Nervous Eating- How to Deal
Anxiety is something that many, if not all, of us suffer from or have had some form of encounter with it. For that reason we find ways to cope with it and one of them being: Nervous Eating.
As a person that suffers from anxiety and panic attacks, I know all too well about nervous eating. I especially had to deal with this during my competition days which is where I learned to cope with it.
Before we get into tips that helped me, we have to figure out why this is happening. A quick fix won’t help if you don’t get to the bottom of it. First, nervousness refers to the fact that there is some level of anxiety present. Nervous eating is an attempt to soothe that anxiety. In essence, it’s emotional eating — turning to food to help us cope. Just like you will see some people fidgeting, eating is just that. Eating activates with the parasympathetic nervous system AKA relaxation response. When we start eating, we begin to feel relaxed which is what we desire as humans.
Now that we understand what is going on with our bodies, let’s try to STOP this nervous eating. Please always note that you can always seek help and there are many great doctors out there that can help you more than I can. These are just some tips that I have learned over the years dealing with anxiety. I do take medication for my anxiety.
When you start getting that nervous feeling, you want to take a moment, take a deep breath and sit with that feeling. DO NOT try to make it go away! That will make it worse. You won't realize what is making you nervous (an exam at school, work deadline, casting, performance, health, etc.) It's ok to feel this way just like you would be sad, happy or angry. Now you can try to get your mind off it by these useful tips.
Ways to Deal With Anxious Eating
a hot bath
a massage
listening to music
listening to a podcast
meditation
reading a book
getting on social media (this is a tricky one- it helps me)
cuddling with my fur babies
talking to a friend or loved one
counting in my head (it helps take your mind off of whatever your anxious about)
staying away from the kitchen
drink water
drink coffee (black)
chew gum
workout
dancing
yoga
Nervous eating also becomes a habit that you can break using any of these tips. It's ok if you are not perfect and you may try some of these tips and then go and eat something. You made progress by realizing it and attempting to calm yourself. Just keep on trying and it will get easier with time and practice.
