• Emotions and eating are closely tied, but there are ways to cope.unhappy orange image by sasha from Fotolia.com
  
  We eat when we are happy, sad, stressed and bored. Food is there when we celebrate and when we mourn. It is clear that emotions and eating are closely related. Eating for emotional reasons, rather than physical hunger, can result in weight gain as well as feelings of guilt. Emotional eating often replaces more healthy ways to cope with stress or emotions. There are ways to end an unhealthy cycle of emotional eating.
  
  

Identify Your Triggers

• Before starting to address emotional eating, you must know what triggers you to eat. Emotions such as boredom, stress, loneliness, anger, frustration, anxiety or even happiness can result in eating. Sometimes a social situation can set off an emotion that leads you to eat, such as feeling inadequate or trying to fit in. A major life event, such as sudden job loss, will cause you to turn to food as a comfort. Fatigue can also cause you to eat more in attempts to increase alertness, when what you really need is rest. It is helpful to keep a food diary to track when and what you eat as well as any emotions you feel and any life events. The diary will help you to see any patterns between emotions and eating.
  
  

Create Alternatives or Distractions

• Emotional eating is largely a habit. By regularly choosing food as a means of coping, you automatically reach for food when certain emotions hit. Start to choose other activities or reactions when a certain emotion hits. If you eat when your are bored or lonely, try reading a book or watching a movie. Instead of eating when you feel angry or frustrated, go for a walk, jog or other physical activity you enjoy. Taking a bubble bath when stressed may help also. Calling a friend is another distraction that may help you deal with the emotions as well.
  
  

Practice Relaxation or Meditation

• Trying relaxation techniques or meditation is an effective coping means. When an emotion triggers you to eat, it is not typically hunger that drives you to seek food. Taking a moment to pause before grabbing food will give you time to assess your emotions and try to relax. Deep breathing exercises may be helpful while you are delaying your urge to snack. Simple meditations might also calm the mind and allow you to become more calm. Yoga is another meditative exercise that can be practiced as a means to deal with stress.
  
  

Individual or Group Counseling

• Sometimes it is too difficult to control emotional eating on your own. If self-help techniques are not helping, consider seeing a professional therapist or mental health provider. Therapy, whether one-on-one or in a group setting, can help you further understand why you eat in response to emotions. The therapist can also teach you new coping skills or help you improve your coping skills.