3 Strategies to Stop Using Food to Procrastinate
Do you overeat or use food to procrastinate? These three strategies will help you think first, get your stuff done, and then enjoy your food when you are actually hungry!
I know when I’m avoiding something, because I find myself returning to the kitchen compulsively, eating all the food I can find, until I’m stuffed. The problem with this way of coping, is whatever I’m avoiding is still going to be there!
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I most often suffer with overeating due to procrastination when I have a project I just don’t want to work on. In order to delay or postpone, I tell myself, If I just eat something first, than I can get to work.
Except, that’s usually a lie.
The feeding never ends, and the work never gets started.
So, instead of focusing on the behavior, I’ve come up with a few strategies and solutions for overeating because you are procrastinating.
The 3 Strategies to Avoid Procrastination Binges
- Eat that frog. This title of Brian Tracy’s book about procrastinating (Eat that Frog, 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time) says that if you do the hardest thing on your list, first thing of the day, you’ll free yourself up to do tasks you enjoy or want to do. Otherwise, all day long you are procrastinating doing any of it. How this relates to overeating: Do the hard thing on your to-do list BEFORE you take a bite of food.
- Take yourself to a new location so you can’t overdo it. Working from home can be the best thing, but it can also be the worst thing! When I want to avoid work, I’ll stand in front of the pantry and gaze until something looks yummy. Instead, heading to the library to work keeps that temptation away.
- And finally, the thing that helps me to stop procrastinating with food and get to work is bribery. Yes, it’s true. I can talk myself into delaying a snack with mental promises of something better. For example, just write this article, and then you can veg out in front of the TV for 30 minutes. It actually works for me!
So, next time you turn to the fridge to procrastinate whatever it is you should be doing, take a pause and consider the alternatives!
Also, check out my book review, Eat it Later! Great tips for delaying snacking on food that you just don’t need!
I’d love to hear your ideas!! What works for you to stop procrastinating?
