The next time you reach for food as a compulsion – to numb to feelings, to avoid being present to whatever is here in the moment, try pausing. Breathe. Check in with the state of your body, heart, and mind. Ask yourself, “What am I really hungry for?”
“…compulsive eating is basically a refusal to be fully alive. No matter what we weigh, those of us who are compulsive eaters have anorexia of the soul. We refuse to take in what sustains us. We live lives of deprivation. And when we can’t stand it any longer, we binge.” –Geneen Roth
See if you can notice whether your body is hungry for food or if instead it wants to be held, touched, or nurtured with a cup of warm tea, wrapping in a blanket, rocking in a rock.
Notice whether your heart is hungry—for connection, for creative expression, for more meaning, for deeper spiritual experiences. Inquire whether your mind is hungry to learning something new. Notice whether your eyes are hungry for seeing something beautiful.
What are you really hungry for? How can you feed yourself in a way that supports your well-being? How can you be fully present and alive in this moment?
Jen Johnson is a mindfulness coach and therapist teaching mindfulness, nature, and creativity for healing and resiliency. Learn more about mindfulness coaching with Jen.