Boredom and Our Eating Patterns
During this pandemic, we have all been subjected to a higher level of boredom. Often boredom is associated with consuming higher quantities of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins (Moynihan et al., 2015). When we are stressed, many of us look for sugary or comfort foods to help soothe ourselves. The desire to consume a specific kind of food is defined as a “food craving.” This concept includes an emotional component (intense desire to eat), a behavioral reaction (seeking food), a cognitive part (thoughts about food), and a physiological process (salivation) (Rodriguez-Martin, 2015).
This makes sense because carbohydrate craving encourages serotonin production that results in an improvement in mood. In other words, carbohydrate-rich foods can be a means to self-medicate our high level of stress (Muscogiuri et al., 2020). The effect of carbohydrate cravings in improving our mood is proportional to the glycemic index of foods. As a result, this unhealthy nutritional habit could increase the risk of developing obesity. Paying attention to our nutrition and eating habits is critically important to maintaining a healthy mind and body during the pandemic and beyond.
Establishing Your Mindful Eating Plan
The most significant barrier we experience in changing our behavior is doing things from habit or without conscious thought. Mindfulness-based eating programs have shown to be effective in improving or maintaining healthy eating habits. The reason for their effectiveness is that with practice, people learn how to integrate small changes that have a significant impact. With mindfulness practice, you begin to realize when your attention is elsewhere and you are mindlessly performing activities like eating. You also learn practical techniques such as slowing down and enjoying your food by engaging all of your senses. The bottom line is that when you are present, you can pause before you react. Just a few seconds will give you the necessary time to consider the choice you are making. The following practice is designed to help you identify situations or times that might be most challenging for you.
Before you begin, find a location where you are not likely to be interrupted. You can do this exercise with your eyes closed or with your gaze focused downward.
Begin by connecting your body and mind by taking 2-3 deep cleansing breaths. As you breathe, notice any tension you need to release, such as in your neck or shoulders. Take a few additional breaths to help you relax and to release that tension.
Now, let’s begin by examining your daily routine related to food - beginning with getting out of bed.
Visualize your morning routine. Do you have breakfast? If so, what does it involve? Does it mean eating on the run and grabbing what is handy? Or do you skip breakfast? Take a moment to consider if there are changes needed to support your intention to adopt a healthy eating plan. For example, perhaps there are changes to your routine that would give you more time so you don’t have to rush, that is, to be able to savor your breakfast and reflect on the day ahead. You might be surprised to find what a big impact just 15-20 minutes for breakfast can make.
If breakfast is not part of your routine, consider how that impacts other eating patterns during the day. Do you have the energy you need to be at your best? Are you starving by lunchtime? There is no wrong or right answer here. The critical thing to remember is understanding how your choices in the morning impact the rest of the day.
Now, let’s consider lunchtime. What is your routine for this meal? Consider your decisions about lunch that impact your goals and what changes you think might be needed to support your healthy eating plan.
Repeat the same process as we did for breakfast and lunch for your evening meal. What is your routine? Or maybe you don’t have a routine? Is it different every evening? Take a moment to reflect on what changes you might make that would help you align your behavior to your priorities.
How about snacking habits? Are there times of the day or situations that often result in unhealthy snacking? It happens when we are tired or stressed, and sometimes when we are thirsty we reach for a treat. If that applies to you, consider what changes you could make to avoid this unhealthy behavior.
While we reflected on a whole day of eating situations, you might not want to tackle everything at once. Trying to make a lot of change at once might leave you frustrated and stressed.
Instead, we encourage you to start with something that you believe will make the most difference. This will be different for everybody. It might be preparing your breakfast the evening before or minimizing the amount of fast food you eat. Or, perhaps, even reducing mindless snacking. It might also be something as simple as learning to pause before you react. You might be surprised at how these small changes add up.
Most important of all, keep in mind that change is hard for all of us. Be kind in your self-talk. Practice self-forgiveness when you don’t live up to your expectations. And, celebrate small successes.
References
Moynihan, A. B., Van Tilburg, W. A., Igou, E. R., Wisman, A., Donnelly, A. E., & Mulcaire, J. B. (2015). Eaten up by boredom: Consuming food to escape awareness of the bored self. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 369.
Muscogiuri, G., Barrea, L., Savastano, S., & Colao, A. (2020). Nutritional recommendations for CoVID-19 quarantine. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1-2.
Rodríguez-Martín, B. C., Gil-Pérez, P., & Pérez-Morales, I. (2015). Exploring the “weight” of food cravings and thought suppression among Cuban adults. Eating and Weight Disorders. Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity, 20(2), 249-256.