I’ve had a lot of conversations with women in the past two weeks and here’s a question I’ve been asked a lot: “Jen, I don’t know what to do – at night I’ll go into my kitchen and just look around. I’m not hungry but I feel  like something to eat so I’ll pick something that I don’t even want or really even like and I’ll eat it and I’m not even enjoying it while I’m doing it so why do I keep doing it?”

Have you ever done that? I know I have – I totally got what this person was talking about. I call it “engaging in the crazy syndrome” – or ECS for short. You totally know that you shouldn’t be doing what you’re doing, you don’t even really want to be eating what you’re eating but you can’t seem to stop. Well, there are tricks to help you take control of ECS.

Here 3 simple ways to stop the crazies from taking over:

1) Change your environment.

If you can tell that the crazies are about to set in then you need to switch up what you’re doing. For instance if you’re watching TV or working on your computer you need to stop and totally switch activities – go into a different room and try to stimulate your other senses: light a candle, run a bath, turn music on, grab a book, go for a walk, call a friend à just make sure you get out of your kitchen. This is not the time to wipe down the cupboards.

2) Brush and floss your teeth then write in your journal.

This may seem simple but my guess is you don’t keep your toothbrush or floss in the kitchen – so right there that removes you from that environment (point 1) and gets your brain focused on something different. Typically this can help shift your focus. Start to notice what’s going on for you and write it out in your journal.  A great journal prompt is: “Phewf, that was close – I almost gave in to eating a whole bag/box of ____________ because I’m feeling kind of…” and just see what comes up.

3) Go to bed.

Sometimes we engage in the crazy because we’re tired, our resilience is low and our will power seems non-existent. The very best thing to do in this situation is to take your sweet self to bed. It’s time to rest – both your mind and your body. Tomorrow is a new day and sleep can make everything just a little bit better.

I find that I’m still susceptible to ECS but the more I rely on the above techniques the less likely I am to truly let the crazies take hold. Try it. Let me know if you have any more suggestions to add – just drop down into the comments below.