I love me a good food metaphor. Seriously! They speak to my soul and my stomach. For better or worse, emotional eating is my first and favorite form of therapy. Growing up in a family that celebrated wins and losses with food, emotional eating was our love language (and still is to some degree).
Any time my dad needed cheering up, I’d whip up something with gooey cheese (or drippy chocolate) and watch his whole body melt into a puddle of contentment. Birthdays, weddings, even getting to Wednesday was cause for celebration by food.
I’m not saying we should fully subscribe to a paradigm where we give into all our worldly cravings. Instead, I suggest giving ourselves grace when we’ve overindulged.
This week has not been kind to my stomach. The stress of finishing school, preparing to travel, and celebrating both my children’s birthdays, has my gut in knots. Not just because of my anxiety but also because I’ve overindulged (because of my anxiety). Lemon loaves from Starbucks are currently my worst vice, but with two birthdays, I’m embarrassed to say I ate more cake than the birthday boys.
But here’s the thing. Some days (or weeks, months, or years… yes, I’m talking to you, pandemic) are cheese sauce days. Don’t worry. There’s broccoli beneath the gallon of cheese sauce. But there’s also a lot of grace.
Some days my eating will be out of control, and some days I’ll be more thoughtful about what I put into my body. But if I leave out awareness in either situation or forget to add a dash of humor, I have a much stronger chance of struggling to come to peace with who I am. Lemon loaves, I mean… flaws and all.
There’s no need to feel ashamed for indulging in a “bad” habit, even when we know we’re not making the best choice. More important than guilt and negative self-talk is showing ourselves some grace. Because, at the end of the day, these impulses are a product of stress, not a lack of self-control.
And when we can approach our slip-ups and our momentary lapses, with clarity, the guilt and shame fall away and what we’re left with is us – you and me. Perfectly imperfect and ready to face another day. Sure, we’ll keep making mistakes, but they won’t be what defines us, and they won’t be what determines our worth.
Be kind to yourselves. You, and everyone around you, will benefit.
Recordings will resume when I’m back at my desk!
