Do You Make Time to Eat?

Sometimes eating gets squeezed into whatever space the day leaves us.

Coffee on the way out. Lunch at the desk between calls. Something grabbed while driving. Dinner after everyone else has been taken care of.

We can spend so much time thinking about what we should eat that we overlook another important question:

When do we actually make time to eat?

Start by noticing your day

Think about a typical workday.

When do you first eat? Are there long stretches when you’re busy and barely think about food? Do you get a chance to pause, or does eating happen while you’re doing three other things?

By the time you finally stop, do you feel hungry, tired, distracted or rushed?

There isn’t one eating schedule that works for everyone.

Some people feel well eating within a shorter window or including intentional periods of fasting. But fasting is not the same as failing to feed yourself. Whatever pattern works for you, your body still needs adequate food and nourishment when you do eat.

For now, simply notice when and how you eat, and how you feel throughout the day.

Are you eating because you’re hungry, because food is available, because the clock says it’s time, or only when you finally get a break? How do your energy, focus and mood feel before and after you eat?

These patterns are worth noticing. You don’t need to judge them or keep a perfect food diary.

I know how difficult this can be. As a nurse working long, demanding shifts, I’ve had plenty of days when taking time to eat felt nearly impossible. Patients and responsibilities came first, and my own needs were pushed aside.

But those long days are exactly when feeding ourselves matters. Ignoring that need doesn’t make the work easier. It leaves us trying to meet every demand with less energy and focus.

What gets in the way?

Sometimes we know we need to eat, but there’s another meeting, another errand or someone who needs us.

Sometimes we haven’t brought anything, and finding food feels like one more task. This is one reason I make a real effort to bring my own food. I know that if I have something available, I’m much more likely to give myself a chance to eat.

And sometimes we’ve been doing it this way for so long that we don’t notice the pattern until the end of the day.

Understanding what gets in the way helps us decide what might realistically work.

You belong in your day, too

Making time to eat is one way of recognizing that your needs matter. Feeding yourself isn’t selfish, and it shouldn’t happen only after everything and everyone else has been taken care of.

Giving your body what it needs can help support the energy, focus and resilience you need to keep showing up for the people and responsibilities that matter to you. You shouldn’t have to earn the right to eat by finishing everything else first.

Look for one pattern

Before changing your menu or creating a complicated plan, pay attention to what makes eating easier or harder.

I have to be mindful of this myself. I can easily find myself standing while I eat instead of taking a moment to sit down. When I notice it happening, I make a conscious effort to sit and give myself time to eat.

Does having food with you make a difference? Do you feel different when you sit down instead of eating while working or driving? Are there certain parts of the day when hunger, fatigue or distraction tend to show up?

What you eat matters too. In another newsletter, we’ll explore how to put together satisfying, practical meals.

This week’s experiment

For a few days, pay attention to when and how you eat. Notice whether you are seated or rushing, hungry or distracted, and how you feel afterward.

You don’t need to count, measure or change anything yet. Just look for one pattern.

What do you notice about when and how you eat?

Warmly,

Betty
Metabolic Renewal Nurse