You ate three doughnuts and you didn’t even really want one. But you felt worried and anxious. About what? Who knows - probably about everything and nothing. And so you sought to stop the thoughts. You picked up the food - you chewed. Mindlessly, you chewed until you weren't thinking anymore. And the you ate another because....well...I mean...why not? (Sound familiar? Been there - done that - right?! Yup.)
Now, you feel uncomfortably full and sick. But also mad. You didn't even want the doughnuts - not to mention they didn't even taste very good. You fell for the same tricks as usual - turning to food you don't want to solve problems. But now you're full of crappy doughnuts and you're back to being worried and anxious.
It's a vicious cycle. And when you read it like that, you can scream at yourself to stop - to listen to your body. It seems so simple - just don't eat the damn doughnuts. But being in that position and following that trick is common among so many of us. You aren't alone in the cycle - millions of people are circling through it as well. Blame it on the sugar filled, easy to find foods that send our endorphins into overdrive when we eat them - we begin to seek that feeling whenever we have feelings we don't want to deal with.
The absolute first step towards any kind of break in this cycle is to be aware that you are in it and be able to recognize the moments when it happens. You might have to stay in this step for awhile before you can make any progress because often times self-awareness is the thing we run from most. Self-awareness means having to be honest with yourself, your flaws and with other people.
It's a hard step.
But not impossible.
With this step, you regain your power.
So forgive yourself for the doughnuts (or insert whatever food you turned too), write down how you felt before you ate them - while you ate them - and after you ate them. This is the first record of your awareness of the cycle. Add to the record anytime you feel yourself falling into the cycle or when you are in the cycle. You'll start to see a pattern emerge when you analyze the record.
This is the first step in being aware and you will take back your power.
I've been through this cycle many times and slowly I have regained my power. If you want to talk about your struggle - I'm here! Reach out any time.
Do you relate to this cycle? Have you developed coping skills? Let me know!