3 Keys to Stop Overeating While Working from Home

1. Identify Triggers

Lots of people have treats stashed away in their office drawers. Candy bowls sit on reception counters, and co-workers often bring in goodies to share. If you don’t like what they have, vending machines tempt you in the hallway. These visual and habitual reminders can become triggers for munching at work.

In the same way, you probably have triggers when working at home as well. Pay attention for a few days and see if you can identify when they happen. Do they pop up at a particular time of day? If you feel bored or overwhelmed with a project, do you distract yourself with a cookie? Perhaps loneliness draws you to try to find a sense of fullness through food.

Identifying driving forces behind your overeating is a helpful first step. You can use the information to dig deeper into underlying causes. It can also help you plan a strategy to circumvent the draw toward food and direct it to something that is calorie-free.

2. Stress Management

As hinted at above, much of our overeating while working from home stems from stress. Being overwhelmed, sad, and lonely lend themselves to the short-lived comfort of sweets and snacks. In this sense, you can look at overeating as an attempt at self-soothing. When you learn better stress management skills, you can soothe yourself in more productive, healthy ways.

Exercise

Exercise is a great stress management tool. It often also has the benefit of reducing cravings. You can burn off restless energy and increase positive hormones through physical activity.

Self-Care Routines

Instead of reaching for a candy bar, consider other sensory treats. Reach for a bottle of enlivening essential oil to sniff when you’re tired. Buy a roller ball to massage your feet when you feel restless — schedule stretch breaks. Infuse fresh water with herbs and fruits for a beautiful, tasty drink.

Counseling

Overeating is often a symptom of depression. Reaching out to a mental health therapist can also be helpful. They can help teach you additional stress management skills.

3. Food Management

While treats are often readily available at work, you can’t blame other people (usually) for the free range of goodies in your own home. One of the first steps you can take to curb overeating is simply not bringing temptations into your home. It can be challenging, but it’s a powerful step. After all, if you don’t keep your chocolate stash stockpiled, it won’t be there waiting for you.

You can also consider ways to simplify snack and mealtimes. Plan to help curb the tendency to eat whatever’s easiest and most readily available. You can purchase snacks in controlled portion sizes or divvy them up yourself. Prep a big batch of healthy salads on Sunday afternoon to have lunch ready for the week. Healthy, tasty frozen meals are also growing in availability and are a good option.

Finally, keeping a food journal also helps you track what you’re eating. When you write down every little nibble, you may be surprised and motivated to change.

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Working from home, while convenient, can also lend itself to isolation, loneliness, and depression. This is especially true during a pandemic. If you continue to notice signs of depression, such as overeating, lack of motivation, or unusual sadness, please reach out to our office or visit our depression counseling page. Help is available and essential to seek.