5 things I have learned about emotional eating since I started working with my nervous system
Before I learned to connect with my body I used food to numb anxiety, overwhelm and stress.
Many call it emotional eating, I call it a missing connection and a way to escape the bodily sensations. A way to escape something that you don’t know how to approach and process. A way to find safety and nurturing.
By doing the inner work and getting to know my nervous system, I can recognise these states way faster nowadays and know how to recreate the missing connection. I can hold space for the present sensations and emotions in the body and be curious about them.
Sometimes I still reach for food or Netflix as an old way to soothe my being but nowadays it doesn’t take me long to recognise this old behaviour pattern.
A pattern that I used to be so ashamed of.
A pattern that I wanted to just get rid off and control so badly.
Until I learned that this pattern was actually there only to keep me feeling safe. When I learned that safety is actually an inner feeling that I can create and maintain, this pattern started to slowly change. There was no longer need for it to exist.
By learning to recognise the unique language of your body, you can start to see how different states of being show up in your body. And when you recognise the signs, you can consciously learn to fill the needs behind them and move through them.
By choosing curiosity over shame, you can start to unravel the story of your body and really hear what it is trying to tell you. With curiosity you can learn why certain patterns are actually “necessary” for you at this moment - until they are no longer needed.
And appreciating your body and all the ways it’s trying to keep you safe, makes your journey a whole lot easier. Self compassion is a tool that you can learn to use with practice.
5 things I have learned about emotional eating since I started working with my nervous system
1. Emotional eating is not something that we choose consciously therefore we can’t just stop it by just choosing to do so (unless we replace it with another numbing activity).
2. This behaviour pattern serves us by protecting us from the emotions, sensations and feelings in the body that we do not have the capacity or the tools to be with at this moment.
3. Emotional eating goes in cycles that are hard to break because we often don’t know how to look into the root causes of this behaviour. The cycle of success & failure creates shame that only adds into emotional overwhelm that we are already experiencing.
4. In order to change this pattern, start by recognising that every behaviour pattern is there for a reason. Get curious; When does it happen? How are you feeling when it happens? Is there a part of you that feels the need to numb with food? Be open and ask questions.
5. Just knowing that you emotionally eat when you’re overwhelmed is not enough to change the pattern. Connecting with the body and being with that overwhelmed part of you is the key. Ask this part, what does it need? And once you recognise the need behind this pattern, you can start to fulfil it differently.
If you have ever experienced emotional eating and shamed yourself for it, know that you’re not alone and there is no reason to be ashamed of it. It’s your body’s way to just keep you safe. And most importantly know that you can find the reasons behind this pattern and change it 🤍
If you would like support with your nutrition or overall wellbeing, I have spaces open for 1-1 somatic coaching. You can choose either a 3, 6 or 9 month container. Read more about my packages HERE.
Ps. If you would like to learn how to start connecting with your body, check out my post 3 Easy Ways to Practice Listening to Your Body Every Single Day
