Emotionally eating... and stress eating...
Recently, I've been doing a bit of both.
I'm in the last 45 days of a very intensive year long financial planning program, and let me tell you, I feel like I've gained 10 pounds. (I don't know for certain because I actually don't want to step on a scale.)
I usually eat pretty cleanly, but I have to admit, in the last month, I'm eating donuts, english muffins, pasta and just carbs at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Agh!!!
When I'm stressed, I also don't cook, as often, which means I'm spending money on food...that's probably, no actually, not as good for me. Lots of take-out. The Thai restaurant, near us, is getting a lot of our business. So is Chipotle.
Do you emotionally eat? Do you emotionally spend?
It's really the same, in terms of habits and how our minds work.
When we're stressed or dealing with something emotionally heavy (which is just another form of stress), we seek comfort, which is another word for security. Security comes in different forms. As a baby, comfort may come from a blanket (hello, security blanket!). As adults, most of us don't feel OK about carrying around a security blanket, so we turn to what is socially acceptable...drinking, watching TV, working, eating, and shopping.
So, how do you shift this to something healthier?
Well, let's start with awareness because we can't change what we don't know.
Do you know when you're going online to buy something you don't really need or ordering take-out again?
I designed a 30 day money tracker for you to get clear and really know what's happening day to day...
It works like a food diary, except it's with spending. It's also the better way to "budget," in my opinion. I don't love the idea of "budgeting," especially for those of us with inconsistent incomes. It's challenging to know what numbers to put in each month, when you don't know what your income will be. However, I like the concept of tracking because clarity is an actual tool to help you bring in more money!
Having clarity is important for two reasons 1) You can declutter more easily, meaning you now know exactly what you're spending your money on, so you can make decisions about whether or not you still want to keep spending the money! 2) You know what you need and then you can also know what you ultimately want...to be making and spending, so that at the end of each month, you can tell your money where you want it to go, instead of wondering where the heck my money went!
Next week, we'll discuss the next step in transforming your money habits from emotionally spending to value spending.
Until then, sign up to get your 30 Day Money Habit Changing Tracker, and let's start August 1st together on an amazing new path towards financial freedom!!! After all, how free are you, if you allow your emotions and stress to dictate how you spend your time and money?
With so much Gratitude,
Subscribe below to follow this next month of Money Changing Habits that will have you bringing in more and feeling more abundance and freedom! You can also follow me on my Facebook Business Page & Instagram, where I'm going to be sharing more tips and answering your questions live!