Work from home

10 Ways to Prevent Stress Eating When You’re Stuck at Home

Though self-isolating is the best way to protect against COVID-19, being stuck at home can lead to some unhealthy behaviors, including overeating due to stress and boredom. While taking comfort in food during times of stress is a normal reaction, overeating regularly can negatively affect your health and increase your stress and anxiety levels.

SUMMARY: 60 SECOND READ

CHECK IN WITH YOURSELF If you find yourself eating too frequently or eating too much in one sitting, take a minute and check in with yourself. First, it’s important to determine whether you’re eating because you’re hungry and need nourishment, or whether there’s another reason.

REMOVE TEMPTATION Having tempting foods within eyesight can lead to frequent snacking and overeating, even when you aren’t hungry.

MAINTAIN A HEALTHY MEAL SCHEDULE You shouldn’t change your normal eating schedule just because you’re stuck at home. If you’re used to having three meals a day, try to continue that schedule while you’re working from home. The same goes for if you typically consume only two meals and a snack.

DON’T RESTRICT Oftentimes, being overly restrictive with food intake or consuming too few calories can lead to binging on high calorie foods and overeating.

STAY HYDRATED Maintaining proper hydration is important for overall health and may help you prevent overeating related to stress.

GET MOVING Being stuck at home can take a serious toll on your activity levels, leading to boredom, stress, and increased snacking frequency. To combat this, make some time for daily physical activity.

PREVENT BOREDOM Learning something new or starting a project can not only prevent boredom but also likely make you feel more accomplished and less stressed. This way you will have lesser time to spend on unneccasary snacking.

BE PRESENT Though catching up on a favorite TV show can help take your mind off of stressful events, it’s important to minimize distractions when eating a meal or snack, especially if you find yourself frequently overeating.

PRACTICE PORTION CONTROL Practice portion control by serving yourself a single portion of food rather than eating out of larger containers.

CHOOSE FILLING, NUTRITIOUS FOODS Stocking your kitchen with filling, nutrient-dense foods can not only help improve your overall health but also combat the tendency to stress eat highly palatable foods.

How to prevent stress eating

Here are 13 ways to prevent stress eating when you’re stuck at home:

1. Check in with yourself

One of the most helpful ways to prevent overeating is to understand why it’s happening in the first place. There are many reasons why you may be compelled to overeat, including being stressed out or bored.

If you find yourself eating too frequently or eating too much in one sitting, take a minute and check in with yourself. First, it’s important to determine whether you’re eating because you’re hungry and need nourishment, or whether there’s another reason.

Before you eat, pay special attention to how you’re feeling, such as stressed, bored, lonely, or anxious. Simply pausing and evaluating the situation can help you understand what compels you to overeat and may help prevent overeating in the future.

That said, combating overeating is rarely easy, and you may have to seek professional help, especially if it’s a common occurrence or you eat to the point of discomfort and experience feelings of shame or guilt afterward. These may be signs of disordered eating.

Summary- If you find yourself eating too frequently or eating too much in one sitting, take a minute and check in with yourself. First, it’s important to determine whether you’re eating because you’re hungry and need nourishment, or whether there’s another reason.

2. Remove temptation

Though having a jar of cookies or bowl of colorful candy on the counter may add to the visual appeal of your kitchen, this practice may lead to overeating.

Having tempting foods within eyesight can lead to frequent snacking and overeating, even when you aren’t hungry.

For this reason, it’s best to keep particularly tempting foods, including sugary baked goods, candy, chips, and cookies, out of sight, such as in a pantry or cupboard.

To be clear, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying a tasty treat occasionally, even when you’re not necessarily hungry. However, overindulging too often can harm both your physical and mental health.

Summary- Having tempting foods within eyesight can lead to frequent snacking and overeating, even when you aren’t hungry. Try not to have tempting foods, including sugary baked goods, candy, chips, and cookies, out of sight, such as in a pantry or cupboard.

3. Maintain a healthy meal schedule

You shouldn’t change your normal eating schedule just because you’re stuck at home. If you’re used to having three meals a day, try to continue that schedule while you’re working from home. The same goes for if you typically consume only two meals and a snack.

Though it’s easy to stray from your normal dietary pattern when your day-to-day schedule gets disrupted, it’s important to maintain some semblance of normalcy when it comes to eating.

You may find yourself adapting your eating pattern to accommodate your new normal, and that’s OK. Just try to maintain a regular eating pattern based on your individual needs and your preferred eating times.

If you’re really thrown off and find yourself constantly snacking, try making a schedule that includes at least two solid meals per day and following it until you feel that you have become comfortably consistent with your eating habits.

Summary- You shouldn’t change your normal eating schedule just because you’re stuck at home. If you’re used to having three meals a day, try to continue that schedule while you’re working from home. The same goes for if you typically consume only two meals and a snack.

4. Don’t restrict

One of the most important nutrition rules to follow to prevent overeating is to not deprive your body of food. Oftentimes, being overly restrictive with food intake or consuming too few calories can lead to binging on high calorie foods and overeating.

It’s never a good idea to follow a highly restrictive diet or deprive yourself of food, especially during stressful times.

Restrictive dieting is not only ineffective for long-term weight loss but also can harm your physical and mental health and increase your stress levels.

Summary- Being overly restrictive with food intake or consuming too few calories can lead to binging on high calorie foods and overeating.

5. Stay hydrated

Being stuck at home gives you more time to focus on healthy habits, including drinking enough fluids. Maintaining proper hydration is important for overall health and may help you prevent overeating related to stress.

Being dehydrated can lead to alterations in mood, attention, and energy levels, which can also affect your eating habits.

To combat dehydration, add a few slices of fresh fruit to your water to boost its flavor, which may help you drink more water throughout the day without adding a significant amount of sugar or number of calories to your diet.

Summary- Maintaining proper hydration is important for overall health and may help you prevent overeating related to stress.

6. Get moving

Being stuck at home can take a serious toll on your activity levels, leading to boredom, stress, and increased snacking frequency. To combat this, make some time for daily physical activity.

If you’re feeling lost due to the closing of your favorite gym or workout studio, try something new like a home workout on YouTube, taking a hike in nature, or simply walking or jogging around your neighborhood.

Summary- Physical activity can boost mood and reduce stress, which may reduce your chances of stress eating.

7. Prevent boredom

When you suddenly find yourself with a lot of extra free time, boredom can quickly set in once you have tackled your to-do list for the day. With nothing better to do, you may end up eating more snacks or meals than your usual meal plans.

However, boredom can be prevented by making good use of your spare time. Everyone has hobbies that they have always wanted to try or projects that have been put off due to busy schedules.

Now is the perfect time to learn a new skill, tackle a home improvement project, organize your living spaces, take an educational course, or start a new hobby.

Summary- Learning something new or starting a project can not only prevent boredom but also likely make you feel more accomplished and less stressed. This way you will have lesser time to spend on unneccasary snacking.

8. Be present

Modern-day life is full of distractions. From smartphones to televisions to social media, you’re surrounded by technology meant to distract you from your daily life.

Though catching up on a favorite TV show can help take your mind off of stressful events, it’s important to minimize distractions when eating a meal or snack, especially if you find yourself frequently overeating.

If you’re used to dining while parked in front of your television, smartphone, or computer, try eating in a less distracting environment. Attempt to concentrate only on your food, paying special attention to feelings of hunger and fullness.

Being more present while you eat may help prevent overeating and can help you become more aware of your eating patterns and food intake (17Trusted Source).

Summary- Mindful eating is an excellent tool that can be used to bring more awareness to your eating habits.

9. Practice portion control

It’s common for people to snack on foods directly from the containers in which they were sold, which may lead to overeating.

For example, grabbing a pint of ice cream from the freezer and eating directly from the container rather than doling out a single portion in a dish may cause you to eat more than you intended.

Summary- Practice portion control by serving yourself a single portion of food rather than eating out of larger containers.

10. Choose filling, nutritious foods

Stocking your kitchen with filling, nutrient-dense foods can not only help improve your overall health but also combat the tendency to stress eat highly palatable foods.

For example, filling your fridge and pantry with foods that can help fill you up in a healthful way — rather than foods rich in empty calories like candy, chips, and soda — is a smart way to prevent the chances of noshing on unhealthy choices.

Filling foods are ones that are high in protein, fiber, and healthy fats. Nuts, seeds, avocados, beans, and eggs are just some examples of such foods.

Summary- Nutritious, filling foods help you to fill fuller and prevent overeating.

The bottom line-

Given the current circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, you may find yourself stuck at home and feeling stressed and bored, which may increase your chances of overeating.

The evidence-based tips above may help you control stress eating and improve many other aspects of your health as well.