How Communicating Your Feelings Can Improve Emotional Eating
Do you eat your feelings? For emotional eaters, you’re more likely to gain weight when you don’t communicate your feelings. So, the way to improve emotional eating and manage a healthy body weight is through open communication and expression of your true feelings!
Let's dig a little deeper and discover 4 reasons why you should consider communicating your feelings, especially if you’re looking to manage emotional eating.
1. It gives you a voice
When you express your feelings to another individual, even if that person doesn’t agree with you, or understand your point of view, you’ve still given yourself a voice.
When you share your feelings, start with the phrase “I feel…” which is an empowering statement because the focus is on you. Sharing how you feel to another person can perhaps open the door to finding a resolution but if not (we can’t control how others receive the information), you have still validated your own feelings and empowered yourself by giving yourself a voice.
2. It increases self-esteem
If you struggle with emotional eating you may also have low self-esteem. As a result, you may not speak up for yourself or you may feel like people don’t listen to or hear you.
Learning to speak up and communicate your feelings to others is crucial to improving self-esteem. Remember that you’re just as important as others and your feelings are valid. You have the right to express your feelings and opinions. When you communicate your feelings to others, you’re creating genuine, meaningful relationships with yourself and others.
3. It allows your body, mind and soul to be more connected
To live an authentic life, you need to be honest with yourself about your feelings, beliefs and desires.
If you don’t feel comfortable communicating these things to others, try paying more attention to and sitting with your feelings. Some exercises like journaling or meditation can help you process your feelings. By paying attention to your deeper feelings, you are creating a stronger connection with yourself.
4. It creates a stronger connection with those closest to you
The findings of a 75-year Harvard study on what individuals should prioritize for a happy life were recently published (Read it here). The study showed that the key to happiness is...good relationships!
The article clarifies that "it's the quality of your close relationships that matters…how much vulnerability and depth exists within them; how safe you feel sharing with one another; the extent to which you can relax and be seen for who you truly are, and truly see another.”
The way to build a stronger connection is by opening up and communicating your feelings. And when you build stronger relationships with those closest to you, you will ultimately be healthier and happier!
Hopefully you see that through communicating your feelings, you are being true to yourself and opening yourself up to others in order to build close, meaningful and fulfilling relationships.
And when you do this, your emotional needs are being met which means you won't need to turn to food for comfort. :)
For more information, check out my Free Emotional Eating Toolkit!