Tame Stress Eating When Fall Demands Heat Up and Days Cool Down

For senior leaders and high performers, the question isn’t simply how to keep up. It’s how to respond to increased pressure without falling back on coping behaviors that may provide momentary relief but work against your health and well-being.

One common example is turning to food.

You finish a difficult day, finally sit down in front of the TV, and reach for the ice cream. Or you leave a frustrating meeting and find yourself looking for something sweet.

You may not be physically hungry. You’re looking for relief.

When Stress Triggers Eating

Greg, the founder and leader of an organization, came to me in part because he frequently used food to cope with work stress.

Board meetings could be especially difficult. When he felt that board members weren’t listening to him or were ignoring his recommendations, he would return to his office frustrated and often turn to sweets for relief.

The food wasn’t the real issue. It was his automatic response to the stress.

Working together, Greg learned to interrupt that response using the 5 Steps to Stop Being Controlled by Food, which I introduced in my book, Happy Life at a Healthy Weight.

Over time, he stopped automatically turning to sweets after stressful board meetings.

A Five-Minute Reset

The five steps are simple:

1. Identify the trigger. What happened, and what are you craving?
2. Pause and notice. What are you feeling that is prompting you to turn to food?
3. Ask what you really want. Relief? Comfort? A break? To feel heard? To release frustration?
4. Consider another response. What else could help you address what you are actually feeling or needing?
5. Choose your best option. Decide intentionally what you want to do next.

This can take only a few minutes.

And that makes it a good example of the Power of a Five-Minute Reset we introduced last month.

A Five-Minute Reset isn’t about overhauling your life or adding another demanding routine to an already full schedule. It is a small interruption in the momentum of a demanding day and enough time to become aware of what is happening and choose your response rather than simply react.

For five minutes, you are fully present in your own life.

That brief pause can help you separate the stress from automatic behavior and give you more options for what happens next.

Try It This Fall

If you regularly find yourself turning to food after a difficult meeting, a long workday, or another stressful situation, experiment with the five steps.

Don’t try to change everything.

Start with one recurring situation.

Notice the trigger. Pause. Ask yourself what you really need. Then choose what will serve you best.

The goal isn’t perfection. It’s creating a response small enough to survive the realities of a demanding life. It’s meaningful enough to protect the health and well-being that make both leadership and life beyond work possible.

For more about creating sustainable change by fueling your motivation, read my previous article, Fueling Your Motivation This Fall.

Continue the Conversation

If you’re a senior leader or business owner whose health and well-being have gradually taken a back seat to the demands of work and life, you don’t necessarily need another complicated wellness plan.

Sustainable leadership means protecting your health and quality of life while continuing to meet the demands of leadership.

I’m currently accepting a limited number of private clients who want to:

• Restore sustainable energy and resilience.
• Build health practices that hold up during demanding weeks—not just the easy ones.
• Reduce stress without adding more to an already full schedule.
• Protect their health while continuing to lead at a high level.
• Have the stamina to enjoy the life they’ve worked so hard to build.

If this resonates with you, I invite you to schedule a confidential consultation.

Reference
Loughrey, K. (2024). Happy Life at a Healthy Weight.

With appreciation,