Author: HairWeavings Editorial Team

Emotional eating, the tendency to use food as a coping mechanism for emotional distress, can disrupt our relationship with food and hinder our overall well-being. However, mindfulness, a practice that cultivates present-moment awareness and non-judgmental acceptance, offers a powerful tool for addressing emotional eating.

In this article, we will explore the role of mindfulness in understanding and overcoming emotional eating, highlighting its potential benefits and providing practical strategies for incorporating mindfulness into our daily lives.

Understanding Emotional Eating

Emotional eating usually develops gradually, influenced by a variety of factors. Understanding the root causes of emotional eating is crucial in addressing this issue, unraveling its origins, and developing effective strategies to break free from its grip.

Emotional eating often begins as a seemingly innocent response to occasional emotional discomfort or stress. At first, it may provide a temporary sense of relief or distraction from negative emotions. For instance, after a particularly challenging day at work, indulging in a sweet treat may offer a brief escape and create a sense of comfort.

Over time, however, this occasional behavior can develop into a habitual pattern as the brain starts associating food with emotional relief. The brain’s reward system reinforces the connection between consuming certain foods and feeling better emotionally, leading to a cycle of emotional eating.

Emotional Triggers

Emotional eating often arises from negative emotions, such as stress, anxiety, sadness, or boredom. It becomes a way to seek comfort, distract from unpleasant feelings, or fill a void.

The Cycle of Emotional Eating

Emotional eating creates a cycle of temporary relief followed by feelings of guilt, shame, and dissatisfaction. The underlying emotions remain unaddressed, leading to a repetitive pattern of seeking solace in food.

Mind-Body Connection

Emotional eating can disrupt our connection with our bodies, as we may eat mindlessly or disregard our natural hunger and fullness cues. Mindfulness helps restore this connection by fostering a heightened awareness of bodily sensations and emotional states.

The Essence of Mindfulness

Cultivating Present-Moment Awareness

Mindfulness involves intentionally bringing our attention to the present moment, fully engaging with our current experience without judgment. By being present, we can observe our thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations with curiosity and acceptance.

Non-Judgmental Acceptance

Mindfulness invites us to observe our experiences without judgment or self-criticism. We learn to accept our thoughts and emotions as they are, recognizing that they are impermanent and do not define us.

Developing Emotional Resilience

Mindfulness strengthens our ability to navigate difficult emotions. Rather than reacting impulsively, we learn to respond skillfully, making conscious choices that align with our well-being.

Mindfulness as an Antidote to Emotional Eating

Enhanced Emotional Awareness

Mindfulness heightens our awareness of emotional triggers, allowing us to recognize and acknowledge our emotions as they arise. By developing this awareness, we can make conscious choices about how to respond to emotional cues.

Creating Space for Choice

Mindfulness creates a pause between the emotional trigger and our response, providing an opportunity to choose a healthier coping mechanism instead of turning to food. This space allows us to respond rather than react impulsively.

Breaking Automatic Patterns

Mindfulness helps us disrupt automatic eating patterns by bringing awareness to our eating habits. By paying attention to the taste, texture, and sensation of food, we can savor each bite and cultivate a sense of satisfaction with smaller portions.

Practical Strategies for Mindful Eating

Eating with Intention

Before eating, take a moment to set an intention for the meal. Consider your hunger level, the purpose of the meal, and your desired level of satisfaction. This intention will guide your eating experience.

Savoring the Experience

Engage all your senses during meals. Notice the colors, aromas, and flavors of the food. Chew slowly, fully experiencing the texture and taste. By savoring each bite, you can cultivate a deeper appreciation for the nourishment food provides.

Cultivating Gratitude

Before eating, express gratitude for the food on your plate. Reflect on the effort and resources that went into its production and preparation. This practice helps cultivate a positive mindset and promotes a healthy relationship with food.

Emotional Check-Ins

Throughout the day, take moments to check in with your emotions. Pause and ask yourself how you’re feeling. Notice any emotional triggers that may arise and acknowledge them with compassion and non-judgment.

Non-Food Coping Strategies

Develop a toolbox of non-food coping strategies to turn to when emotions arise. This can include deep breathing exercises, journaling, engaging in physical activity, seeking support from loved ones, or engaging in hobbies that bring you joy.

Mindfulness offers a transformative approach to addressing emotional eating. By cultivating present-moment awareness, non-judgmental acceptance, and developing emotional resilience, individuals can break free from the cycle of emotional eating and establish a healthier relationship with food.

Incorporating mindful eating practices into daily life fosters a deeper connection with the body and emotions, allowing for conscious choices and sustainable well-being. With patience, practice, and self-compassion, mindfulness can be a powerful tool on the journey to overcoming emotional eating and nurturing a balanced and fulfilling life.

Reclaiming control over your eating habits and fostering a healthier relationship with food and with yourself can be difficult, but it is possible.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

What is your favorite mindfulness strategy to keep control over your eating behaviors? What can you advise others who have struggled with emotional eating?

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Thinking about dating again after divorce? Whether you’re ready to cannonball into the deep end or just dip a toe in, you’re not alone – and yes, it can feel terrifying. Especially if your last date involved pagers, Blockbuster, or dial-up internet.

If your marriage lasted decades or your divorce left you emotionally wiped out (or both), it’s totally normal to wonder:

“Am I really ready to date again?”

Let’s walk through the most common things I hear from newly divorced clients – and bust a few myths while we’re at it:

Myth #1: All the Good Men/Women Are Taken

Nope. Just… nope. It only feels that way. Fun fact: 38% of people over 50 have gone through a divorce. The dating pool didn’t dry up. It just looks different now (and no one’s doing cannonballs anymore, which honestly, thank goodness!).

Myth #2: There’s Still a Stigma Around Divorce

That disappeared with shoulder pads and fax machines. Divorce today just means you’re human. It happens. You’ve grown. You’ve learned. Now you get a second shot – wiser, stronger, and more interesting.

Myth #3: My Married Friends Say Dating Is Awful – and My Single Friends Agree

First off, your married friends have zero idea what the dating scene looks like. And second, your single friends who say it’s terrible? After 30+ years in this business, let’s just say… there’s often a reason they’re still single. And that reason has nothing to do with you.

Myth #4: Online Dating Is Scary. I Want to Meet Someone Organically

Look, “organic” is great – for blueberries. But for dating? Online is where it’s at. Modern platforms like Bumble and Match have stepped up their game with ID checks and smarter screening. Want to meet someone playing pickleball? Sure! But also: don’t hold your breath.

So, How Do You Know You’re Ready?

Step 1: Start with Your Mindset

In my bestselling book, 2nd Acts: Strategies for Dating Over 50, the first worksheet asks:

“Where’s your head at?”

It’s full of thoughtful questions like:

• Can you go on a date without ranting about your ex?
• Are you nervous – but also kind of excited?
• Do you feel like you’re “too old” or have “nothing to talk about”?
• If any of this hits home, you’re not alone. And that worksheet might just give you the clarity you need.

Step 2: Think of Dating Like a New Sport

You wouldn’t pick up golf without a few lessons, right? Same thing here. Start small:

• Pick one dating site.
• Write a short, friendly profile.
• Upload 5-6 real, happy, flattering photos.
• Send a few light messages (“Love your dog – what’s her name?” works way better than “So… what are you looking for?”)

Step 3: Boost Your Dating Confidence

The secret sauce? Go on 2-3 first dates in your first few weeks. You’ll be amazed:

You got dressed up.

You smiled.

You laughed.

You didn’t spontaneously combust.

Boom – you’re doing it.

Step 4: Get a Dating Coach

Your best friend or your cousin’s hairdresser is not your dating coach. I am. And I’ve helped thousands of women like you navigate the new dating jungle with clarity, confidence, and results. Why fumble around for months when you could have a pro in your corner?

Step 5: Don’t Give Up at the Two-Week Mark

Seriously. Most people quit after 14 days. But success comes to those who commit. I recommend a solid 90-day dating game plan – and I’ve got your back the whole way. Over 65% of my clients find a romantic partner. Not too shabby, right?

Dating after divorce might feel like a mountain climb. But with the right prep it can actually be fun. Really fun. So, stop staring at the dating pool – dangle those fabulous toes in and wade in with curiosity.

Check out my YouTube channel for more tips on how to get started.

Or grab your copy of 2nd Acts: Strategies for Dating Over 50 – worksheets, wisdom, and a whole lot of wit included.

You’ve got this.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Have you been through a divorce? How did you feel about dating again? What were you most scared about?

We know supporting brain health is necessary to prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s. But in addition to the often endorsed crossword puzzles and Sudoku, there are some ancient time-tested techniques to ensure robust cognitive fitness.

Enter Qigong

In this article I wanted to offer a couple of easy 2-3 minute exercises to protect the brain’s health by stimulating more energy flow.

Qigong, a four-thousand-year-old practice, is a wonderful moving meditation increasingly practiced for its ability to improve brain function. Numerous studies have found that meditation promotes brain elasticity in the hippocampus, which in turn improves both memory, concentration, and learning.

Also, the slow, rhythmic movements of Qigong, along with mindful breathing, help to balance the left and right hemispheres of the brain, allowing for greater mental efficiency. And, since the movements are repetitive, they help establish new neural connections, creating pathways in the brain that promote better focus and enhanced balance.

Results are realized when the exercises are practiced as little as three times a week and sustained over several months.

Having Excess Energy in the Brain

Stress can result when too much energy is settled in the brain and just as a standing pool of water can become brackish, so energy that isn’t circulated becomes stagnant, leading to brain fog, lack of focus, and forgetfulness.

Excess energy in the brain can accumulate from worry, overthinking, or replaying loops of thoughts over and over. The good news is that it’s easy and quick to rid the body of the old qi and reinvigorate it with fresh energy, promoting greater mental acuity.

Qigong Exercises for the Brain

Here are a few simple exercises which are easy to learn and can be practiced in under 10 minutes. The first dispels stagnant qi and the following three exercises energize the brain.

Shake the Tree

Stand with feet hip length apart and gently shake the whole body for several minutes. Chronic stress creates cortisol which kills brain cells and contributes to memory loss. So, shake off stress while smiling slightly to signal your brain to relax and release feel good hormones. Do this for 2-3 minutes. Just shake everything lightly – arms, legs, hands, shoulders and head. Do it to music to make it more fun!

Energize Your Brain

Now that you’ve let go of old tension, you can energize your brain with fresh qi. Tap your forehead with your fingertips. This temporal tap brings fresh blood to the forebrain. Press in with your fingertips on the prominent bones of the forehead while taking a deep breath in through the nose and breathing out through the mouth.

This exercise improves the ability to think clearly. Now tap briskly all over the head. A variation is to knock with your knuckles all over the head to ‘awaken’ the brain. When you stop, feel and note the sensations in your brain. Any tingling or electricity is the new energy moving in your brain.

Rub Your Palms Together

Rub the palms of your hands together briskly until you feel warmth and/or tingling. Move your hands apart slightly and feel the subtle tug of energy between the palms. By energetically activating the hands you create a ‘qi ball’. Bring the energy you’ve developed up to the brain by bringing the palms up to the forehead.

You can place your palms directly on the forehead, or just in front of it. Doing this charges the front of the brain, responsible for concentration, with fresh energy. Now bring the hands to either side of the head and hold a minute or so and then to the back of the head, hold here briefly, again and finally charge the top of the head by holding your charged palms above the head an inch or so. The point is to feel the energy as a slight tingling or buzzing to know you’ve actually activated some movement.

The back of the brain is responsible for balance and the top of the brain is best with analyzing information and decision making. In addition, energizing the crown of the head has the effect of letting the qi flow down the body, much like water flowing downhill, which energizes the whole body. Regularly supplying new energy to the brain stimulates mental faculties which can have positive effects throughout the body. 

Massage Your Scalp

Finally, comb your fingers through your hair running from the hairline to the base of the neck covering every part of the scalp. Do this about 10 times. It’s both relaxing and invigorating.

Pay Attention to Your Body

When you’ve completed any or all of these exercises stop and become aware of the sensations in your head and body. Do you feel tingling, warmth, or pins and needles sensations? That’s the new energy circulating in your brain bringing fresh qi for greater health.

These exercises can be done in under 10 minutes, but when practiced regularly can pay huge dividends in overall brain health, better balance, improved cognition, focus, as well as greater relaxation and happiness. They’re fun and a great way to meet people!

Also read, Why Tai Chi is Amazing for the Health and Happiness of Older Women.

Please Join the Conversation:

Have you practiced Tai Chi or Qigong before? Please let us know if you had success with any of these exercises.

Photo + Info: @tamrajudge

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