How To Stop Stress Eating At Work

Do you struggle with stress eating while you’re at work? Deep down, you probably know that you’re not genuinely hungry but you snack anyway. Ready to start breaking the cycle? Here are some tips for beating stress eating at work. 

Unpleasant Beliefs and Emotions 

If you’re bored at work, feeling unappreciated or are overwhelmed by your workload, you may be subconsciously (or consciously) turning to food to deal with or mask your emotions. 

It can go a lot deeper than this too, and hidden beliefs can also play a big part. Maybe you’re lacking confidence in your abilities and the anxiety that this creates pushes you towards comfort eating. Or maybe you believe that you have to go above and beyond in your job role and are on the fast track to burnout as a result. 

Whatever the situation, dealing with these underlying factors is super important for helping you to stop stress eating at work. Without this, you’re likely to stay stuck in the habit of eating to self-soothe. 

Don’t eat lunch at your desk

Multitasking means you’re not going to be paying much attention to your food and before you know it your food is gone and you didn’t fully experience or enjoy it which leaves you unsatisfied. This can also delay the message to your brain that you’re actually full, making you more likely to overeat. 

Make a point of getting up and going elsewhere for your lunch break. Ideally, this will be somewhere without distractions so you can concentrate on what you’re eating and being mindful with your approach.

What you eat for lunch also makes a big difference. Filling up on nutrient-dense foods like protein and vegetables is more satiating and can curb your desire to snack. Instead of worrying so much about what you’re not supposed to eat, ask yourself if you’re eating ENOUGH of the right foods that truly nourish your body. The more nutritious the food, that more satiating it will be.

And whatever you do, don’t work through lunch altogether. Skipping meals is a surefire way to encourage unhealthy snacking in the afternoon and/or overeating at dinner time.

Don’t keep unhealthy snacks at work

On a practical note, it’s a lot more effort to stress eat if you don’t have unhealthy snacks to hand at your desk. If they’re in front of you, you’re probably going to eat them! Not taking unhealthy snacks into work is one of the easiest ways to avoid mindless snacking. If you do feel like snacking in between meals, swap unhealthy choices for more nutritious options that are rich in protein, fiber and healthy fats.

Think sliced veggies with hummus or my Cilantro Pesto, or a few ounces of organic chicken, turkey or wild salmon. Organic nuts and seeds are a good choice too but they’re very calorie dense so you’ll want to portion them out ahead of time to avoid going overboard. Cookies, potato chips and other fat and sugar heavy snacks will taste good at the time but they’ll leave you feeling lethargic and hungry again shortly after eating them.

Drink herbal tea

Staying hydrated can be super important for curbing cravings because thirst can be mistaken for hunger. Water is a great choice but herbal tea can also help. There are a lot of varieties to choose from so you’re sure to find one that helps to fight cravings, even for sweet ones. Plus, the physical act of holding the cup in your hands can distract from cravings and feel comforting. If you have a stressful job, I recommend calming teas such a chamomile or holy basil/Tulsi tea. 

For me the ritual of getting up and making myself a cup of tea is a great replacement for stress eating and it actually relaxes me, versus snacking on something that I know doesn’t serve me well and feeling more stressed afterwards. We all need to self-soothe at times, so finding rituals that help you do so in a healthy way is really important.

Keep everything unhealthy focused in one place

In the typical workplace, there isn’t a designated place for unhealthy treats and snacks and that can make it hard to stay away from them. If you don’t want to risk being tempted, see if you can persuade the powers-that-be to keep one area allocated for this so you can avoid it. You can do something similar if you work from home by keeping all of the empty calorie foods in one specific place … preferably one that isn’t that easy to see or get to.

Get an accountability buddy

Feel like you need a helping hand to beat emotional eating at work? See if you can get a co-worker involved - preferably one who wants to stop stress eating too. Commit to eating a healthy, nutritious lunch together and have each other’s backs when you’re struggling. If you work from home, get a like-minded friend to check in with you regularly for the same effect. 

Move your body

Sometimes just getting up and taking a quick walk around can be the break you need. Moving your body can also energize you and you’ll be less likely to go for that sugary snack or coffee.

Use visualization techniques

Walk yourself through your ideal workday from a visual point-of-view and imagine yourself saying no to comfort eating. “See” yourself as a healthy, energetic person who is completely in control of their eating patterns. Use visualization techniques first thing in the morning and whenever you feel your willpower starting to wane. 

Use affirmations

Affirmations are another tactic you can use to curb stress eating at work. When you feel the urge to reach for comfort food, repeat positive affirmations to yourself. This can be as simple as saying “I only eat when I’m hungry” or “I have the power to control my cravings.” Even if this doesn’t feel authentic at first, fake it til you make it!

Be kind to yourself

Often when we make a choice that doesn’t serve us well, we proceed to berate ourselves for it and a wave of guilt and shame washes over us. When we beat ourselves up for “bad” choices, we only create more stress and anxiety which are what caused the cravings in the first place. Every time you have a choice to make, ask yourself if it will bring you closer to the things you want for yourself, or push you farther away. Does it serve you well or not? You won’t always win the battle, so try being kind to yourself and remind yourself that you are only one choice away from being back on track to your goals.