Food plays a very important role in our lives. We use food to celebrate, to mourn, and to nourish our mind and body. But using food to heal does not actually solve our problems, or bring joy to our lives. Food will not cure your broken heart and it will not walk you down the aisle on your wedding day. It is just a means to celebrate and has become a habitual behavior that we overuse.
But there are certainly ways to treat yourself that are not food. Food can be part of these habits, but they are not the focal point. So try something new when you want to celebrate an achievement or treat yourself to a few moments of silence after a busy day!
Meditate
Step away from all of your obligations and unplug from social media for a few moments of silence.
Take a Bath
Unwind with a bubble bath complete with essential oils, candles, warm tea, bath bomb and no food in sight.
Journal
Write out your thoughts, worries, concerns, accomplishments and goals. Let it out on the paper so you aren’t self medicating later with food.
Go For a Walk
Get outside in the fresh air and spend some time in nature.
See a movie, watch Netflix…just chill
Curl up in bed with a classic or a new movie and take a couple of hours for yourself to just chill out and relax.
Originally published at medium.com