Mindfulness and Eating: Divine Desk Dining
by Maya Frost
Are you stuck eating lunch at your desk again?
Count yourself lucky.
You see, staying put can be surprisingly soothing compared to making a mad dash to the cafe for a sandwich and running back to your office, all the while worried that you'll miss an important deadline.
If you feel chained to your desk, try viewing it instead as a powerful anchor that keeps you from drifting mindlessly.
Desk dining can be the epitome of mindless eating--or a remarkable opportunity to slow down, reconnect, and enjoy a delicious moment or two. You can choose a chug-and-chew cubicle lunch, or settle in for a session of mindful mastication.
Mom always told us to slow down and chew our food properly. She was more worried about choking, indigestion, and bad manners than she was about the possibility that we would grow up to be disconnected from our experience of eating.
As usual, Mom made good sense. Becoming more mindful of every mouthful is a powerful way to reduce our food intake, increase our meal satisfaction, and savor more than just the taste of our veggie on rye.
Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Training (MB-EAT) was developed by Jean Kristeller and supported by NIH-funded research. It addresses mindless eating, stress-related eating, disordered eating patterns, and obesity. Through meditation and mindfulness exercises, individuals learn to pay attention to what they put into their mouths and how they experience the process of eating. The increased awareness of what and how we're eating can have a dramatic impact on our overall health.
Of course, when we're feeling rushed, we forget the importance of slowing down for anything. You've likely had more than a few meals on the go. Perhaps you are a practiced drive-and-diner, grabbing your order from the drive-through window and perfecting your food balancing technique. You've probably eaten an entire meal while simultaneously typing out email messages--and not really tasting a single bite.
Don't curse your go-go lifestyle. Instead, choose to savor a slow-slow moment--even if it's just a two-minute fruit break.
Your divine desk dining experience starts with a couple of deep breaths and a commitment to focusing for at least two minutes. (Five minutes is better!)
1) Put in earbuds or noise canceling headphones to help you focus.
2) Sit upright. Take a deep breath and let it out.
3) Feel your belly, and pay attention to any hunger pangs. Check in to see if you're eating now because it's lunch time, because you're ravenous, or because you know you won't get a chance to eat for several more hours. Take note.
4) Take a bite.
5) Immediately put down your fork, spoon, sandwich, or piece of fruit. Chew your food slowly. Note the flavor and texture. Keep chewing. Put off swallowing for a few seconds longer. Swallow.
6) Take a deep breath, then take another bite.
Do this for two minutes. Keep coming back to "just this bite," focusing on chewing and tasting. Often just those two minutes of focus will lead you to slow down your eating for several more minutes. The simple act of chewing mindfully for just a moment will slow our heart and breathing rates.
See how long you can savor this mindful mastication without getting wrapped up in thoughts of work or anything else. Then, if you find yourself sinking into the type-and-swallow routine, simply note it, saying, "Fast." Focus on the next bite closely, taking your time, noting it as "Slow."
We spend a lot of time and energy bemoaning our busyness at work. Spend two minutes tasting mindfulness right there at your desk, and let your moment of divine desk dining create calm in the storm of your work day.
Mmmindfulness. Isn't that divine?
© 2005-2020 Maya Frost
Please include the following when sharing:
Maya Frost is an author, mindfulness trainer, and creative change strategist.
Learn more at MayaFrost.com
Count yourself lucky.
You see, staying put can be surprisingly soothing compared to making a mad dash to the cafe for a sandwich and running back to your office, all the while worried that you'll miss an important deadline.
If you feel chained to your desk, try viewing it instead as a powerful anchor that keeps you from drifting mindlessly.
Desk dining can be the epitome of mindless eating--or a remarkable opportunity to slow down, reconnect, and enjoy a delicious moment or two. You can choose a chug-and-chew cubicle lunch, or settle in for a session of mindful mastication.
Mom always told us to slow down and chew our food properly. She was more worried about choking, indigestion, and bad manners than she was about the possibility that we would grow up to be disconnected from our experience of eating.
As usual, Mom made good sense. Becoming more mindful of every mouthful is a powerful way to reduce our food intake, increase our meal satisfaction, and savor more than just the taste of our veggie on rye.
Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Training (MB-EAT) was developed by Jean Kristeller and supported by NIH-funded research. It addresses mindless eating, stress-related eating, disordered eating patterns, and obesity. Through meditation and mindfulness exercises, individuals learn to pay attention to what they put into their mouths and how they experience the process of eating. The increased awareness of what and how we're eating can have a dramatic impact on our overall health.
Of course, when we're feeling rushed, we forget the importance of slowing down for anything. You've likely had more than a few meals on the go. Perhaps you are a practiced drive-and-diner, grabbing your order from the drive-through window and perfecting your food balancing technique. You've probably eaten an entire meal while simultaneously typing out email messages--and not really tasting a single bite.
Don't curse your go-go lifestyle. Instead, choose to savor a slow-slow moment--even if it's just a two-minute fruit break.
Your divine desk dining experience starts with a couple of deep breaths and a commitment to focusing for at least two minutes. (Five minutes is better!)
1) Put in earbuds or noise canceling headphones to help you focus.
2) Sit upright. Take a deep breath and let it out.
3) Feel your belly, and pay attention to any hunger pangs. Check in to see if you're eating now because it's lunch time, because you're ravenous, or because you know you won't get a chance to eat for several more hours. Take note.
4) Take a bite.
5) Immediately put down your fork, spoon, sandwich, or piece of fruit. Chew your food slowly. Note the flavor and texture. Keep chewing. Put off swallowing for a few seconds longer. Swallow.
6) Take a deep breath, then take another bite.
Do this for two minutes. Keep coming back to "just this bite," focusing on chewing and tasting. Often just those two minutes of focus will lead you to slow down your eating for several more minutes. The simple act of chewing mindfully for just a moment will slow our heart and breathing rates.
See how long you can savor this mindful mastication without getting wrapped up in thoughts of work or anything else. Then, if you find yourself sinking into the type-and-swallow routine, simply note it, saying, "Fast." Focus on the next bite closely, taking your time, noting it as "Slow."
We spend a lot of time and energy bemoaning our busyness at work. Spend two minutes tasting mindfulness right there at your desk, and let your moment of divine desk dining create calm in the storm of your work day.
Mmmindfulness. Isn't that divine?
© 2005-2020 Maya Frost
Please include the following when sharing:
Maya Frost is an author, mindfulness trainer, and creative change strategist.
Learn more at MayaFrost.com