The food center of the brain is associated with the production of endorphins, “hormones of happiness,” so food evokes positive emotions in us and lifts our spirits. Sometimes we use food to quickly satisfy our emotional needs and cope with stress. For example, we may lack support and communication with loved ones, and we “eat” our loneliness. When does “eating” become a problem? When food becomes the main mechanism for satisfying emotional “hunger”. Then after eating we experience negative emotions: guilt, sadness, disappointment and others, and get stuck in an unhealthy cycle in which the unpleasant emotion or unmet emotional need persists. The problem is not solved and may get worse as we stop learning healthy ways to deal with negative emotions, it becomes more difficult to control weight, and we feel powerless over food and our feelings. We will be able to control our eating habits when we learn to manage our emotions without using food. How to manage your emotions? When the desire to eat arises, take a break and try to find an alternative to food, for example, if you are lonely, call a friend. If you're feeling anxious, plan a walk or do a breathing exercise. If you're tired, take a bath or make yourself some tea and you'll feel better. If you decide to satisfy your emotional hunger through food, use the 5 Minute Rule. Tell yourself: “wait” and postpone the decision for 5 minutes. If this time is difficult to maintain at first, you can start with 1 minute. During this time, analyze what emotion arose, what happened and how you can satisfy the need in another way. To get out of an unhealthy cycle and stop overeating, these methods may not be enough - you need to learn healthy ways to cope with emotions, provoking situations and triggers, and for this takes time and regular effort. Anastasia Kashcheeva, psychologist, BeCBT psychotherapist. We invite you to classes in the online psychotherapeutic group at BeCBT “Freedom from Overeating,” which will begin on April 24. Details and registration: https://becbt.ru/svoboda-ot-pereedaniya