Why I Put an End to Emotional Eating: The Powerful Tool I Use
Why I Put an End to Emotional Eating: The Powerful Tool I Use
In this video, Mel Robbins discusses her experience with emotional eating and shares a tool called the word wheel that she uses to help identify and address her emotions instead of resorting to food for comfort.
She explains that she noticed a pattern of emotional eating when she deviates from her normal routine and experiences a creative block. By using the word wheel, which allows her to identify deeper and more complex emotions, she realizes that she feels inadequate as a writer. She recognizes that her ice cream sundae was not what she truly craved, but rather reassurance and comfort.
Mel recommends using the word wheel as a tool to locate and understand one's true emotions when caught in a moment of emotional eating or feeling untethered. By identifying the emotions, one can allow them to rise up, move through them, and then move on.
Mel also acknowledges the negative effects of emotional eating, such as feeling bloated and experiencing a drop in mood. She advises taking a deep breath and asking oneself why they are reaching for food, whether they are truly hungry or trying to soothe, distract, or reward themselves.
The key to stopping the pattern of emotional eating is to spot the pattern, identify the feelings, and use healthy coping mechanisms instead of turning to food.
Key takeaways:
Emotional eating often occurs when routine is disrupted and emotions are not properly addressed.
The word wheel is a helpful tool to identify deeper and more complex emotions.
Emotional eating can be a way to seek reassurance and comfort rather than satisfying immediate cravings.
Spotting the pattern of emotional eating is crucial to breaking the cycle and using healthier coping mechanisms.
Addressing emotions directly and finding alternative activities can help prevent emotional eating.
Emotional eating can have negative physical and emotional consequences, leading to feelings of being bloated, ashamed, or a sense of being a "bad person."
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