Excerpt from 50 Ways to Soothe Yourself Without Food
It's time to stop going to the refrigerator or cupboards whenever you feel the urge to eat and start dealing with the problems you're trying to mask. Start with these 10 self-soothing techniques from psychologist Dr. Susan Albers' book 50 Ways to Soothe Yourself Without Food.
By Dr. Susan Albers
Count on Your Senses 5-4-3-2-1
When you have trouble clearing your mind of thoughts of food, try focusing on your senses.
- State one scent you can smell.
- Name two sounds you can hear.
- Describe three sensations your body is feeling, such as temperature, the texture of your sweater, your feet against the ground.
- Identify four colors that you see.
- To yourself, begin by naming five things you see in front of you.
When you finish doing this, it's likely that you will be thinking about nothing, not even food—unless there's food directly in front of you. If you are still thinking about food, repeat each step until you notice that your thoughts are less clouded by food cravings.
Published 11/19/2000
