Go for a swim. Stretch your muscles. Practice yoga or Tai Chi. Clean a room. Dance to upbeat music. Apply an ice pack or a heating pad. Rub on alcohol hand gel. Go outside or come inside for a change in temperature. Have a massage or other body work.

It takes practice to retrain your nervous system to relax using new techniques. You can start by trying a few of these activities for a few minutes before turning to food. If you are already aware of times of high stress or low energy when you’re particularly vulnerable to bingeing, you might consider planning another energy-shifting activity.

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