This blog post is the one of a series where we’re giving advice on tools you can try and see if they are worth adding to your ‘toolkit’ when you’re faced with emotional eating. Some tools will work for you and others you won’t find as helpful—check out our previous posts here and give some of them a try!

Have you had a busy day at work, and you sit with some chips next to your computer, only to find yourself scraping the bottom of the bag without realizing it? Or maybe it is late at night and you’re in front of the TV and scooping from an ice cream pint until there isn’t a bite left?

Often those of us who binge eat will do so in a rushed way. This could look like hopping from sweet to salty and back to sweet again, or maybe it’s a panicked shopping spree at the corner store before up ending the bag of goodies in bed where you intend to indulge. Ultimately, we’re hoping the binge will give us some relief from how we’re feeling or create a false sense of control when it seems like eve...

This blog post is the one of a series where we’re giving advice on tools you can try and see if they are worth adding to your ‘toolkit’ when you’re faced with emotional eating. Some tools will work for you and others you won’t find as helpful—check out our previous posts here and give some of them a try!

Affirmations tend to divide people into two camps: either you love ‘em or hate ‘em! But take a read through and hear us out; affirmations can not only be effective in creating a positive outlook, they are also a convenient tool you can rely on whenever you need it (and you don’t have to have space for it in your purse!).

We’ve all heard how powerful one negative thought can be, but what if we switched just that one thought for a positive one?

An affirmation is essentially a sentence that you identify with that is positive in tone (so make sure you are using “I” or “my” when coming up with your affirmation). For example, “the right job for me will not pass me by” or “I deserve to be...

We have all been there. Whether it is after binge eating the night before or a pair of pants no longer fits as we’d like them to or we’re out with friends and believe we’re the biggest body there, we have all had days where our body image is negative. Often a single day can become a few days, or a week, and it so often leads to (more) emotional eating.

It can be so easy to think that the solution to “snap out of it” would be to restrict your food intake and get in a long workout the next day (hands up if you’ve been there!). But this starts the restrict-binge emotional rollercoaster again—a ride we hate and want to get off of!

Here are 5 tips of things to do instead of beating yourself up with tasteless salads and torturous workouts:

1. Put on an outfit that you feel good in. This could mean your softest sweater, most flattering leggings, or your favourite dress, whatever is going to give you a little mood boost to see yourself and feel your body in. This is a way to show your body ...

This blog post is the one of a series where we’re giving advice on tools you can try and see if they are worth adding to your ‘toolkit’ when you’re faced with emotional eating. Some tools will work for you and others you won’t find as helpful—check out our previous posts here and give some of them a try!

When suffering from a low mental health day do you ever find yourself Googling how to improve your mood? Often, we come across the same line, something like “just work up a sweat and you’ll feel good in no time!” again and again. Sounds like advice from someone who doesn’t know what it feels like to be depressed or anxious, right? Chances are you’re already aware that movement makes you feel better, but you can’t force yourself to do it when you’re not in a great space mentally. And that is completely ok!

When we hear the term ‘working out’ we often think of intimidating gyms, uncomfortably tight clothing, following a difficult plan, and comparing ourselves to other people. It ca...

How many of you are using your cell phone as your alarm clock? Hey, we’re guilty of it too! But looking at your screen—even if it’s just to hit the snooze button—can set your mind racing. There are many benefits to the technology we have access to, but constant screen and sound notifications, from texts to email to social media alerts, can divide your attention (hello mindless eating while scrolling!), shatter your focus on a specific task, and even skyrocket your anxiety. 

 So, what is the solution?

Let’s face it: we’re not going to get away from using technology. But we can set boundaries around how and when we use it. The key is to start small! We’ve already suggested how putting away your phone—even just 30 minutes—before bed can be beneficial. The next thing you can try is to add to this time little by little to create more of a buffer between the last time you looked at your phone and when your head hits the pillow. You can even try enabling the ‘do not disturb’ feature on your...

This blog post is the one of a series where we’re giving advice on tools you can try and see if they are worth adding to your ‘toolkit’ when you’re faced with emotional eating. Some tools will work for you and others you won’t find as helpful—check out our previous posts here and give some of them a try!

Here at the Centre for Emotional Eating we are big fans of therapy! While that may be obvious, we are also big believers that support for your mental health doesn’t always have to be a formal in-person session. Below are a few myth-busting ideas around seeking support for your emotional eating:

Support doesn’t have to mean sitting on a therapist’s couch.

Over the past year we have seen more and more options available for different ways to access therapy. There are more virtual options than ever before! Video sessions and online courses have become more popular and can be done in the comfort of your own living room. Our online course, the First Step Course, can help you understan...

Today we’re sharing three common comments we hear from clients. Often, after we’ve been working with a client for a while, we begin to hear that being in therapy has proved positive in surprising ways!

1. I wish I had started taking care of my mental health sooner.

It is so easy to distract yourself from what you are really feeling—with work, your family, with food. Often it takes a big moment or event that is a tipping point for people to finally invest in supporting their mental health. It is scary to ask for help or admit that you’re not doing ok! While many wish they had started opening up sooner, you have to decide if you are ready to dig deep and start to make changes. Remember: support for your mental health doesn’t have to be formal in-person therapy; even taking small steps to support your mental health will be beneficial. You can start by setting boundaries with others, getting out for a walk regularly, or even just reading in the sunshine.

2. I wish I had known not ...

This blog post is the one of a series where we’re giving advice on tools you can try and see if they are worth adding to your ‘toolkit’ when you’re faced with emotional eating. Some tools will work for you and others you won’t find as helpful—check out our previous posts here and give some of them a try!

Getting a good night’s sleep plays a crucial role in maintaining a balance in our body and mind. It’s so easy to get caught in a bad sleep cycle: we wake up to a day that feels like an emotional rollercoaster and makes us eat emotionally as we try and counteract the effects of tossing and turning the night before. Overdoing it on these tasty stimulants—sugar, carbs, coffee, and soda—can not only add to those feelings of up and down but also prolong being stuck in the cycle, leading to another terrible night’s sleep and more emotional eating.

We have totally been there! Sometimes it’s anxiety that keeps you from falling asleep, or it maybe your partner tossing and turning wakes you u...

You’ve picked up a gorgeous new notebook, you have a specific pen you love the feel of. Finally, you have some quiet time to yourself, sitting down you open to that first blank page and… have no clue what to write!

We’ve previously given a few ideas on how to start journaling, but we know for ourselves that sometimes the words just won’t come. Either you’re distracted or have so much to say you don’t know where to start—both can feel overwhelming. So, here are a few ideas to get that ink flowing and fill up your pages. You don’t have to start with number one and work your way through all of the prompts, choose whichever you are called to write about. Or maybe reading one of the prompts gets you thinking about another topic you’d like to write on.

Remember: there is absolutely no wrong way to journal! Your notebook is truly your own space to be honest, vulnerable, funny, or sad.

These ideas below are to help you focus on things that are making you feel happy lately—even if you think ...

This blog post is the one of a series where we’re giving advice on tools you can try and see if they are worth adding to your ‘toolkit’ when you’re faced with emotional eating. Some tools will work for you and others you won’t find as helpful—give them a try! Did you catch our last post on journaling?

There are many ways you can practice breathwork, but at the core of every technique is a focus on how deep and the speed you inhale and exhale in order to bring awareness to your body. The main benefit of breathwork is to lower stress levels and even help calm intense emotions. But studies have shown that you may begin to also experience other benefits, such as increased focus, more self-love, better sleep, and it might even boost your immunity!

By intentionally focussing on steadying your breathing you can create a sense of calm throughout your body as you’re your heart will stop pounding in panic and may even lower your blood pressure. How often have you felt the flutter of anxiety in...