You might think really busy people never struggle with boredom — but it is so often the case that they struggle with it the most of all. When our lives are moving 200 mph all the time, the breaks in action can feel really uncomfortable. It’s that calm before the next storm where we say, “Hey, I finished a bunch of things, now what do I do?!” We end up looking for ways to stimulate ourselves to fill that uncomfortable gap. One way to do that quickly? Have a snack. Boredom eating can account for a lot of unnecessary calories. Check out these strategies for how to avoid filling those breathing spaces in life with food.
Bored at Work
To-do list. Sometimes at work we’re so focused on the most pressing tasks that we never get to tasks that are not pressing, such as tidying up your workspace, planning a lunch with a colleague, replenishing supplies, cleaning out old emails, etc. Make a to-do list of non-pressing tasks that you can work on instead of snacking when you have downtime.
Quickie workout. Have a few minutes to kill at work? Put dumbbells under your desk so you get in a few reps to pass the time without snacking. Or try going for a short walk around the building. A brief jolt of exercise can be just the thing to perk up your mental energy for the next task.
Task switcharoo. When the task you’re working on isn’t very exciting, you may find yourself both bored and busy at the same time. That’s when we end up wandering down to the vending machine. Instead, when you’re stuck in a rut on one task, switch to work on a different task for a little while. This will help you avoid the snack and stay productive.
Breathe. Instead of grabbing a snack, use brief breaks in the action to recharge your body and soul. Find a quiet place to do a brief breathing exercise, mindfulness meditation or just listen to soothing sounds.
Bored at Home Alone
TV. TV watching is a “filler” activity that we often default to at the end of the day to relax. Sometimes it’s enjoyable, but sometimes it’s not. In one study we had people record how much they enjoyed TV watching hour-by-hour. We found that enjoyment of TV often declined over the course of the evening to the point of not being enjoyable at all. Guilt about too much TV began to set in too. Limit TV to one show per evening, and fill the remaining time with other activities that stimulate your mind and body (e.g., exercise, games, household task, reading).
Retirement. The nice thing about retirement is that you have officially bowed out of the hectic rat race. Yay! However, if you’re used to being shackled to a hectic schedule, it can take a while to get used to being the boss of your life. If you find yourself snacking a lot throughout the day, add structure to your time by developing an hour-by-hour schedule for each day — not just of obligations and chores, but the fun stuff too. This will help you get more done and avoid long, unstructured gaps that have you poking into the cabinets.
To-do list. Make a to-do list and post it on the fridge as a reminder of small tasks that need to get done. Include fun activities, too. For example, if you have been meaning to start painting again, add a trip to the store to buy paint to the list. Refer to the list when you’re feeling bored and munchy. Commit to accomplishing one task before having a snack.
Get social. Social stimulation is a great elixir for boredom — it’s just harder to be bored when you’re with someone else. Make social plans or enroll in a class during times you’re home alone for long stretches.
Bored at Home With Kiddos
Kids are lovely darlings, but a long day at home alone with them can be taxing. You can only watch the same show, play the same game and do the same routine so many times before you need to rejuvenate. We end up snacking to replenish energy, but it doesn’t help.
Structure, structure, structure. Add structure to the day by putting up a schedule on a whiteboard. This can help move the day along and also let the kids know what to expect. Even when you go off the plan, by having a plan in place you can prevent those big gaps of unstructured time that lead to snacking.
Change the setting. Lots of time at home means lots of time near food. Often, we snack because it’s there. Try taking the kids out of the house for an hour or so to places that don’t have food (e.g., library, playground or museum).
Protect yourself from your home. Ever get so behind on grocery shopping that you come home and can’t find a thing to eat? A great way to prevent snacking is having nothing good to snack on! Make a list of all the things you wish you wouldn’t snack on when home during the day. Don’t buy these or similar foods for a few weeks, and see if your snacking habits change.
Caution about baking. Occasionally I would bake cookies or other treats with my daughter as a nice activity to do together at home. Once we were done, though, we would find ourselves with a pile of cookies and nothing to do but eat them. Now I scale down recipes so we bake only tiny batches if we are making treats (four cookies — two for me, two for you!) or we make healthy recipes or little creations with fruit. How do you avoid downtime snacking? Would love to hear your ideas in a comment!
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Idle Hands Eat the Devil’s Food originally appeared on usnews.com
