The Root Cause Of Over Eating
Great news! The root cause of over eating can be clearly identified and easily rectified! The root cause of over eating is emotional distress. And, guess what! Our emotional distress isn’t caused by anything or anyone in our past. Our emotional distress is caused by us not living living according to our own values.
First things first- let’s define values. Values are the character qualities we choose to serve as personal guidelines for the the way we live and work.
How to define your top values. Identify the times when you were most fulfilled and satisfied in your life. What character qualities did you possess at the time of creating these times? What character qualities do you see in others who you admire? This is a list of common personal values to help you get started:
Accountable, assertive, ambitious, bold, caring, clear minded, compassionate, committed, confident, conscientious, considerate, cooperative, courageous determined, graceful, encouraging, fair, focused, forgiving, friendly, fun-loving, generous, growth-oriented, hard working, honest, honorable, humble, loyal, optimistic, persevering, polite, practical, prepared, professional, prudent, reliable, respectful, restraint, rigor, self disciplined, self reliant, shrewd, sound, spontaneous, trustworthy
When you know what character qualities you want to possess, you can plan and prepare to show up in life accordingly. When you live according to these ideals, life is good- you’re satisfied and content. But when your behavior doesn’t align with your personal values, that’s when things feel wrong. Many times people turn to food and/ or alcohol to numb this emotional distress they feel.
If you’re in distress and using food and/or alcohol to numb your distress, know there’s nothing wrong with you. You’ve simply gotten into a habit of numbing your emotional distress vs. seeing where your behavior isn’t aligned with your values. I can help you break the cycle so you’re no longer stuck in the suffering cycle. Contact me for a strategy session and we can start working on new patterns that lead to freedom and empowerment.