eating mindfully on Purim

Is it possible to eat mindfully on Purim? Yup! Here are some tips to help you out:

1) Get a good night of sleep on Purim night. (And if you’re up late like me, try to get in a nap on Purim day.) The more tired you are, the more likely you are to reach for food to keep you going, when what you really need is sleep!

2) Make sure to eat a filling breakfast. Give yourself a good start to the day by eating something nourishing before you start running around delivering mishloach manos. When you feed your body consistently throughout the day, you are less likely to grab food without thinking first.

3) Eat something before you start / go to your seudah. Similar to #2, if you let yourself get too hungry, you are more likely to overeat. It’s probable that your seudah won’t start on time, too, so eat something before you head out so your stomach isn’t grumbling and you reach for the easiest thing to fill it up.

4) Take a few minutes to yourself at some point to reconnect to yourself and your needs. We all have needs, and on Purim day when we are busy catering to everyone else’s needs, it’s natural to let ourselves be put on the back burner. Bring yourself to the forefront for even just a few minutes, and take some time to yourself. Maybe you want to lie down, or daven, or even eat in quiet.

5) Choose your favorite nosh from everything you got. Or try some of everything.

6) You get hungry on Purim. Differentiate between nourishing foods and pampering foods.

7) Especially if you fasted on Taanis Esther, you’re probably going to be hungrier on Purim day as you make up for what you didn’t eat the day before. Honor your hunger as you give yourself unconditional permission to eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full.

8) Lower your expectations. Let them eat as much nosh as they want. The house will likely be a mess. You may not get to deliver every mishloach manos you prepared. If your expectations are too high, you’re bound to be more stressed out. The more stressed out you are, the more likely you are to eat mindlessly.

Wishing you a happy, freilichen Purim sameach!