Gratitude.
It’s something so simple and so potent. The practice of feeling and expressing gratitude has the power to quickly change our own lives, impact others, reframe our experiences, and even change the amount of happiness we feel. Better yet, it’s easy to do and it feels good to do it.
And – did you know that there is a simple gratitude practice that can help you stop stress eating?
What do gratitude and overeating have to do with each other? I made a short video to explain.
You can use a quick gratitude practice to help take control of stress eating.
In those moments when you find yourself stressed or about to reach for food or you feel at risk for stress eating or mindless eating, practice putting this ritual in place. It will take only fifteen to thirty seconds.
Take a deep breath, exhale, and pause long enough to identify three things that you are grateful for. They don’t have to be monumental things. You might simply be grateful that you are healthy enough to be standing in front of a refrigerator that is filled with food. That’s it!
What this practice does is powerful. Don’t underestimate it.
Pausing to be grateful brings you into the present moment, which reduces the risk of making mindless choices on autopilot. It helps you take control of your mindset. Shifting your thoughts to what you are grateful for moves your focus to the good things, which can decrease stress and stop cycles of negative thinking (we tend to notice more of what we are already focusing on).
Taking a moment for gratitude inserts a tiny bit of peace and calm into what may have been a very hectic, or stressful hour or day. It’s like taking a deep, cleansing breath.
Start inserting gratitude into your day at tough times and notice how this practice impacts you.
Take good care,
