What is Emotional Eating - and How Do You Stop It?

“Think about what other activities nourish you and have no downsides: devouring a book by your favorite author, calling a friend or doing a guided meditation,” says Taitz. She calls this strategy “diversifying your soothing portfolio.” Write your list down, pin it up in your kitchen, and hold yourself to it.

If you’re having a particularly intense craving, Taitz recommends going a layer deeper by jotting down a quick pros and cons list for listening to your favorite podcast versus tearing through a pint of rocky road, for example. “It’s helpful to notice that saying no to the ice cream isn’t saying no to fun, it’s saying yes to feeling better,” she says.

Opt for delicious, nutrient-dense foods and you’ll be less likely to lose control, says Scott-Dixon. “Less-processed whole foods, like lean proteins, fruits and veggies, and high-fiber carbs, all create a chemical environment in your body that makes you less susceptible to emotional eating,” she says. “That’s because nutritious foods help regulate your moods, and you don’t get those blood sugar highs and lows that put you in a panic." Doing some meal planning could help keep you accountable.

No shocker here: Logging six or fewer hours of sleep is associated with increased emotional eating, according to a review out of Finland. Get more sleep and you should have more brain power to make food decisions you’ll feel good about, says lead study author Hanna Konttinen, PhD, a lecturer in the department of social research at the University of Helsinki. Plus, she says, better rest can help you stay in a happier frame of mind, so you’re less likely to experience the emotions that may make you turn to food for comfort in the first place.

During stressful times, and especially when events are outside your control, there’s value in giving yourself a break. But Taitz cautions that self-compassion isn’t permission to say, “Times are tough and it doesn’t matter what I eat.” Instead, psych yourself up with something closer to, “I know that I can handle this situation without losing myself in food.” “Being kind to yourself is like being a good coach, someone who knows what you’re capable of and cheers you on to do your best, not someone who says, ‘screw it,’” explains Taitz.

You have the ability to choose to eat. And sometimes remembering that you are the boss of your body is all you need to walk away from the kitchen. “A lot of times an urge comes up and people think, ‘It’s going to get worse. I might as well give in now. If not, I'll eat three times as much,’” says Taitz. “But urges rise and fall like waves, and if you can sit back and just notice and not judge the urge, it’ll be more likely to pass.”

Choosing to eat when you’re actually hungry versus to squash an emotion also means you’re more likely to actually enjoy your meal. And that happy, nourished feeling is what food should give you, both while you’re eating and after you’re done.