What does work life look like for you these days?
Are you working from home part time or full time?
Are you trying to work from home while children are home from school?
Are you a stay-at-home parent who is doing home learning?
Are you trying to do it all at the same time?
Firstly, let’s look at what intuitive eating actually means:
Intuitive Eating is a natural approach to food that moves away from external motivators of eating. It puts the focus on reconnecting with your body and instincts, and getting in touch with your internal cues.
I've heard from countless parents over the past few months who have described their struggles in their food relationship and food intuition while they have been in lockdown or working from home. If this is you, know that you are not alone. Here are some interesting statistics that have come from a Live lighter ‘Shape of Australia’ survey:
One in three Australians have reported gaining weight between February 2020 and July 2021. 72% surveyed said they were concerned about their weight.
41% admitted to snacking more throughout the day compared to before February 2020.
26% have increased ordering takeaway food since February 2020.
Parents, and those under financial stress were more likely to be snacking more, eating more fast food, and drinking more alcohol (compared to older adults, non-parents and those with no financial stress).
Source: livelighter.com.au/news/unintended-covid-consequences-aussies-gained-weight
If this data resonates with you and your eating habits over the past 18+ months, have you reflected on what might be going on for you? Here are some of the concerns that have been shared with me about people losing touch with their internal eating cues while spending more time at home:
· Being in a lockdown has meant there is less structure and routine to their day, and this includes meal structure as well. Reduced meal structure and routine can result in more food grazing and snacking, and less intuition with food choices.
· The more time spent at home means greater access to the fridge and pantry. There can be significantly more food scans in the cupboard due to boredom, dissociation, procrastination, or stress.
· Having children at home doing home learning means there are more mouths to feed, and more opportunities to join in on the eating as well, even if you’re not hungry at the time.
· Being at home, you’re allowed to eat at your desk, or on the lounge or in any setting, so there seems to always be snacks at the desk within reach while you’re working.
· More stress and anxiety of working from home along with the demands of home learning for children and finances has resulted in more emotional eating, especially at the end of an exhausting day. Episodes of overeating occur frequently, and this impacts your sleep and how you wake the next morning, ready to do it all again.
· Going out to the grocery shops more because you are limited for outings has meant you buy more food each week and therefore eat more food, particularly packaged and processed snack foods.
· You have had less time to create nourishing, wholesome meals and snacks for you and your family because of the increased demands so you have ordered more takeaway and eaten more processed meals.
· You notice you are at times an emotional eater but being at home more and having less contact and communication with others has meant that you are turning to food as a means of replacement of that missing connection.
Everyone’s food relationship looks different. Your eating habits are dynamic and impacted a whole range of internal and external factors daily. It can feel acceptable to berate yourself for weight gain or losing control over your eating, but the most important first step is to be extra kind to yourself. We are all just doing the best we can with the situation we find ourselves in. Remove the guilt and replace it with self-support.
Here are some ways you can support your own intuitive eating when you’re at home more often.
- Keep a grocery shopping routine. It can be tempting to visit the shops more and buy more food if you have less options for other outings (lockdowns in particular). Keep to a shopping list as best you can and avoid shopping on an empty stomach.
- Be mindful of your tv consumption. The more you watch, the more food advertising you will see, and the more cravings you are likely to have even when not hungry.
- Do not impose food rules or restrictions on yourself. A ‘diet’ mentality will make food more tempting. Food freedom means that everything is permissible and being intuitive allows you to consider what it is your body truly wants in any given moment.
- Aim to create food routines (not schedules) like including morning and afternoon tea times rather than snacking or grazing all day. These are not rules, so don’t feel ashamed if you eat outside of these food routines. Following your intuition means not following a strict schedule.
- Move away from your workspace to eat your meals. Keep food separate from the work/schooling space.
- Be mindful of the amount of processed/packaged snack foods in the house. It is much easier to snack on premade food than to prepare your own wholefood snacks and meals.
- Check in with yourself mentally, physically and emotionally regularly.
Check in prompts include:
How hungry am I on a scale of 1-10?
What am I feeling? ie stress, boredom, numb, dissociating, anxious, tired.
Do I want to eat something because I’m hungry or because it’s delicious and enjoyable? (Because that’s ok too!)
What does my body want from me right now? Food? Movement? Rest? Sleep? Play? Connection?
- Make your health a priority and create boundaries where necessary, with work colleagues, your partner, your children. A boundary might look like explaining to your boss that you will taking a lunch break at 12:30pm and won’t be at your desk to be in communication for half an hour.
A boundary with your children might be that they aren’t to ask you for snacks during certain work hours, and they can get it themselves in that time.
-Eat a proper meal before starting work, keep a breakfast routine of some sort.
-Eat meals mindfully, using all your senses as much as possible to enjoy the meal and be present while eating.
-Ditch any rules you’ve imposed on yourself. Remember that you can eat anything you want at any time you want. The purpose of intuitive eating is to become in tune with your internal cues, and this means being able to make choices in the present moment rather than rely on external influences like rules and restrictions that may be causing cravings.
I hope you are proud of all that you have achieved in these difficult times, and be peaceful about the times you haven’t achieved, but have stepped back to take care of yourself and fill your own cup. You’re doing an amazing job. Tell yourself that everyday.
Happy intuitive eating (from home, and everywhere else!)
Alyssa
Redwood Wellbeing
If you would like to get started on your intuitive eating journey or want to know more about what it means to eat intuitively, check out my Beginners Guide to intuitive eating below.