Our Eating “Habits” Are Emotionally-Driven

Do you feel like your food choices have just become a habit? Just a thing you do because, well, it’s familiar now?

What we call our “habits” with food are patterns that do indeed have a deeper explanation. There is always a lot going on emotionally that drives what becomes our habits.

Why do you have certain habits with eating or with anything else in life, rather than others? Why are your habits with food and other types of habits different from your friends’ habits?

Why do you have a “habit” of eating until you’re stuffed, but your friend has the “habit” of drinking tons of caffeine every day? Why do you not have a “habit” of wine in the evening but your cousin does?

The explanation for our habits is emotional causes, and the emotional causes are very specific to each person.

Here are some examples:

Example 1: “Eating something sugary after every meal has just become a habit. It’s kind of what I’ve always done, so it’s just what I’m used to.”

Reflection questions for this scenario:

-What does the sugary finish do for me emotionally?

-How would I feel emotionally if I didn’t follow a savory meal with something sweet?

-If I didn’t have a little dessert after each meal would I feel let down?

Example 2: “I get so busy during the week that grabbing something for a snack that’s quick and convenient but usually less healthy has become a habit.”

Reflection questions for this scenario:

-If there are healthy snacks that can also be quick and convenient, such as fruit and nuts, or a smoothie, or carrot sticks with guacamole or hummus, why do I choose the heavier options?

-What emotionally causes me to want the chips rather than the hummus? What causes me to want the scone rather than the fruit?

-What might be causing me to not prioritize enough time to care for my nutrition? Is it people-pleasing? Overly caretaking others? Not loving myself?

It’s normal to feel like your eating patterns are just habits and nothing more. They may feel just like a well-worn wagon path.

But as you become more sensitive to what certain habits do for you emotionally, you can work through the associated emotion. And when you do that, your habits will change immediately, effortlessly, and permanently!

Photo by Aaron Burden via Unsplash