You know that nagging voice in your head that whispers you need to calm down and stop negative thinking, and before you know it, stress eating hits?
It’s the voice that…
- Doubts that it’s all too much and you won’t ever feel calm.
- Questions your relationship with yourself and your self-knowledge.
- Criticizes you and can be downright mean under the veil of being “honest.”
When you’re struggling with stress eating or emotional eating, the voice of doubt focuses on what’s not going well and dismisses or ignores what is.
What if you had a way to calm self-doubt and highlight your successes, no matter how small?
Developing this skill can change the conversation and transform doubt into power.
How to Stop Stress Eating Right Now
When you have an answer ready that you can rely on to shift your focus, calm stress and anxiety and change negative thoughts – you have a skill that will serve you well.
A simple mantra is a shortcut way to connect with yourself. It calms negative thoughts so you can be mindful and make choices that matter to you.
A mantra is a coping skill that’s been around so long because it works!
It’s nearly impossible to separate thoughts, feelings, perceptions, potential future scenarios, etc. When stress eating enters the picture, the feelings are often mixed emotions. Those emotions lead to an essential need for you to stop negative thinking!
Getting out of confusing, conflicting, or uncomfortable feelings is easier when you have a tool to focus your thoughts compassionately. The other benefit is that intentionally focusing your thoughts increases motivation to stay on your path.
Using a mantra to help you shift your thoughts is one of the easiest ways to stop stress eating. Stopping negative thinking is one of the most essential strategies to calm, soothe and refocus your brain to prevent stress eating.
The best mantra is meaningful to you and easy to remember, so when you need it, you have it ready.
When a mantra is precise and concise, it just “fits.” And it’s easy to use over and over to bring your stress level back down.
Mindful living is being aware of what you think and feel and you intend to live the life you want. Stress eating or emotional eating distracts you from it. You can get back in alignment with your needs with this question:
Are you eating because you’re hungry, enjoying the taste, or distracting yourself from emotional stress?
Stress eating or emotional eating will never satisfy an unmet need.
Mindful living is a dynamic, active process. When you slow down and stress lifts, you return to actively choosing your daily eating habits. You’ll grow in your flexibility to change as your needs change.
You’ll naturally be mindful of eating what you need.
What you like might change when you get a chance to slow down and listen to yourself more closely. An effective mantra calms reliably calms and comes back to you naturally, so it’s always there for you.
Why a mantra to stop negative thinking?
A mantra becomes a tool that supports you in building a kind and compassionate relationship with yourself. You can take a stand for nurturing yourself with good food and compassion and live mindfully with fulfillment.
Here are ten mantras you can use or as a starting point to create one of your own!
> I am living in the moment, one meal at a time.
> Peace and kindness support my relationship with my body.
> I feel balanced as I make choices that nourish me.
> I listen to my mind, body and heart for what I need.
> Change requires my time and attention; my reward is contentment.
> I move toward my goals with compassion.
> I am mindful and compassionate as I develop the tools I need.
> I’m cultivating a peaceful relationship with my body.
> When I move my body, I experience life.
> I nourish my mind, body, and heart with a loving, loving heart.
Conclusion
Sometimes, we get caught up in complicated tools or strategies and think they are naturally more compelling. But most of the time, they’re confusing and don’t stop negative thinking or stress eating. Simple, straightforward, and easily used strategies and tools you use daily to live mindfully and fulfill your intentions.