Do you feel like having another helping of rice or a slice of cake? Hold that thought! According to a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, you’re probably not that hungry in the first place; you might just be trying to find a way to cope with work burnout.
To test this theory, researchers asked 230 women between the ages of 30 and 55 to answer surveys on feelings of burnout as well as their eating habits. Reportedly, 22 percent experienced burnout to a certain degree. These ladies were less likely to cut down on emotional eating for a year compared to the women who didn’t have feelings of burnout.
Interestingly, work burnout didn’t appear to have a significant impact on weight. Half of the women who confessed to having burnout were of normal weight. Nevertheless, emotional eating is not exactly a healthy habit. Eating three bowls of ice cream might make you feel better about having a less than desirable job, but it might also give you an upset stomach the next day.
To avoid work burnout, schedule a few hours of downtime for yourself over the weekend. Take time off from work and give yourself a pat on the back every once in a while. By giving yourself breaks (you deserve them!), you lessen the chances of getting work burnout.
For more on emotional eating, check this out on FN:
Need help managing work burnout? Try these for tips:
- Burnout Busters: 8 Stress-Relief Techniques for Career Women
- Bye-Bye, Burnout: Schedule Your Downtime for Better Work-Life Balance
- The Stress Files: 10 Most Common Reasons for Fatigue
- Burnout Busters: 3 Tips to Avoid Working Yourself to Exhaustion
(Photo by kerryvaughan via Flickr Creative Commons)
