Wait A Second, I'm, Uh, Confused

I hope you had a wonderful, fun and healthy weekend! And if it wasn't so healthy, that's what today is for.

Question: Does confusion mess you up?

I think we can all agree that stress makes us eat. Or grief. Or celebration. But what about when we feel all wound up but we just don't know what exactly is bothering us except that we feel a little crazy?

The laundry is piled to the ceiling, your co-worker is not being nice, your kids are being unappreciative and fresh, your boss is being a jerk, your boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife is giving you the cold shoulder, your friend let you down, the computer broke again...

And you just want to escape! For many of us, when we feel these emotions, food feels like the perfect escape. It's an easy way out.

Or is it?

The problem with emotionally eating is that when you're done eating, the problems and feelings will still be there!

The key is to slow down and identify the real problem. It's very tempting to resort to a 'food coma' or 'food trance' but that's not going to make anything better in the long run.

Instead, slow down. Look. Listen and feel.

Instead of eating how about:

Thinking things through...

Talking to a friend...

Meditating...

Writing...

Waiting before acting...

Going for a walk...

Thinking of 3 things you can do to make the problem better...

The problem with resorting to food is that you'll never understand what you're really feeling.

Food gives us a momentary escape - instant gratification - but we must remember that although it might make things seem better in the very short term, the problem will keep coming up again and again.

It's like the annoying neighbor who won't stop knocking until you answer the door. Eventually, you just gotta answer the door!

Be aware of what you're really feeling and answer the door this week!

Your to do: When you hear the 'knock, knock' ask, 'Who's there?!' don't just drown it out.

-Adam