I have always had a really bad habit; eating when I am bored… or happy…or sad… Actually, I would just grab something to eat anytime I could.
It was never like a big meal or anything, just constant snacks. When I watched television, I would eat something, while doing homework I would eat too, and who doesn’t need a snack when you are with your friends too. Basically, anytime it is possible, I felt like eating something.
I have been combatting this for quite some years now, especially since I get sick if I do not eat often enough.
That is why it has just been easier to never stop eating… of course that didn’t work out well, and I ended up putting on a bit of weight and overall just feeling more tired (obviously it is NOT healthy to eat whenever possible, so I have tried a lot of things, to stop this from happening)
After realizing that I did not have too eat all the time to keep my blood sugar in check, I still kept on eating simply because I was used to doing just that. The snacks could go from an apple, but sometimes I might just eat a bar of chocolate instead- what I great idea, huh? (Can you feel the sarcasm?)
Some days I would even go look at what is in the fridge about 20 times a day. Not necessarily to eat something, but I just had to check out if the fridge had all the answers to my questions- spoiler: it didn’t.
To this day whenever I visit my parents, I take a look in their fridge as one of the first things. Not so much to eat anything, but just to see what’s up.
If you are like me, and eat based on emotion, or just eat because you have a hand free: this post might be just for you
One of the first things I talked about on this blog, was actually the post 35 things to do beside eating out of boredom, so if you want to see how far we have come since then, you can go read that- just a disclaimer though, this post includes pretty much the same, but more.
Now first things first. If you are eating because of a psychological problem, these tips are NOT the ones to seek out first. Before going into these, try reaching out to someone first, find out exactly where your trouble resides, and try solving that problem weighing you down.
Talk to someone, preferable a professional, but second best; a friend or someone you trust.
No matter what troubles you have or how deep inside you they reside, I hope everything will go well for you, and I will forever cheer you on! (cheering intensifies)
Now to the actual things you can do instead of eating:
- Drink a glass of water
- Make a cup of your favorite tea/coffee
I especially love making tea in my cafetiere - Take a long walk
- Go for a run or jog
- Dance
- Read your favorite book, or start reading a new one
“There is no friend as loyal as a book” – Ernest Hemingway - Walk your dog- or cat -or hamster (If that is possible)
Or just stay with them outside - Look at old pictures
Me being cheeky when I was very small - Watch a movie
The Princess Bride- 1987 - Just take 10 deep breaths, then 10 more, then 10 more…
- Finish a project you have stalled forever
- Go work in your garden
I have a small “garden”, but it makes me happy when something I have raised on my own looks this good - Pamper yourself
“A mask nourishes your face, like water nourishes a flower” – Me right now 😛 - Play some kind of game – computer, playstation, board game, doesn’t matter
League Of Legends - Go for at bike ride
- Clean something, maybe one whole room in your house
- Get a furry friend- I’m not saying you have to get a pet, but you could borrow a friends pet for a day- for me, animals always make me smile
- Write a list of stuff that makes you happy
- Take a loooong bath
- Do your chores – might as well get them out of the way
Dishes… - Run an errand
- Check and de-clutter all you mail – both email and mailbox
- Write about something great that has happened to you
- Stretch or do some yoga
- Doodle or draw
- Go to a local event
“Old Car event” at Orleans when I lived there - Get a beauty treatment/change your hairstyle (I once had red hair that faded into orange)
Blurry photo because it is ooooold - Clean out your closet and donate what you don’t use
- Brush your teeth
- Do something that makes you laugh- funny videos , a great movie or maybe just a great imagination could do the trick
My lamp being projected in my boyfriends glasses - Paint your nails
- Learn something new
Once made this because why not- maybe not the best idea for what to do when you want to eat, but at least you cannot eat more than one piece 😉 - Play with makeup
A favorite hobby of mine is to play with colours and makeup- this was for carneval a year ago where we went all rainbow - Try something completely new, like going fishing, or bowling, or whatever 😉
My first fish - Write a to do list I looooooooove lists
- Do something creative
A bracelet I made long ago - Do something you have wanted to for a long time (I tried winter bathing once-that is SO cold)
This was in the middle of the winter and SUPER cold - Go to the zoo
Best thing with zoo’s? PANDAS! - Hug someone- preferable someone you know 😛
- Go take some pictures – I love playing with my camera and you can get some really pretty shots sometimes
From a vacation in Austria - Go shopping – or fake it. You can put stuff in your shopping cart (online that is) and just don’t buy it when you are done craving food
- Go to an animal park
I just really love animals 😉 - Visit family
- Go watch the beautiful nature
- Set up some kind of performance
From when I went to “Efterskole” which is a kind of boarding school I guess - Go sightseeing in your hometown
From when I lived in Orleans - Spend time on your favorite platform – YouTube, Instagram, Facebook – you name it
- Exercise
Golf counts as exercise too!
What do you guys usually do when you are bored?
I hope you all have a happy life, one day at a time!
I had such a huge problem with my snacking, mainly in the evening, but I knew I had to stop it somehow. Just started at the beginning of the month so I’ve been doing well but I do have to keep myself busy and occupied lol.
This is such a fantastic list you’ve compiled. I might try a few of these that I’m not already doing. 🤗
LikeLiked by 1 person
Snacking definitely is a bad habit that is really hard to get rid of!
I really need to concentrate on doing something else too, so that i won’t start eating 😉
Thank you very much, I hope it will go well for you! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Same to you! ❤ 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you very much😘
LikeLike