How often do you eat at your desk at work? Or in the car? Or in front of the television? Research shows that people who eat when doing something else consume more than people who stop what they are doing at mealtimes. Desk-lunchers also spend around £1,500 a year on snacks. That’s a good reason not to lunch at your desk. Another one comes from Personnel Today last month; they recommend people get away from their desk and do some networking at lunchtime: “Go to the canteen and sit with people you don’t know. Use small talk as a way of introducing yourself and getting to know people from different departments…” ….. mmm, who knows where that might lead.
Why not make February a more mindful month and try to have fewer mindless moments.
From a quick poll in the office, here’s our list of mindless activities to be avoided:
- Watching TV (or worse, having it on and not watching it – hit the off button)
There’s a lot of talk about intuitive eating at the moment, with gurus telling us that if we ‘listen to our bodies’ we’ll eat sensibly. But what if, when you listen to your body, you hear it shouting, “I want another biscuit and I want it now”? Graham had an inspired idea for Becs, a new No Dieter Dieter, on the forum last month. Becs asked how to break her habit of reaching for the biscuit tin whenever she feels stressed. Graham suggested having an alternative biscuit tin, packed with ideas of things to do instead of eating a biscuit: “like a walk in the garden to smell the flowers, warm bath with pampering unguents, brisk walk round the block, a cuddle with someone”. Ben and Karen thought that was a brilliant Do Something Different (and learnt a new word, unguent*). Let us know how you get on with Graham’s idea, Becs.
What would you put in your alternative biscuit tin?
Why not tell us by putting a post on the ‘Alternative Biscuit Tin’ forum?
- Eating at your desk (get up, move around, do something different)
- Surfing the internet (admit it, you’ve forgotten what you were looking for anyway, log off)
- Shopping (self-control gets left at home and before we know it we’ve bought something we hadn’t intended to)
- Gossiping (not only mindless, possible harmful and going nowhere)
How much of the time are you mindful and in control of your thoughts? 80%? 90%? Some psychologists say that in fact we’re operating consciously for only 10% of our waking hours! Amazing that we don’t all look like zombies!
As the most romantic night of the year approaches, have you let your relationship become a bit of a mindless activity? Psychologists in the US say mindfulness in relationship involves keeping up the intentionality factor. Intentionality is all about ‘behaviours that are done on purpose, as opposed to behaviours that are performed habitually, accidentally, or without thinking about the consequences’. Their studies show that partners are on their best romantic behaviour at the start of close relationships. Men spend more time preening in the bathroom and women tend to eat less on first dates than they do later! So, this year, why not be more mindful of yourself and your partner on Valentine’s night? Imagine it’s a first date (don’t skimp on your bathroom routine or order three desserts) and you can bring back the passion and romance without a chocolate in sight.
Barbara braved it last month to tell us of changes she’d made in her life, “over the months I have continued to think differently and …I am now much rather likely to do than to think or talk about it, I have more energy and still keep adding new things to my life.” Barbara told us she’d started swimming again for the first time in 26 years and was feeling good about herself. So she should, we say, keep on making a splash Barbara.
Join Professor Ben (C) Fletcher and Dr. Karen Pine on-line, on the No Diet Diet Forum on
Monday 26th February from 7pm for LIVE chat, debate, questions and answers.
Have a flexible, fun and fragrant February
The No Diet Diet Way Team
* unguent (n): a thick oily substance for the skin, usually having a pleasant smell.