Stop Stress Eating at Work

Stop Stress Eating at Work

If you can’t seem to stay away from the snack machines at work, you can politely blame your boss. There was a study done at Emory University using monkeys. The study showed that when the alpha monkeys ordered around the less dominant monkeys, these less dominant animals ate much more than the dominating ones over a two-month period. So, just how do you stop stress eating at work? Read on to find out how.

Bring your own healthy lunch

You have probably noticed that some of your co-workers will order take-out for lunch, head across the street to the fast-food joint, or grab whatever looks appealing in the vending machine. You can avoid all of this temptation by making your lunch at home the night before. Making something like a soup and sandwich or a salad with a fruit cup will go a long way in helping you cut down on stress eating.

Walk off stress

When you feel yourself getting overwhelmed at work, take 10 minutes and go for a walk. If the weather is nice outside, walk out in front of your office building. If the weather is not-so-nice outside, walk around the interior of your office building. You can also try arriving to work 15 minutes early in the morning to walk so your head is clear and fresh to start the workday. Walking during your lunch hour is also another option to consider.

Email yourself every time you eat

This may sound silly but every time you put a piece of food in your mouth, email yourself with the details. Even if you just munch on half a cookie, email yourself the information. Be sure you include all the surrounding details like what was going on in your surroundings when you felt the need to snack and what your mood was like. Every Friday, review all your emails and see if there are emotional eating patterns present.

Drink some tea

Drinking some green tea or black tea before you grab a snack can help with those snack attacks. Both green tea and black tea have an amino acid called Theanine. Theanine helps to increase relaxation chemical levels in your brain.

Drink more water

You should try and drink water at least an hour or so after you eat lunch. However, you should try and drink as much water as possible throughout the day. Not only will this make your more efficient and more energized but it will cut down those snack cravings as well. Plus, it gives you an excuse to stretch your legs and get some extra steps in. Most offices have an office water dispenser in the break room, but if yours doesn’t- make the case to your boss!

Keep snacks off your desk

While this may seem like a no-brainer, many people don’t stop to think about this one. If you don’t have snacks at your desk, you are less likely to get up and find some. Like the saying goes: out of sight, out of mind.