Foods. is meant to nourish us. But it’s easy for food to start taking on other meanings.
One way to create a healthy relationship with yourself and food is to practice mindful eating.
Mindful eating can help you pay attention to whether you’re hungry or not. And it can also relax your mind.
Mindfulness. just means paying attention without judgement. It’s a practice of noticing. And so, mindful eating means eating slowly and mindfully.
You don’t have to make a special time to try mindful eating. But there are a few steps that will be helpful.
First, you’ll want to practice mindful eating without many distractions. That means phones and books aside. You might want to choose a meal you can eat by yourself.
Next, just start paying attention. Which parts of your body are involved in bringing the food to your mouth? What shapes does your mouth make?
What does the food look like? What weight and smell does it have?
Closing your eyes can help. What does it taste like in your mouth? Can different parts of your tongue taste different flavors? What does it feel like to swallow?
If your attention wanders to thoughts or feelings or sounds in your environment, no big deal. Just notice your attention has wandered and invite your awareness back to your meal.
Pay attention to when you start to feel full. Describe that sensation to yourself. How do you know you’re full?
As you practice more and more, you’ll be able to mindfully eat during any meal.
If you have any trouble, feel free to reach out to a coach for some help. If you try this, consider reflecting in your journal on how it felt for you.
First, on paper or in your head, describe the problem situation.
Time to look at just the facts. What are the facts of the situation that no one would argue with? Here, we’re trying to stay away from your interpretation of the problem–or anyone else’s.
Now, on a scale of 0% to 100%, what do you think the probability of the worst case scenario happening is? In other words, what’s the worst thing that could happen and how likely is it to happen?
If the worst case scenario happens, how would you handle it? What are some coping skills that might help? Maybe deep breathing, talking with a trusted adult, practicing mindfulness? If you need help with this piece, reach out to a coach.
Time to think of your goal when it comes to this problem. What needs to change or happen for you to feel OK?
And now it’s time to brainstorm. Think of all the solutions you can. Ask for suggestions from others. At this stage, don’t be critical of any idea. We’re just trying to make a list of a lot of them. Quantity over quality right now.
Choose a solution that you think might work. If you’re not sure, go ahead and pick two or three.
Write out the first step of your solution (or your 2-3 solutions). Which step can you take the soonest? Give it a try. Then do the next step.
After you’ve done all that, it’s worth reflecting on whether it’s working. If it did, find a healthy and fun way to reward yourself. Didn’t work? Reward yourself for trying! And then try one of your other solutions.
The fact that you are here, thinking through the steps of your problem is so impressive. YOU are impressive. Your world is full of big problems. But we know that you have what it takes to keep pushing through them. You’re not alone. We can help.
