Eating Your Feelings?

With the coming of finals I figured that a post about the estranged consumption habits of students during this hellacious week was appropriate.  I began thinking about this when I realized that I'd had three cups of coffee yesterday afternoon to keep me up and going on my studying. This then made me ponder the question, do consumption habits change as a person is feeling more or less stressed? From personal experience I can say that consumption of food, alcohol, and exercise all drastically change as I begin to feel more stressed. 

One of the articles I found had some interesting information about stress eating. One of the highlights from that article was a small questionnaire that asked the following questions about determining if a person could be a stress eater. http://www.helpguide.org/life/emotional_eating_stress_cravings.htm

• Do you eat more when you’re feeling stressed?
• Do you eat when you’re not hungry or when you’re full?
• Do you eat to feel better (to calm and soothe yourself when you’re sad, mad, bored, anxious, etc.)?
• Do you reward yourself with food?
• Do you regularly eat until you've stuffed yourself?
• Does food make you feel safe? Do you feel like food is a friend?
• Do you feel powerless or out of control around food?

An article I found from Bright Eye, Online Alcohol Therapy, states "A lot of people consume alcohol as a way to manage stress. How often this is effective as a coping strategy probably decreases as the amount you drink increases. But although alcohol doesn't really work as a long-term way of handling stressful situations, it does provide relief in the short term. And this is where the problem starts".   

 http://www.brighteyecounselling.co.uk/alcohol-drugs/alcohol-consumption-stress-management/

And finally, this article from the Mayo Clinic suggests that exercise is a great way to alleviate stress. "Exercise increases your overall health and your sense of well-being, which puts more pep in your step every day. But exercise also has some direct stress-busting benefits." http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/stress-management/in-depth/exercise-and-stress/art-20044469

• It pumps up your endorphins.
• It's meditation in motion.
• It improves your mood. 

So, as the week progresses and we all begin to feel more and more stressed, keep in mind that alcohol will only help the problems short term and may give you a screaming headache! Food, though comforting needs to be consumed in a way that helps you maintain regular and healthy choices. And lastly, exercise can help you feel better.