How Being Too Productive Can Lead to Overeating (and How to Stop It)

Foodist with Darya Rose, Ph.D

Shelbey came to me wondering why she has the habit of overeating when she's alone and supposed to be studying. She sits down to eat and turns on the TV, planning to finish dinner and then hit the books. But instead she usually keeps eating through the entire show until she feel so sicks she can't do anything at all. To her credit Shelbey has already thought through possible psychological reasons she's doing this, but hasn't come up with any answers. She's a very hard working woman who is always pushing herself for self-improvement. She's a good student, exercises regularly, and meditates often. What she never does is give herself permission to relax. One of the symptoms of being too productive is having anxiety about down time. All humans need to relax and recharge both physically and mentally, but highly productive people often feel guilty and anxious about taking these much needed breaks. If this goes on for too long it can lead to avoidance behaviors like overeating. It can be difficult to acknowledge that rest is needed, but Shelbey and I come up with a plan for her to recognize her anxiety and give her the space to unwind. For complete show notes visit http://summertomato.com/