Why People Overeat and How to Conquer Indulgent Behaviours
If you’ve found yourself eating or drinking more during isolation, you’re not alone and you’re not powerless if you want to change this. With more time on our hands at present, it’s tempting to turn to takeaway or a bottle of wine as a quick cure for boredom. Let’s be clear: There’s nothing wrong with treating yourself! Being in isolation hasn’t been a time to be tricked into imposing strict pressures on yourself just so you come out of this pandemic thriving. However, we can be fooled by the connection between our indulgent behaviours and relationship with ourselves. And if you’ve read our post on negative self-talk, you’ll know your thoughts determine the way you perceive yourself. But with food and alcohol, it’s easy to turn a blind eye to consumption’s connection with our inner dialogue. Normalised Behaviours Gone Awry Eating and drinking are normalised behaviours, forming a central role in social rituals, from family gatherings to lunch with friends to large celebrations, so it’s no wonder isolation has seen a spike in consumption. What else is there to do?! While there’s nothing wrong with enjoying yourself, we’re all susceptible to over-indulgence becoming a habit. In fact, indulgent behaviour means we’re acting on autopilot, and when we consume on autopilot, it’s hard to reverse these behaviours. We also let negative self-talk determine our behaviours. Feeling bored or lonely? Being hard on yourself for not being productive? Food or alcohol are simple solutions to quieten those voices, providing immediate comfort. And yet, while you treat the people you love with respect, kindness and compassion, unless you have the same adoring relationship with yourself, you’re not likely to treat your body with the same respect. It may sound like an obvious revelation, but it’s hard to control our indulgent behaviours in the present, especially when these behaviours are reinforced by self-defeating beliefs and ideas. And without learning to be mindful of our consumption patterns, we risk letting sweet pleasures become sour habits. Eat because you enjoy it, not because you’ll feel bad without it. Drink to enrich your social experiences, not to cope with the pressures of life. If you feel you’re on autopilot, or heading down that road, remember: You have a choice. You’re in control. You don’t have to hide. What To Do? Instead of making choices that numb the experience of what you don’t want (like avoiding feeling lonely or bored or unproductive), make a conscious decision to focus on what you want. Do you want to feel energised? Clear-headed? In control of your emotions? If you become aware of your thoughts and emotions, you can learn how to stop yourself from automating these indulgent behaviours and instead empower your decision making. To learn more about how you can switch off the autopilot and be in charge of your eating and drinking habits, get in touch with us today.
