Many clients find themselves in environments that aren’t conducive to mindful eating when they’re outside around people who might distract them from connecting to appetite. In these cases, how do you screen out what’s external? Here are some simple tips for appetite connectivity wherever in restaurants, parks, airplanes, etc.

Wear earphones suggests a client. They do two things. First, they keep out external noise and help you stay connected to yourself. Second, they deter conversation, broadcasting the message that you’re focused on something and don’t want to be disturbed. You can wear them and not be listening to anything. You can then eat and zero into appetite signals and no one will be the wiser.

Another approach is to always bring a book or magazine with you—then read it (or pretend to). When eating, stop to take a bite, then return to reading. Books work better than magazines which you might only flip through, seeming less intent. With a book in front of you, look like you’re reading and you’ll seem less approachable. When eating, you can stop reading and just go inward. Again, who will know what you’re focused on?

You can also take yourself out of a stimulating environment and find a quiet place to eat. When I’m in any kind of waiting room, I always look for the seat farthest away from the TV screen. Find a space that feels as private as possible. As an elementary school teacher, I couldn’t stand all the yapping and complaining in the teachers’ room when I wanted to eat my lunch and, instead, ate it in my car. Ah, the peace and quiet!

Sometimes noise is unavoidable. I’ve been in restaurants where loud conversations and music make it impossible to talk to my dinner companion. In this case, you tune out the noise and simply concentrate on eating your food and grabbing whatever snippets of talk you can have above the din. In some cases, big screen TV, especially near the bar, makes it easy to get hypnotized into watching what’s on leading to zombie eating. Stay aware that TV can shift your attention away from food and intentionally ignore whatever it’s blasting. Keeping looking at your food instead of the screen.

When you’re out with friends, keep your eyes on your own plate. Don’t let them wander to check out what other people are eating. If you’re listening intensely to someone, stop eating and give them your full attention. Then, put that same full attention on eating. 

If you set an intention to focus on eating, you’ll find ways to do it. And with enough practice, you’ll be able to eat and be in stimulating environments at the same time!

Best,

Karen