10 Alternatives to Stress Eating

Stress, worry, and anxiety…
Anger, frustration, and fear…
How are they connected to hunger? 

Stress and hunger: Stressful feelings are all part of life — that we all experience. Yet they trigger a release of adrenaline and cortisol — our body’s natural stress hormones. Aside from getting us ready to fight or flee, these hormones temporarily raise blood sugar levels, which, over time, may lead to greater hunger. Chronic stress can also interfere with digestion, sleep, and immune function. And stressful thoughts interfere with the more creative, resourceful, and logical parts of your brain that can help you problem-solve.

Staying in stress is not just bad for your body — it’s also bad for relationships and everyone you come in contact with. 

Finding Better Ways to Cope

So, what can we do about stress without turning to food? As you may know, eating or drinking familiar comfort foods can bring temporary respite. This happens because digestion activates the parasympathetic side of your nervous system, also called the “rest and digest” state. This state can calm you — but only temporarily. If you’re still mentally focused on the causes of your stress, your body remains on high alert, and no amount of food will provide lasting relief.

Whenever you feel like eating unplanned calories, try to notice if you’re physically hungry, or if the hunger feels more emotional. This is a gateway to mindful awareness of your physical state.

When Dr Roberts identified stress eating as a problem for herself, she decided to only stress-eat “self-extinguishing foods”. These are high-volume, low-calorie foods like raw vegetables and high-fiber cereals. Read about our favorite cereals here (click).

If devouring the produce section is not appealing, here are a few simple strategies to help you handle stress without reaching for snacks. As you read them, remember to start small. Consider just one technique to start — this is not a “mindfulness homework final exam” that you must stress over! Just trying one thing here can make a useful difference.

How to de-stress at home:

1. Grounding Exercise (4-3-2-1 Technique)

This quick exercise brings you back to the present by focusing on your senses. Identify:

• 4 things you can see
• 3 things you can touch
• 2 things you can hear
• 1 thing you can smell

This can help you “reset” and redirect your focus away from stress by interrupting the cascade of thoughts and feelings. Find even more grounding techniques here at Healthline.

2. Mindfulness Breathing

When you feel stressed, take a few deep breaths, paying attention to each inhale and exhale. Just 2-3 minutes of slow breathing can lower cortisol levels, ease tension and improve your focus. This is because when you’re calm and safe, your breathing is relaxed. So slowing down your breathing signals that “all is well.”

A particularly effective version of this is called Box Breathing (the 4-4-4-4 Technique) Inhale for 4 counts, hold for 4, exhale for 4, and hold the exhale for 4 before starting the cycle again. Box breathing can quickly help calm nerves and center the mind.

3. Gratitude Practice

Take a few moments to think about something you’re grateful for. Gratitude can shift your mind from stress to appreciation, which has been shown to improve mood and lower stress levels. You can also combine this with Journaling:

4. Journaling

Writing down your thoughts can help you process them, and it may even bring clarity to whatever is causing you stress. Set a timer for 5-10 minutes, and let your thoughts flow onto the page without judgment.

One version of journaling is the ‘Brain Dump’ Exercise: Write down everything on your mind without organizing it — in a “brain dump” — can be surprisingly freeing. Try it for 5 minutes and see how you feel.

5. Light Exercise

Even a short walk can help release endorphins, your body’s natural mood-lifters. Physical activity reduces stress hormones and improves your mood, making it a natural, effective way to manage stress.

6. Explore Non-Food Hobbies

Keeping your mind engaged in something enjoyable, like reading, drawing, crafting, gardening, puzzles, zentangles, sudoku, or time with pets can provide distraction and keep stress from leading to eating. If you don’t have a pet of your own, animal videos are also effective.

7. Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)

This technique is a quick way to release physical tension. Start by tensing and then relaxing each muscle group, moving up from your toes to your head. As you go, focus on the feeling of each muscle letting go of tension. This practice can help relax your body and calm your mind simultaneously.

8. Visualization or Guided Imagery

Close your eyes and imagine a peaceful place, whether it’s a beach, a quiet forest, or a cozy room. Use your 5 senses to make it as real as possible — what sounds, smells, or sensations are there? Visualization helps create a calming mental escape, even if just for a few minutes.

9. Set Small, Achievable Goals

When stress stems from a heavy to-do list, try breaking it down into tiny steps. Set a small, achievable goal for the day or even the next hour. Each completed step creates a feeling of accomplishment, which can reduce stress.

10. Practice Self-Compassion

Sometimes, simply acknowledging your stress and giving yourself permission to feel what you’re feeling can be powerful. Self-compassion can reduce an emotional need to eat by addressing your stress at its root.

Choose to Respond, Not React

Remember, you have more agency over your reactions than you might think. When stress arises, you can pause, breathe, and choose how to respond rather than react impulsively. The choice to engage in healthy coping strategies instead of turning to food is an empowering one, and with practice, it becomes second nature. Each time you choose to respond rather than react, you build resilience and prove to yourself that stress doesn’t control you.

You’ve got this! The next time you feel stress creeping in, try one of these techniques and see how it shifts your mood. Each small step brings you closer to a healthier relationship with your causes of stress, your food — and with yourself.

And if you’d like more help, consider an iDiet class.

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