The next time you experience a feeling that makes you want to turn to food for distraction, answer the following questions. Revisit this exercise whenever you’re tempted to “eat” your emotions.
1. What am I feeling right now? (remember, a feeling is a one word emotion)
2. Where is this feeling in my body? (gut, heart, chest, head, jaw)
3. What color is this feeling? (give it a try)
4. Is this feeling fast or slow?
5. Is this feeling hard or soft?
6. How does this feeling make me want to react?
7. Why am I feeling this?
8. What am I thinking that is causing me to have this feeling?
Note: Don’t try to change your thoughts right now. Simply get them down on paper and out of your head. Read each thought and notice the emotion it creates in your body.
The purpose of this exercise is not about trying to create a new feeling to get out the discomfort you’re feeling. The purpose of this exercise is to realize that you can handle ANY emotion.
The fear of and resistance to feeling unpleasant emotion are much bigger problems than the actual emotion.
Dig a Little Deeper
1. Was the feeling so awful that you’re willing to risk your health/goals not to feel it?
2. Has resisting it been better than actually feeling it?
3. How long did the feeling last?
4. Were you willing to stay with the feeling long enough to let the discomfort of it happen and come out the other side of it?
5. What can this emotion teach you? For example, guilt lets us know that we’re likely violating our own moral code/out of integrity with ourselves.
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