Overeating Recovery Part 2

Radical Relaxation

Perhaps the most important tool in the spiritual toolkit of overeating recovery for sober people - “We relax and take it easy. We do not struggle.”

When you commit to stop overeating, ALL the painful thinking that was driving the overeating will come up. This can be incredibly uncomfortable. (This will be the addiction voice / diet brain / the shitty committee in our minds). These thoughts and feelings will create a feeling of urgency, of stress and tension. This puts our bodies in fight-or-flight mode; a ripe battleground for overeating to win. It’s in these very moments of urgency that we practice radical relaxation.

RADICAL - Revolutionary or extremely progressive – different from the root up.

RELAXATION – state of being free from tension or anxiety.

When you are feeling an urge to overeat (or fear, or anxiety, etc) – YAWN. Take a deep belly breath and release tension. Feel resistance drop out of your body. Open your eyes wide. Literally lean in to this state of relaxation.

In this state, you may not feel good – the feelings driving overeating will still be there and they may be uncomfortable. Creating relaxation however, gives you a spiritual space where more options will be available to you other than EAT NOW. This is space where you can allow discomfort to be present without making it mean you must overeat.

From a place of relaxation – how can you release overeating and practice being in acceptance of what your mind and body are experiencing in the moment, even (and especially) if - it’s really uncomfortable?

For the full experience of THIS tool, you’ll need a gentle plan of action in place, so that you’ll know when you’re experiencing physical hunger and when you’re experiencing emotional hunger. Overeating Recovery Part 3 coming up!