Even if you have a strong support system in your family, interacting with them can be stressful. Family stress comes from many different sources, and it often impacts our lives in ways we don’t realize. One of those ways is through our eating habits. When you tend to turn to food in times of stress, this can be exacerbated by whatever is going on with your family.
Family stress is anything that impacts one or multiple members of your family. A few common examples include family dynamics, criticism from family members, and grief. It’s clear that these impact family relationships, but sometimes we don’t consider how they impact us as individuals. Family stress works like any other form of stress, making it a common trigger for falling into unhealthy habits and coping mechanisms. For many of us, one way we cope is through mindless eating.
Mindless eating, also known as stress eating or emotional eating, is eating not to nourish yourself but to fill an emotional void. When family members cause stress in our lives, we need to find a way to manage that stress. Eating when you don’t actually need to can help you fill your time doing an activity that you generally enjoy — at least in the moment. That provides a temporary feeling of relief, then it often ends up exacerbating stress and feelings of guilt in the long term.
When families gather, it’s often around the table. We associate families with food, so it makes sense that thinking about our family stress would cause us to think of food. Thinking about food when you’re stressed can then lead to emotional eating. In some cases, families can directly impact our eating habits.
If family members spend a lot of time talking about your weight, or if they’re unsupportive on your weight loss journey, this can lead to undue stress. Even if it seems contradictory, this can trigger emotional eating. Family criticism can also make you want to stay home alone instead of engaging with others, which can lead to boredom and, ultimately, mindless eating.
Mindless eating may seem harmless in the moment, but over time, it can cause weight gain and health problems, as well as psychological issues like depression and anxiety. Consider taking steps to resist making mindless eating a habit. Here are some tips for avoiding mindless eating:
We don’t get to choose our families, but we can choose how to cope with the stress they cause. Mindless eating can be an unintended side effect of a stressful family situation. See what you can do to break the cycle and establish healthy coping mechanisms.
