Virtually everyone occasionally overeats or indulges on foods that they know are not healthy for them. This is a normal part of life and something that can be a fun and enjoyable element of special occasions, celebrations, or other activities. When overeating becomes something that you do frequently and as a means of helping you to handle the emotions that you are facing, however, it might be a sign that you are dealing with a condition known as emotional overeating.
As a family caregiver this might be a way that you deal with the stress that you face on a regular basis, but it can also be detrimental for your mental, emotional, and physical health and well-being, as well as the quality of the care that you are able to give your loved one. If you recognize that you are using emotional overeating as a means of coping with your emotions and caregiver stress, or that your aging parent has begun to use emotional overeating as a means of dealing with their own emotions, it is important that you work toward getting past these habits and forming a healthier lifestyle.
Use these tips to help you cope with emotional overeating:
• Maintain a food journal. Writing down what you eat is an important step in bringing awareness to yourself and your eating habits. Simply keeping track of everything that you eat will help you to notice when you are over-indulging and recognize your triggers so that you are able to change those patterns and the way that you think about food.
• Develop other coping mechanisms for handling your emotions. Come up with different ways that you can handle the emotions that you deal with every day. If you are feeling anxious or nervous, try taking a walk or using breathing exercises. If you are feeling depressed, arrange for a fun activity with a friend or your partner. If you are feeling bored or unfulfilled, try starting a new book or doing a puzzle.
• Think before you eat. Commit to taking a break and thinking it through before you eat. If you feel like you are hungry or you have a craving, make yourself take five minutes before you indulge it. Drink some water and start another activity, and then in five minutes re-evaluate if you are still feeling the same way. This short break can make the intensity of the craving pass and give you more control over what you are doing.
If you have noticed that your caregiver efforts have become more than you are capable of handling on your own or you believe that your parent would benefit from more or more diversified care than they are currently receiving, now may be the ideal time for you to consider starting homecare for them.
A homecare provider is an exceptional addition to your care routine, providing a highly personalized set of services tailored to addressing your loved one’s individual needs, challenges, and limitations while also supporting a greater level of independence, activity, and engagement. This helps your parent live a quality of life that they desire and deserve. In your role as a family caregiver, this can help you to relieve stress, focus your energy and attention more efficiently on your parent as well as the other obligations and responsibilities in your life, and continue to take care of yourself in the proper way so that you can be happy, healthy, and the best quality caregiver for your aging loved one.
When it comes to helping your parent cope with mental or emotional health concerns, or giving you the support and assistance needed to handle your own concerns, the customized support, schedule, and companionship of a homecare provider can ease stress, reduce anxiety, and help your parent to maintain a higher quality of life, as well as giving you the ability to focus on your own well-being.
Sources: http://www.waldencenter.org/popular-searches/emotional-eating/
https://www.thehealthyemployee.co.uk/news/emotional-overeating-awareness-month—4-steps-to-kick-your-bad-habits
https://www.brookhavenretreat.com/cms/brookhaven-news/item/1000-emotional-overeating-awareness
If you or an aging loved one are considering Homecare Services in Needham MA, or anywhere in Eastern Massachusetts, please call the caring staff at CARE Resolutions – (508) 906-5572.
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