Drink More Water to Fend Off Boredom Eating

Between meal hunger and disrupted snack times have become a silent force that fuels many people when boredom eating. If you’ve let your guard down, you may not be identifying the difference between true hunger and simply eating because you’re bored. Sometimes there are good reasons as to why you are bored and identifying causes may result in choosing options other than eating.

Creating a plan with a more flexible structure for meals and snacks is a good starting point for managing your daily intake of energy and nutrients. It will keep you from hanging out in the kitchen or break room grazing during the day.

Boredom leads to a misplaced need for instant gratification…

Whether you are actually working from home or just spending more time there, it is important to recognize signals for boredom eating to overcome the need to constantly reach for a snack. Listed below are read flags to keep you from noshing for no reason:

• Drink Enough Water – As you drink more water, your kidney function, hormonal production, and hormone release will adjust accordingly. Your body will recalibrate and efficiently utilize the increased consumption of water.
• Brush Your Teeth – When you are bored with what you’re doing and find yourself craving a particular treat, brushing your teeth is a convenient and healthy way to distract yourself from those nagging urges to eat.
• Get More Sleep – Sleep is an important time in every day, as critical hunger hormones like leptin and ghrelin are produced and released. Set your intentions for always getting more sleep to boost your energy levels.
• Be a Mindful Eater – If you can keep you mind in the present by being conscious of what you’re doing, you will find yourself paying attention to get more out of your life, including the foods you consume.

Your brain fosters creative ideas when you’re bored…

Ironically, there has never been a time when people’s senses have ever been this stimulated. Whether you are at home or the office, your environment can fuel mindless eating. When boredom sets in, trying running errands, visiting with a friend, or walk your dog.

Researchers say your brain has a default network that turns on when you become disengaged from what you are doing. When boredom sets in, your brain actively fosters creative ideas. Some are good but others result in negative outcomes. Boredom eating is your body’s way of falsely telling you that you need something soothing like a favorite comfort food.

Unfortunately, the creativity that boredom allows for can dream up all sorts of food possibilities.

Once you understand what is causing you to snack, it makes it easier to deal with your exact emotion. At Metabolic Research Center, we teach and encourage clients to focus on living a healthy life. The first step to managing boredom is to understand that boredom does not signify a lack of passion. Plus, it helps you stay focused in the moment.