Activity 2: Change your reward system
Disconnect food from your reward system, and start rewarding yourself with other fulfilling activities instead. After a long, busy day at work or taking care of the children, the evenings are your time to do all the things you love doing.
For most of us, exhausted after a long day, we reach for sugary snacks to refuel and as a treat for surviving the day. The reasons we give ourselves for ‘deserving’ the reward can be varied. Anything from ‘I’ve had a really tough day and I need some chocolate’ to ‘I’ve had a really healthy day now I can pig out’.
Instead of using food as a reward, make a conscious choice to select a different way to treat yourself. Maybe the treat is a bubble bath, catching up on your favourite tv series, or a hobby you enjoy.
Have a go at writing down your own examples of ways you can treat yourself that doesn’t involve food or drink.
| Old treat | New treat |
| Chocolate biscuits with a cup of tea in the evening | Relaxing bubble bath with a magazine |
