Have you ever noticed yourself heading for the fridge or reaching for that bag of chips every time you feel stressed out, anxious, or even bored? If so, you’re not alone. Many of us struggle with binge eating or using food as a coping mechanism for managing those not so pleasant emotions. Don’t get me wrong—There’s nothing bad about enjoying food, even “comfort foods” however, when those comfort foods become the primary way we regulate our emotions, it’s time for us to have a bit of self-reflection.
But what if there were alternative ways to regulate our dysregulated nervous system and calm those distressful emotions without completely relying on food? Let’s take a look at three little-known techniques that can help you manage those unpleasant feelings and emotions without raiding the pantry!
1. Incorporate Resonance Diaphragmatic Breathing Throughout Your Day
Managing Stress and Anxiety
Resonance breathing is breathing at slower rate of usually 4.5 to 7 breaths per minute. When combined with diaphragmatic breathing or belly breathing, which is breathing deeply from the diaphragm versus our chest in order to achieve a fuller more satisfying breath, resonance breathing has not only been researched to reduce our heart rate and lower blood pressure, but this form of breathing has also been shown to stimulate the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve is a major part of our body’s “fight or flight” system and plays a key role in regulating the body’s stress response which can also accompany distressful or uncomfortable feelings and emotions.
Let’s Practice!
First, find a comfortable seated position and close your eyes. Take a slow, deep breath in through your nose. Try to inhale as slowly as possible, allowing your belly to expand as you fill your lungs with air. Hold your breath for a count of 4, then exhale slowly and steadily through your mouth, letting your belly deflate as you release the air. Repeat this process, focusing on the sensation of your breath moving in and out of your body until you begin to notice the physical sensation of your body feeling more relaxed.
2. Listen to Music or Soothing Sounds to Stimulate your Brain
Managing Feelings of Stress, Anxiety and Boredom
If you live with ADHD or know somebody who does, you’ve probably noticed either first hand or through observing others that listening to certain music or sounds often helps with improving focus! Not only does ADHD and Binge Eating Disorder frequently co-occur in clients, but there has been some research to suggests that there may be a deeper neurobiological connection, as both diagnoses have been connected to a dysfunction within the brain’s prefrontal cortex, as well as the way our bodies respond to certain neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, and cortisol.
Many of my clients have reported that their compulsive eating behaviors almost feel like an attempt to stimulate their brain in response to boredom and often report that listening to music (that’s not too overly stimulating) while engaging in “mundane tasks” has made them less likely to self-stimulate through food. Although we defiantly need more research into why this happens for some people, a 2007 study published in the Journal of Complementary Medicine found that listening to binaural sounds ranging from a frequency of between 1 to 4 Hz., helped to decrease anxiety and improve focus. A 2017 study by Colzato, et. al found that listening to binaural sounds increased visual attention and focus.
3. Riding the Emotional Wave a.k.a. Urge Surfing
Managing Acute Distressful Feelings and Emotions
“Riding the Wave” or “Urge Surfing” is a dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skill designed to help individuals cope with and tolerate intense emotions, urges, or cravings without acting on them impulsively. The concept is based on the idea that our emotions and urges are like waves that rise, peak, and eventually subside if we allow ourselves to fully experience them without judgment or resistance.
Let’s Practice!
First, bring your awareness to the present moment and observe the emotion or urge without judgment. Instead of trying to suppress or avoid the feeling, acknowledge its presence and “sit” in it. Next, adopt a stance of detached observation and watch the emotion or urge from a distance, seeing it as separate from your core identity. This helps to reduce the likelihood of becoming overwhelmed by the emotion or urge. Finally, let go! Allow the emotion or urge to run its course without acting on it impulsively. As our body’s fight or flight response begins to normalize, the intensity of the feeling, emotion or urge will eventually decrease.
Do you need guided support surrounding recovering from compulsive, emotional or Binge eating? The Mindfulness Space is here to help!
Stefanie Lawson is a licensed therapist with nearly a decade of clinical experience and owner of The Mindfulness Space therapy in Greensboro North Carolina, where she maintains specialized education and training in treating the underlying depression, anxiety, stress or unresolved trauma that often leads to eating disorders and issues concerning body image dissatisfaction (i.e. Body Dysmorphic Disorder) in adults and transitional aged teens (older teenagers who are transitioning into adulthood).
Schedule your free 30 minute consultation call with The Mindfulness Space today to learn more about how we can help you!
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