Emotional Eating Doesn't Make Negative People Change....
Do you find when people around you are happy and positive, if affects you in a good way? It’s a great feeling and lifts your spirits up.
But guess what…. the same goes for people who are negative. It lowers our energy and we start looking at the world through negative lenses. This often causes us to want to get comfort. Well, for emotional eaters I am sure you can guess where you naturally want to get comforted… food!
You may not even realise it impacts you, but if you start tuning into your body then you will be able to see just how much it does. Start noticing if you are emotionally eating when you are around negative people.
We all have people in our lives that can have a negative impact on us. Sometimes we can let go of these people, but other times, if it’s a family member or a colleague, we cannot just say goodbye, nor would we want to.
Here Are 5 Simple Steps To Start Learning To Manage Those Negative People And Stop Emotionally Eating To Cope.
1. Pick one person and limit the number of interactions you have with them whenever possible, especially during stressful periods!
It may be a good idea to avoid making a drastic change. If you speak to this person everyday, start spreading it out to every other day and then gradually to every three days, etc.
Remember, this has nothing to do with how much you care for the person. You can love somebody very much, but need to self-care by adding in some more balance.
2. Do not feed into the negativity.
You can let the person speak and express themselves, but don’t feed into it. Instead of agreeing and then commenting with what you think of the person or place, try to respond with “I see” or “mmhmm.”
3. Change topics.
Switch the topic to something else. Try telling them a story about something positive to get them to become more positive too!
Who knows, you may be able to help this person you care about become a happier person, which would benefit you both.
4. If you have to see the person, try to do so in a group setting. This way they don’t suck all the energy out of you.
If you find that you need or want to see this person, it’s much easier to do so in a group setting. That way, you can “spend time” with them without actually having to speak with them very much.
5. Focus on your breathing.
When all else fails, it’s important to stay grounded and not get sucked into the person’s negative energy. Try taking some deep breaths, inhaling for four seconds and exhaling for four seconds, or visualize some sort of armour or light protecting you from their negativity.
Try this with one person in your life starting today. Over 3-4 interactions you will start feeling less negative around this person. Try it and reach out and let me know how it went! I always look forward to hearing from you.
Want to get off the diet roller coaster, stop eating emotionally, and lose weight? Get my Emotional Eating Quiz.
Natalie Shay is a Psychotherapist and Life Coach specializing in emotional eating. She struggled with her own weight for 20 years. She finally learned to stop dieting and lost 75 lbs. In 2007 she became a Registered Psychotherapist to help emotional eaters stop turning to food for comfort and lose weight without dieting. She helps support her clients and guides them to meet their goals to stop dieting and start living.
Natalie can be reached here