I will speak for myself — over the past several days, anxiety wrapped its arms around me and held on tightly. And I started eating.

I didn’t care about calories, my training progress, or the puffiness I knew I would probably wake up with the next morning. I just ate. Pizza and healthy food, burgers and salads, chocolate (lots of it) and ice cream. I wasn’t even hungry half the time — but I ate anyway.

And at some point, something shifted. I realised I couldn’t keep numbing it with food. I needed to pause — properly pause — and sit with what was actually happening instead of trying to swallow it down.

When you feel stressed, your body activates the HPA axis (the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal system), which leads to the release of cortisol. Cortisol’s role is straightforward: it prepares you to survive.

First, it raises blood sugar levels to make energy immediately available. It wants you alert and ready to respond. But cortisol also thinks ahead. From a biological perspective, stress once meant danger — and danger meant uncertainty about resources. So it doesn’t just mobilise the energy you already have; it also signals that more fuel may soon be needed. As a result, appetite increases — particularly for calorie-dense foods that provide quick energy.

Cortisol, however, doesn’t work alone. Ghrelin and leptin step in as well.

Stress often disrupts sleep, and sleep deprivation alters these two key hormones that regulate hunger. Ghrelin, which stimulates appetite, increases. Leptin, which signals fullness, decreases. So you feel hungrier than usual, and at the same time less satisfied after eating.

The outcome becomes almost predictable. Cortisol drives cravings. Elevated ghrelin intensifies hunger. Reduced leptin makes it harder to feel full. And when stress eating becomes frequent, insulin levels spike more often as the body works to regulate blood sugar. The more this cycle repeats, the more you find yourself wanting to eat again — even when your body doesn’t truly need more fuel.

You eat.

I we step back from the neurological terminology and put it simply, the thesis is straightforward: food calms the nervous system.

When you are stressed, your body shifts into sympathetic mode. Eating, especially warm or carbohydrate-rich food, activates the parasympathetic system — rest and digest. Emotionally, that shift feels like relief.

There is another layer to this. Stress reduces executive control. When we are overwhelmed, the brain prioritises immediate survival over long-term goals. Future consequences start to feel abstract and distant. In that state, food becomes grounding. The sensory input — taste, texture, warmth — anchors attention in the present moment. During high anxiety, that grounding can feel deeply stabilising.

And finally, food creates a pause. Stress is fast. Eating slows you down. It gives you a small island in the middle of the storm.

I know what you might say — understanding the cause doesn’t automatically change the behaviour. And that is true. But it does give us clarity. Once we see what food is doing for us, neurologically and psychologically, we can begin to ask a different question: what else could give the mind that same sense of calm?

One of the simplest tests is this: offer yourself something genuinely nourishing.

When we are seeking stress relief, the body usually craves quick energy — sugar, refined carbohydrates, fast fats. So suggest a balanced alternative instead: yoghurt with berries, eggs on toast, chicken and rice, nuts and fruit.

Notice the reaction. If the “hunger” disappears when the option isn’t chocolate or crisps, it is likely emotional.

Stressful days aren't the days to skip breakfast or “save calories”. That approach works only when life feels calm and stable — and even then, it is fragile.

On high-stress days, your goal is simple: at least three proper meals, adequate protein and no extreme restriction. Routine and regulation are your anchors.

When everything feels fragile, movement can feel like the last thing you want to do. But even a small amount is better than none. A ten-minute brisk walk or a spontaneous dance to loud music in your kitchen can help.

Stress is activation energy in the body. If you don’t move it, you will likely try to eat it.

If you feel a strong urge for chocolate — that is okay. You are allowed to have it. But first, tell yourself: I will wait 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, check in again. Very often, the intensity of the craving has already dropped by 30–60%. And if you still want it, you can have it — just without the panic driving the decision.