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How Your Environment Shapes Emotional Eating (and What to Do About It)

A woman eating cake

Lately, I’ve been reflecting on something that I think a lot of us can relate to: the way we reach for food when the world feels unbearably heavy.


In last week’s podcast, I talked about three common eating patterns: overeating, emotional eating, and binge eating. And while breaking them down, I said something that I want to come back to today: emotional eating isn’t always bad.


None of these eating patterns are “bad.” They’re habits. Habits we’ve picked up along the way to cope, to comfort ourselves, to break the monotony. Sure, they can get in the way of our goals and leave us feeling frustrated, but assigning moral judgment doesn’t help.


Sometimes, we just want the comfort of our favorite food, and that’s okay.


But here’s the tricky part: when food becomes our only source of comfort, especially during stressful times, it can shift into autopilot. That’s when it starts to feel out of control.


And that’s exactly what I want to talk about today (listen to the latest episode here).


Doomscrolling and the Nervous System


I’ll be honest... I’ve been scrolling more than usual lately, especially on TikTok. The 24/7 news cycle has left me stressed, heavy, and honestly, a little hopeless.


And then I saw a TikTok from the channel Your Brain Explained that stopped me in my tracks. The creator said:


“Doomscrolling is literally traumatizing yourself repeatedly.”


That hit hard, because it’s true. Every headline, every violent image, every heated argument... we’re not just consuming information. We’re putting our nervous system through wave after wave of stress.


And when your nervous system is lit up like that, food can feel like the easiest way to get relief.


The Frosting Story: Emotional Eating


That’s exactly what happened to me last week on 9/11. The day already carries so much weight, and with everything else going on, it all felt crushing.


I wanted something sweet. And I noticed the thought: “Go make frosting.”


Of course it was frosting! If you’ve been following me for a while, you know frosting has always been my favorite.


Here’s what I did differently this time: I paused.


I said to myself, “Ah, I notice that I want frosting.” That pause gave me the chance to get curious.

  • Why do I want this? Because everything feels heavy and sad. I wanted a sweet treat to lighten the mood.

  • Do I really want this? Yes.

  • How will I feel afterward? Probably not amazing, but here’s the powerful realization: feeling blah from frosting is very different than feeling hopeless from information overload. In a way, I was trading one bad feeling for another. A buffer.


And in that moment, I chose the frosting. I made vanilla buttercream (the best kind, in my opinion!) and since I didn’t have cake or cookies, I paired it with pretzels. Sweet and salty, it actually worked.


But here’s the difference from my old self:

  • I made a conscious choice.

  • I stayed aware the entire time.

  • I ate until I was satisfied and then threw the rest away.


That is what food freedom looks like. It’s not the absence of frosting, but the ability to choose it intentionally and stay connected to myself the whole time.


Why Environment Matters


This reflection reminded me of something I’ve shared before: the power of an environmental detox. (If you want a deep dive, check out Episode 12.)


Just like we can make intentional choices with food, we can also make intentional choices with our environment. And when I paid attention, I realized all the news, all the scrolling, all the negativity... it was draining me.


Think about it:

  • You’re drained from doomscrolling.

  • You feel awful, so you grab a snack.

  • You get a moment of relief… but then the cycle repeats.


It’s not about judgment. It’s about noticing the connection.


How I’m Shifting (and What Might Help You Too)


Here are a few things I’ve been practicing lately:

  • Monitoring my media. I limit how much news I consume. I'm relearning how to watch enough to stay informed, but not so much that I feel crushed. And I’m working on avoiding the comments section (because honestly, sometimes that’s worse than the news itself).

  • Sprinkling in more joy. Exercise, lighthearted shows, and books that make me feel good. It’s all about balance, and offsetting the heavy with things that bring genuine pleasure.

  • Listening to my body signals. Just like noticing how food makes me feel, I pay attention to how certain content affects my energy. If it leaves me anxious, depleted, or sad, that’s my cue to set a boundary.

  • Journaling it out. One of my favorite tools is the “temper tantrum on paper.” It clears the mental clutter and helps me process heavy emotions without turning to food.


This is what environmental detox looks like. It’s not cutting everything out; it’s adjusting what you let in so your environment supports you rather than drains you.


Protecting Your Peace


At the end of the day, the frosting story wasn’t really about frosting; it was about awareness.


It was about pausing long enough to notice what was happening in my body and my mind, and then making a conscious choice.


And the same goes for our environment. We can’t control the entire world, but we can control what we consume, what we allow into our space, and how we respond.


So here’s my encouragement for you:

  • Notice how your environment (what you watch, listen to, and scroll) affects your energy.

  • Ask yourself: does this make me feel lighter, or does it weigh me down?

  • Remember: just like with food, you get to choose.


When you protect your peace, it becomes so much easier to pause, to check in with your body, and to make choices that truly feel good.


If you’ve been feeling heavy, overwhelmed, or maybe reaching for food more than usual, you’re not alone. I’ve been in it too. The difference now is that I know how to pause and choose. And you can do that, too.


If you want help from a coach who truly gets it, I’d love to connect with you. Book a free connection call, and let’s talk about how working together can help you break the cycle, reclaim your power with food, and feel more at peace in your body.


✨ Ready for extra support? If you want help from a coach who truly gets it, I’d love to connect with you. Book a free connection call, and let’s talk about how working together can help you break the cycle, reclaim your power with food, and feel more at peace in your body.



xo,

Amy


Amy English

Emotional Eating Coach | Fat2Fierce®


Break the Overeating Cycle. Build Self-Trust. Be Free in Your Body.

 
 
 
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