How to Eat Mindfully When You're Home All Day

Mindful eating can be quite challenging – especially when we all day long sitting at home. Of course, working from home also has its advantages, but working from home can easily affect our eating habits without us even realizing it. Do you find yourself eating at your desk a lot or constantly snacking mindlessly? Then this might be the reason why those annoying corona pounds have been added. Here are some practical tips for beginners to eat more consciously, wherever and whenever you want.

Mindfulness

But what does mindful eating actually mean? Mindful eating is not a diet, but rather a lifestyle in which meditation and mindfulness help improve our relationship with food. Do you eat because you are stressed or sad? Do you grab a snack purely out of boredom? Or do you really eat because you are hungry? By recognizing our emotions while eating, you can, for example, pick up signals more quickly when you are full.

By learning to eat consciously, you will also notice more quickly when you are full and can thus regulate your portions better. Try to pay enough attention to your daily eating pattern. Become aware of the effect of food on your psyche, instead of mindlessly eating everything on your plate. Research shows that conscious eating not only improves your digestive health, but can also change our entire relationship with food in a positive way. Ultimately, this will help you make smarter choices and better control your binge eating.

This is how you eat more consciously:

• The first step is simple: make time to eat. However, this can often be harder than you think. When you work from home, it is tempting to quickly eat a sandwich at your desk. We often forget to plan our meal time due to a demanding job and a busy schedule. But it is so important to take about 30 minutes off to enjoy your meal without distractions. Do this not at your desk or in front of the TV, but in a place where you can quietly reflect on the food in front of you.

• Eating more slowly is a crucial part of eating more mindfully. As Gandhi once said, “Chew your drink and drink your food.” In other words, eat slowly, take your time to chew your food and savor the different flavors. How does it taste? Take a break from eating every now and then to assess whether or not you’ve finished eating. Have you had enough or do you want to eat more? By eating more slowly, your stomach has enough time to signal to your brain when you’re full. This will ultimately help you consume fewer calories.

• Try to eat without distractions – away from the TV, computer or car. This is important for both your overall health and a healthy mindset. Also, don’t forget to check in on your emotions when you’re about to eat. Are you constantly running to the kitchen because you’re bored at home? Make sure you keep yourself busy! Once you understand your emotions better, you’ll be able to better control your impulses and snacking moments.

• And lastly, be patient and above all kind to yourself – especially during this difficult period! You have to learn to eat consciously and it will not be perfect right away. It doesn't have to be. It's about learning to understand the relationship between food, emotions and your body.

Good luck with eating more consciously and learning to reflect on the food you consume daily. You will be amazed at how easily you will win the battle against excess pounds when you listen to your body better. Although it may be unfamiliar at first - practice makes perfect. Build up the techniques of conscious eating slowly by starting with one meal a day. Once you get the hang of it, it will automatically become a healthy, new habit!