Food as Comfort

So I came home and at around 8 PM I had my cup of tea, Greek Yogurt and an apple to hold me over for the night. I painted my nails then got kinda tired and took a 30 minute power nap. I woke up at around 10:15 PM kind of down because of a boy issue (I know, lame) and immediately headed to the fridge. I didn't do any major damage: I had some veggies with hummus then a small apple, but nonetheless, I ate even though I wasn't hungry.

I'm not upset at myself but I definitely recognize an ongoing issue of mine. When I get upset, I eat. If I feel anxiety or sadness coming on, I notice this habit, but in the moment I give in. I've developed this habit in middle school, coping with bullies. If someone made a mean comment, I would come home and try to forget about it with food. Sadly, it works because food (especially carbs) helps produce serotonin, a neurotransmitter that provides a calming "happy effect" in our brains. Thus, many of us use food as a way to comfort or reward ourselves. 

When do you guys find yourselves using food the most? It could be for celebration (ie- after finishing a tough week of work) or it could be for comfort. Take a minute to reflect and look for patterns between eating and emotional state. After all, recognition is half the battle. 

After recognizing this, it's important to come up with a plan of action to combat the habit. I try to find other things to calm myself, like drinking tea because it's satisfying and I have learned to associate it with relaxation. Also, I blog. It takes my mind off of what's bothering me and it's therapeutic to write down thoughts and feelings, whatever they may be. Happiness, sadness, anxiety, depression, anger, fear, overwhelm, joy,  ANYTHING. Write it down, even if  it's on a napkin!