10 Ways to soothe yourself without food

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Taking a break with a cup of black tea, which has zero calories, can reduce your cortisol levels by 47 percent, according to a study in the Journal of Psychopharmacology. Albers recommends The Republic of Tea chocolate teas for a stress-free sweet fix.

According to Albers, sleep is critical to putting an end to emotional eating. “When you miss even a few hours of sleep, your appetite hormones are thrown off,” the health expert explains. “Six to nine hours is optimal.” Just as you schedule appointments and other events, be sure to schedule adequate sleep.

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Keep a pack of sugarless gum in your purse and use it often. Not only is it good for your teeth, it can help you halt emotional eating. “A recent study in the journal Appetite indicates that chewing gum 15 minutes before you eat can significantly reduce your appetite and curb cravings,” says Albers. “Brain scans show that it moves your brain into a ‘relaxed but alert’ state. Thus, it’s great when you get the urge to boredom-eat.”

Breaking the emotional eating habit can be the hardest part of putting an end to it. Replace your response to eat when stressed with a response to exercise. Instead of reaching for a candy bar, lace up your shoes and go for a walk or do any other physical activity you enjoy. This may be especially helpful if your comfort food of choice is chocolate or other high-calorie snacks. “According to a study in the journal Appetite, taking a brisk walk for 20 minutes can help you curb chocolate cravings,” adds Albers. Swapping out emotional eating with exercise also means you’ll boost your fitness level.

No, Albers doesn’t recommend stealing the Greenies from your pet, but she does encourage chew sticks for humans. “They look like toothpicks but are flavored and they can be purchased at natural health foods stores or online,” she explains. “They help people lose weight and stop smoking. They allow you to crunch and chew without any calories. Straws can also help to alleviate oral fixations.”

Worry beads have a long history of helping people cope with addictive behaviors, which can help you break the habit of reaching for food whenever you feel angst-ridden. “Keep worry beads in your hand and use them to work off nervous energy,” says Albers, instead of wrapping your fingers around the first indulgent food you can find.

Are you a multitasker who not only emotionally eats but also does it while watching television, texting, talking on the phone or perusing Pinterest? Albers warns that distracted eating is a recipe for overeating but that distracting yourself from eating can curb your comfort-food cravings. “Engaging your mind in an activity that stimulates your brain but isn’t too taxing, like simple word puzzles, knitting and other rhythmic activities, can soothe and calm you,” she adds.

“Anxiety is at the heart of many of our mindless nibbles, says Albers. “To calm down your body, you can do a very simple relaxation exercise: Drop down your muscles as if you were a rag doll. Tense up your body and then assume the [rag-doll] position again. The contrast between tightening and relaxing can help unlock anxiety.”

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Calming your physiological responses is key to reducing cortisol naturally. Imagine blowing through a straw as you exhale. Count to 10 on the slow, deep, in-breaths. Slowing down your breathing tricks your body into believing that it is going into sleep mode, thus signaling the rest of your body to just relax.