Ta-da. There was no standing and grazing mindlessly.
When I reflected on the previous Sunday, I realized I had needed to chill and nap. Hence, the munchies to keep me engaged and alert. A classic situation.
Before I give you the solution, I’ll tell you about a client with a different situation, but same lesson.
This individual owns a business and works a ton of hours. But they wanted to increase their exercise.
The solution is one I learned in ocean kayaking.
In ocean sports, there’s a saying “don’t stay in when you are too fatigued to fight.”
The problem is, you don’t automatically know when you’ve crossed into a red-zone of too tired.
What works? Find your red flag.
The munchies are a red flag for me. When I notice myself wanting to snack, I ask myself “am I hungry?” If the answer is “no”, then it’s the munchies. That signals either I’m bored or tired or stressed. Something needs to be addressed.
On the Sunday I was prepping my healthy meals, I ignored the signal because I was so determined to get it done. Usually, I have learned to listen.
Listening is the first step.
The business owner wanting to increase exercise also used the second step: A single go-to action. For them, the go-to action was get outside for a 5 minute walk. The walk re-energized mentally and didn’t add an hour to their day. By the end of the day, with several of these 5 minute breaks, the step count got to goal and they got their work done.
For me, my go-to is a 30-60 second relaxed breathing break. In those few seconds I can identify what my red-flag (the munchies) are telling me I actually need. Even if I can’t meet the need right then, I keep the habit of eating intuitively.
