3 Steps to Stop Stress Eating, for Healthcare Providers

If you could only get through your day without feeling stress and then stress EATING, that’d be amazing right?

But regardless of your patient load, an issue with another colleague, or an urgent situation, you CAN get through it without using food to cope.

I did when I was an orthopedic surgical Physician Assistant at a level 1 trauma center, and you can too.

To help you, I’m sharing 3 steps to stop stress eating, even if you feel you’re the most stressed-out Physician, Physician Assistant, or Nurse Practitioner.

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Why You Stress Eat

First, a few things you need to know about stress. Stress is actually not a bad thing. As you know, the emotion of stress just causes sensations in our body that allow us to respond to a danger and stay alive. (Think back to the primitive days.)

But now, we tend to get stressed over other things besides bears chasing us. And stress feels terrible to us, especially compared to other more pleasant emotions like relaxation, joy, excitement, pride.

Our brains don’t like discomfort, so they try hard to avoid it. They also try hard to increase pleasure. Again, all for survival purposes as you know.

So an easy way to decrease the discomfort of stress and increase pleasure is…you guessed it….food! Especially food that tastes especially delicious.

This is why you stress eat. Not because there’s something inherently wrong with you. It’s just a normal human response. So, here’s what you can do about it now. Here are those 4 steps to stop stress eating, for healthcare providers that I promised you.

• LISTEN OR READ: Emotional Eating at Work
• LISTEN OR READ: 3 Thoughts to Overcome Emotional Eating

Step #1: Say “Hello” to the Stress

When you start feeling stressed, say “hello” to it. Seriously.

Being aware that it’s there gives it the attention it needs, rather than you feeling like it needs to just be gone.

I know it’s tempting to think, “this is terrible,” but what that does is it makes stress a PROBLEM that needs to go away quickly.

And when you see it that way, of course you’re going to stress eat, because your brain thinks that’s what has to be done.

So, you make those stress sensations feel a little less terrible by saying, “oh hey stress, I see you.”

I used to battle anxiety and now on the rare occasion that I feel anxious, I think, “Oh, I’m just feeling some anxiety sensations right now. That’s okay.”

What a difference that makes, instead of thinking, “Oh no, I hate this feeling.”

*If you’re currently feeling like you might need to change jobs, but need help deciding, download Tracy Bingaman’s free Decisions Framework to help you make that decision for yourself. She’s a Physician Assistant who helps other clinicians with earning more, avoiding burnout, and more.

Step #2: Turn Your Attention to Your Body

Once you’ve identified that you’re feeling stress and say “hello” to it, you’re going to bring your attention to your body.

Now, I know when you’re seeing patients or in an urgent situation, you might think you don’t have time for this. And maybe you don’t, but it really only takes about 2 minutes.

So, if you can’t do it right in the moment, then once you get a chance to sneak away, then you can do this.

Remember how an emotion is just sensations in your body?

Well, when you get out of your thoughts and focus your attention on the sensations in your body, you see how harmless this stress really is in the moment. It’s JUST sensations.

When you see where you’re actually feeling stress (is your neck tense? Do your fingers tingle?) and what it feels like, you realized you can totally handle those physical sensations.

You’ve handled much more uncomfortable physical sensations I’m sure! Think childbirth, a fracture, a cut, a burn taking something out of the oven…

All of a sudden, this stress doesn’t seem too terrible anymore and your brain doesn’t immediately think it needs food to get out of the discomfort.

• LISTEN OR READ: The 2 Biggest Emotional Eating Mistakes
• LISTEN OR READ: My Emotional Eating Habit

Step #3: Don’t Expect Perfection

For this to work, you have to be okay with progress. Don’t expect perfection. (I know, I know, you’re likely a perfectionist if you’re a healthcare provider.)

Think about it. Your brain has formed a strong link between stress and stress eating, so it’ll take some practice to break this link.

So, even if for the first few times, you still stress eat after doing those first two steps (or even after the first), that’s okay. What you’ve effectively done is stretched that link a little bit.

And next time, you’ll stretch it a little further. And further. And further, until it breaks.

And you’ve effectively broken your stress eating habit.

It’s all about decreasing the automaticity, by increasing the intentionality. Putting that pause in there.

Final Thoughts

I’ve made very simple as far as the actions steps, because it really is that simple. One thing that can get in the way though, is your thoughts.

In fact, your stress is from your thoughts, so if you’re feeling stressed often, addressing the stress by addressing the thoughts causing the stress, is key.

That’s one of the things I help my clients with when I help them with eating habits and weight loss. Because it’s not just about the actions, but also the thoughts and emotions behind the actions.

So, if you want help with this and don’t think you can do it alone, I can help you break “bad” eating habits and lose weight.

Part of that is thought work (mindset work), which is the best part, because that branches off into so many other areas and is where the true transformation occurs.

To talk, just book your free consultation. I’ll listen, ask questions, and give a personalized plan. If you like that plan, you’re welcome to ask how we can work together to create the results you desire.