If you’re reading this in the future on your iPhone 50, in your self-driving car, let me explain the current situation the world is in. At the end of 2019, there was an outbreak in China of a strain of the coronavirus. By March of 2020, the outbreak has become a worldwide pandemic. In an effort to slow the spread of the virus and protect vulnerable people (ie: the elderly, young children, people with pre-existing conditions), governments worldwide have shut down everything other than what is deemed essential. No one is going to school. Most people are not going to work. People have been advised to stay at home and avoid gatherings in any context. “Social distancing” has become the key phrase of 2020.

For a lot of people, these are unprecedented times. The bare shelves at grocery stores look like something out of a movie from all the people panic-buying food and other stock. Our daily lives have been disrupted as a result of the ban on social gatherings and shutdown of restaurants and non-grocery stores. Readers who don’t remember/didn’t live through these crazy times might think that there was an element of excitement to it all.

However, people who are experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic right now will know that social distancing gets really boring, really quickly. Maybe you’re reading this blog post because you need something to help you kill the time while you’re in quarantine. Even if you’re not in self-isolation, you might be stuck at home because you’re in-between jobs, or you’ve experienced an injury, or any of 100 other possible reasons. At times like these - when you don’t have the usual routine of work, school, errands, etc - it can be hard to not just sit around and eat hoarded junk food.

It can be fun to enjoy your favourite treats while watching movies or binge-watching the newest series. But, if you’re eating when you’re bored, that means you could be eating when you’re not even hungry. Or you might eat until you’re uncomfortably full. In the short-term, this could cause bloating and an upset stomach. Over time, boredom eating could cause you to put on excess weight. Not only that, you might also develop unhealthy eating habits that could be hard to break once your routine goes back to normal. On top of that, unhealthy eating isn’t great for your immune system and if there’s a time to keep your immune system strong, it’s when you’re in the midst of a pandemic.

If you’re struggling with boredom eating, I have some tips for you. They’ll be helpful during the coronavirus crisis as well as any time you find yourself feeling bored.

Get In Touch with Your Hunger Signals

Ideally, we should be snacking when we feel hungry - not because we’re bored, stressed, sad, and so on. When you feel like eating something, take some time to assess your hunger. There’s physical hunger and then there’s simply a desire to eat (referred to as psychological hunger). “How do I do that?”, you may ask. Health organizations have developed an easy-to-use hunger scale that can be your guide.

Let me break this scale down for you:

1) Starving:

You feel ravenous. You’re so hungry that you have a headache, feel dizzy, feel weak, and/or can’t concentrate.

2) Uncomfortably Hungry:

Your stomach is growling like crazy. You feel grouchy and low-energy.

3) Pretty Hungry:

Your stomach feels empty and is growling a little. The urge to eat is strong.

4) A Little Hungry:

You feel like you might want to eat; the thought of food is appealing.

5) Neutral:

You’re not hungry but you’re not full. You feel like you want to keep eating, but you’re also starting to feel satisfied.

6) Slightly Full:

You’re fully satisfied - pleasantly full.

7) Slightly Uncomfortable:

This is beyond the point of satisfaction. You’re full to the point of being a little uncomfortable.

8) Feeling Stuffed:

Your stomach starts to ache. You might think to yourself, “I ate more than I needed to.”

9) Very Uncomfortable:

Too full. You feel bloated, tired, and heavy.

10) Feeling Sick:

You’re so beyond full that you’re physically miserable. A Christmas dinner type of food coma.

It’s recommended that you start eating when your hunger is at a 3 or 4 on this scale. Don’t wait until your hunger is at 1 or 2 because you could end up overeating since you’re so hungry. It’s also suggested that you stop eating when you’re at a 5 or 6. At that point your body is satisfied; to eat more would be excessive. Try ranking your hunger on this scale before you eat, when you’re 1/4 of the way through your meal/snack, and halfway through your plate.

This hunger scale can help you distinguish the times when you’re physically hungry from the times that you aren’t. However, what’s a person to do if they’re merely feeling psychological hunger? How do you stop yourself from eating when you don’t really need to eat?

I suggest doing activities that require your full attention or effort. These should be tasks that take a significant amount of mental and/or physical exertion. They should be things that, if you were to start snacking, it would disrupt that task.

Writing

Set aside a block of time to do some writing in a designated spot (ie: not the kitchen table). What type of writing you do depends on what suits your interests. You could do some journaling; write about the events and relationships in your life in addition to your thoughts and emotions around them. Maybe you want to flex your creativity muscle and write short stories, poems, or songs. If that’s not your thing, try picking a topic and writing about your viewpoint. Examples of topics: “The Hunchback of Notre Dame is the most underrated Disney film, here’s why”. “Dogs rule and cats drool”. “Raw vegetables are gross”. You’re welcome.

You can also keep kids busy with writing. Fold a small stack of blank paper in half horizontally and you have a makeshift book. They can write out a story on the pages and even draw out illustrations to go along with it. Writing can be fun for anyone. It can also be a good way to cope with stress or anxiety you could be feeling right now. Writing helps you work out thoughts and emotions you might not otherwise take the time to think about.

Sewing/Crafting/Repairs

Maybe you have a stack of mending that’s been haunting you, repairs around the house you’ve been meaning to do, or a crafty project you’ve been putting on hold until you have time. Now is the time! It’s true that you might not have everything on hand that you need to get your project done. If you’re not required to practice social distancing, this is a great opportunity for you to get out of the house to get the supplies you need. If you’re confined to your house, almost anything can be ordered online and delivered to your doorstep.

Working with your hands is a great way to keep busy and turn your attention away from food. If you don’t have a project on the to-do list, try making something that will have sentimental value. Put together a scrapbook of photos from a vacation or family event. Make a hat or slippers to give to someone as a gift.

Go Outside

If the chips in your pantry are calling to you, maybe you need to get out of the house. Go on a stroll while listening to music or a podcast. Take the dog for a walk. Do that yard work you’ve been putting off. If it’s the type of thing that interests you, now that you have the time, you can plan out a garden to plant this spring. Then you’ll have fresh produce for your meals in the summer and fall. If your mobility is limited, you can hang out on your porch or balcony while you read or people-watch.

Get Organized/Cleaning

We all have that area of our living space that we avoid because it’s so unorganized or dirty. Why not tackle it now? Sort out what you want and don’t want to keep from your closet. Give your basement a good dusting. Get your kitchen drawers and cupboards in order.

Spending some time being productive keeps you from snacking in addition to giving you a sense of accomplishment. This can give your mood a boost if you’ve been feeling cooped up. Also, if you sort through your things and find stuff you don’t want, pay it forward and donate it to others in need.

Exercise/Stretches

It sure is difficult to snack if you’re in downward dog or on a run. Doing a workout or stretches keeps you occupied and it’ll do your health some good. When you spend a large chunk of your day sitting, your muscles and joints can get very stiff. Exercise and stretches will help maintain joint mobility and work out muscle soreness. If you’re at home because of an injury, doing your physiotherapy each day will speed your recovery. Also, sitting for long periods of time isn’t great for heart health. Getting active gets your heart pumping, which keeps your heart strong.

If you don’t have an exercise or stretch routine already, YouTube is a great resource. There are many fitness instructors who post workouts of all sorts on the platform. There’s weight training, yoga, dance cardio. Side note: doing a dance video together is a great way to tire kids out. Pick a physical activity you enjoy and try to do it most days of the week.

Learn/Practice a Skill

Do you have a piano or guitar that you never play? Brush up on your skills. Maybe there’s something you’ve always wanted to learn, like a new language or how to make a website. You can take courses for free on pretty much any topic on websites like Coursera or Khan Academy. By making a commitment to take courses or lessons, that requires you to take time out of each day to learn and/or practice something. Dedicating time each day to your skill of choice will zap boredom and prevent boredom eating. Plus, you’ll be investing in yourself through self-improvement.

Find an Accountability Partner

It takes a lot of self-control to say no to food when you want it. Sometimes it’s helpful to have someone in your life encourage you to stay strong. Your accountability partner could be a family member or friend. Call or text them for encouragement when you’re experiencing psychological hunger. Outside of times of quarantine, invite them over to do one of the above activities together.

So that’s what I recommend to you if you just have the desire to eat, but not physical hunger. However, if you’re at a 3 or 4 on the hunger scale, it’s time to eat! By now you probably know the drill: eat plenty of produce, lean protein, complex carbs, and a moderate amount of fat. A recipe that supplies all of this is my coconut shrimp curry.

Coconut Shrimp Curry

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

For the shrimp:

1 lb extra-large shrimp, peeled

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

juice of 1 lemon

For the curry:

1 tbsp oil

1 medium onion, chopped (any variety works, except for red onion)

2 bell peppers, seeded and chopped (use red, yellow, and/or orange peppers)

3 or 4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tbsp ginger paste

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp turmeric

2 tsp coriander

1 tsp curry powder

14.5 oz canned diced tomatoes

13.5 oz canned coconut milk

1 cup unsalted cashews (can leave them whole or break up into smaller pieces)

Instructions:

1) In a bowl, toss the shrimp with the salt, pepper, cayenne, and lemon. Cover with a lid or wrap and let sit in the fridge until step 6.

2) Heat the oil in frying fan or skillet on medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until it turns translucent.

3) Add the bell pepper and cook until it starts to soften, about 3-5 minutes.

4) Stir in the garlic, ginger, pepper, salt, coriander, turmeric, and curry powder. Allow the flavours to combine for a minute or two.

5) Add the entire can of diced tomatoes, the coconut milk, and the cashews (you might want to set aside a few cashews for garnish). Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Then reduce heat to medium.

6) Add the shrimp and all of the liquid from the marinade. Cook all the way through; until the shrimp turns pink.

7) Serve with a cup of cooked rice or quinoa.

For some extra protein, you can enjoy this with some fried tofu (like I did) or chicken.

Which of the activities that I talked about in this post do you think you’ll try to bust your boredom eating?

References

Derbyshire Healthy Future Services. (n.d.) The Hunger Scale. Derbyshire Community Health Services. Accessed March 24, 2020. <http://www.dchs.nhs.uk/assets/public/dchs/llb/tools/tools_1-11/4_DCHS_A5_4pp_The_Hunger_Scale.pdf>

Healthwise Staff. (2018) Healthy Eating: Recognizing Your Hunger Signals. HealthLink BC. Accessed March 24, 2020. <https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/health-topics/zx3292>