Overindulgent, Distracted, and Unhappy
Research is showing us that being distracted during enjoyable activities can reduce our satisfaction with it and can lead to overindulging.
Ever get distracted while eating a meal? Do you feel like it disappeared before you even noticed or you don’t even know how much you ate? You aren’t alone. Many people have trouble engaging with one thing at a time these days, either engaging with some sort of media or reading while eating. However, this could actually lead to consuming more than intended. This can also cause dissatisfaction and lead us to seek out other forms of enjoyment. Like that sleeve of Oreos in your pantry.
One study showed that distracted eating led to lower enjoyment/ satisfaction, subsequent increased snacking, and a general desire for further gratification. The findings suggest that we have a human desire to reach a certain level of enjoyment from an activity and if it isn’t met, we keep looking.
This suggests a possible intervention to overindulgence could be more intentional and mindful eating. Maybe just try it as an experiment for yourself… eat a meal with 0 distractions and see what that’s like for you.
If you want to step it up even more, try to be super mindful with a bite or two, really take a few seconds to feel the textures in the food, the different flavors. You could even try to narrate in your mind the specific ingredients you taste.
Expert recommendation: if you are going to narrate ingredients, best to do it internally or in a private space. You may get some curious looks if you are at a mall food court or cafe and talking out loud.
Doc Hotz