Somewhere along the way, many of us started treating life like one enormous to-do list. Do the washing, the vacuuming, get the groceries, book fifteen different appointments for various household members, answer the emails, exercise. Be a good mum, wife, employee, friend, daughter, sister etc. And even when we finally sit down, our minds are still racing through everything we should be doing. Any of this sound familiar? It feels like there’s always something else needing to be done, something unfinished. Not to mention the things we feel like we want to try improving on. We become so focused on getting through life, not only do we forget how to truly live it but that constant state of doing takes a toll.

When your day feels one long list of obligations, there’s very little space left for pleasure, rest, spontaneity or simply being in the moment. And that’s because you’re constantly giving energy out without putting any back in, the perfect breeding ground for emotional eating. Food quietly slips into the picture because it feels like one of the few moments in the day that is for you, a tiny pocket of pleasure in a life that has started to feel overwhelmingly full of responsibility. That chocolate after dinner, the handfuls of snacks while you’re making lunches, or the takeaway when you weren’t even particularly hungry.

This is why emotional eating isn't always about sadness, anxiety or some huge emotional trigger. Sometimes it's simply your mind looking for relief. A break. A little something that’s enjoyable in a day that is otherwise spent being responsible. And if you try to solve that by giving yourself another set of rules — stop snacking, eat better, have more discipline — you’ve accidentally added even more things to your to-do list. Instead, it can be far more powerful to become curious about what the food is giving you. Is it comfort? Stimulation? Permission to stop? Something to look forward to? A moment where nobody needs anything from you? When you understand the need underneath the eating, you can begin finding other ways to meet it rather than constantly fighting the behaviour on the surface.

Your life was never meant to be a productivity project. You’re a human, not a machine and you don't have to earn the right to rest by completing everything first. Because, in all honesty, there is always going to be something else to do. But you have to know where the top priority line is and realise if that line has you compromising on your mental health. And if it does, don’t be afraid to readjust and rebalance so you have the capacity to replenish your cup and truly live your life. So you have the capacity to see the roses, stop and smell them, instead of not even seeing them in the first place (let alone have the option to stop and smell them).

The best lesson in life? Learn to leave something unfinished occasionally. Sit outside with your coffee, put your favourite song on ridiculously loud, read something simply because you enjoy it. Laugh, daydream, play, rest and make room for things that serve absolutely no productive purpose whatsoever. Because when your life starts containing more moments that are a genuine joy, food doesn't have to carry the entire responsibility of making you feel good. Maybe the goal shouldn’t be to become better at getting everything done, but to create a life you don't constantly need relief from.