Just like the resolutions of the New Year, spring brings another opportunity for renewal and a recommitment to health and fitness goals. A challenge that many of us face are morning meetings where donuts beckon from the center of the table or the mid afternoon slump, where a sugar plus fat fix feels like it is the only thing that will get you back to some semblance of productivity…even if only for a little while.
Mindful eating can help on two fronts. The first is to be aware of when you are vulnerable to eating the thing that will sabotage your best intentions. Most of us can link it to times of the day or to predictable situations that set us up to fail. “Oh, I forgot my lunch again—guess it’s another dash to McDonalds!” Once those contexts are identified, you can problem solve what to do about them. If there are always munchkins in the break room, can you provide yourself another delicious but healthier option to snack on back at your desk? Assuming yes, when do you need to take an action? Does it start with the grocery list you are making over the weekend before the week starts? Or maybe it’s the night before, where your routine can now include prepping a yummy but lower fat lunch alternative to the greasy burger and fries.
Mindfulness by it definition is present moment awareness. So while its key to be conscious of what will trigger you to eat badly in the future, taking time to really taste your food, notice its texture and chew it more thoroughly will also help—a lot. Becoming and staying aware of the varying tastes a bite of food provides allows the brain to register those tastes to feel satisfied, psychologically and physiologically.
At work we often just shovel food down. Eating more mindfully requires taking time and the discipline to pay attention. With that there can be immediate and longer-range advantages. For one, it will improve digestion (or prevent digestion problems) while giving your system a chance to register fullness. Maybe if you decide to have a treat, the mindful experience of one fun size Snickers bar shifts a habit of scarfing down five over the course of an afternoon. Feelings of guilt mixed with exhaustion from the crash of a sugar rush no longer distract you from your work.
Want some on the spot guidance? Check out the Eating Awareness Assessment.