The Impact of Psychological Discomfort on Food and Self-Care
Few people realize how closely our mental state and the way we care for our bodies are connected. Yet it only takes remembering days when we were under pressure or going through a difficult period – and it immediately becomes clear that during such moments, our diet and morning self-care rituals were hardly the last thing on our minds. Psychological discomfort and our relationship with food are two sides of the same coin, influencing each other in ways that science is only gradually uncovering.
Research repeatedly confirms that stress, anxiety, or depression have a direct impact on eating habits. Some people nearly stop eating altogether during difficult periods, while others turn to food as a quick source of comfort. Both responses are natural reactions of the nervous system to overload, yet they can have serious long-term consequences for health and self-perception. Understanding this relationship is the first step toward being able to consciously work on change.
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Food as emotion: what happens in the brain under pressure
The human brain, in a state of psychological distress, is flooded with cortisol and other stress hormones that literally change what we crave. Cortisol – the primary stress hormone – demonstrably increases cravings for calorie-dense foods, particularly fatty and sweet foods. From an evolutionary perspective, this makes sense: the body is preparing for fight or flight and needs quick energy. In the modern world, however, no actual physical fight takes place, and so the calories are stored rather than burned.
Emotional eating – the state in which a person eats not out of physical hunger but in response to feelings – is one of the most common manifestations of how psychological distress affects our relationship with food. According to data from research published in the journal Appetite, more than 60% of the adult population struggles with emotional eating to varying degrees. This doesn't always involve dramatic overeating – it can be as simple as a regular afternoon session with chocolate whenever stress builds up at work, or automatically reaching for a bag of crisps when feeling lonely.
Take Martina, a thirty-year-old teacher from Brno, who realized that every evening after a demanding day at school she was consuming large amounts of sweets – not because she was hungry, but because it was the only way to "switch off" for a moment. Only when she began more consciously observing what actually motivated her to eat did she understand that her real problem wasn't food itself, but exhaustion and a lack of other ways to calm down.
But how does psychological distress manifest in those who, on the contrary, stop eating during difficult times? This pattern is equally widespread, just less visible. Anxiety can literally constrict the stomach and suppress the feeling of hunger so that a person forgets to eat all day. Depression, meanwhile, strips away the energy and motivation to cook or think of food as a source of pleasure. The result is often nutritional deficiencies, a weakened immune system, and an even deeper gulf between body and mind.
Interestingly, the gut and brain communicate through what is known as the gut-brain axis – a direct neural and hormonal connection. Research in the field of psychoneuroimmunology shows that the composition of the gut microbiome influences serotonin production – the happiness hormone – thereby directly affecting our mood and mental well-being. In other words: what we eat affects how we feel, and how we feel affects what we eat. This cycle can become vicious, or alternatively healing – it depends on the decisions made within it.
This is precisely why it is important not to approach food merely as a source of calories or nutrients, but to understand it as part of a broader ecosystem of mental and physical health. Food choices are not just a matter of willpower – they are also a matter of psychological state, environment, and habits that a person has been building throughout their life.
Body care as the first casualty of psychological distress
If psychological distress affects our relationship with food, it applies doubly to body care. Regular hygiene, exercise, adequate sleep, or conscious rituals such as showering, skin hydration, or working out – all of these activities require a certain level of inner energy and motivation. And it is precisely this that psychological distress systematically depletes.
It is no coincidence that one of the diagnostic criteria for depression is the neglect of basic self-care. A person in deep mental suffering stops perceiving their body as something worthy of attention and love. The body becomes a mere container that somehow moves from place to place but doesn't deserve genuine care. This attitude can be subtle – manifesting as postponing a doctor's visit, skipping exercise, or using cheap, irritating cosmetics simply because "it doesn't matter."
As American psychologist and author Brené Brown said: "Caring for yourself is not self-indulgent. You can't pour from an empty cup." This idea is, in fact, very practical: self-care is not a luxury or vanity, but a fundamental condition for functional mental health. Yet precisely when a person needs it most, psychological distress takes away their capacity to practice it.
One of the less-discussed aspects of this relationship is the influence of psychological distress on product choices and attitudes toward one's own body. People in chronic stress or anxiety tend to reach for quick, convenient solutions – processed foods, aggressive cleaning products, or synthetic cosmetics full of fragrances and preservatives that may work but don't do much good for either body or mind. Conversely, a conscious shift toward more natural alternatives – whether in diet or in skincare and household products – can be part of a broader process of returning to oneself.
Exercise is another area significantly affected by psychological distress. Although scientific evidence for the antidepressant effect of regular physical activity is now very strong, for someone experiencing psychological distress, exercise is one of the first things to disappear from their life. Energy is lacking, motivation fades, and the body closes in on itself. Yet even a short walk outside or gentle stretching can trigger a cascade of positive biochemical changes in the brain.
It is also important to mention how psychological distress affects sleep – and how poor sleep in turn deepens psychological difficulties and disrupts the relationship with food. Lack of sleep increases levels of ghrelin, the hunger hormone, and decreases levels of leptin, the satiety hormone. The result is that a tired and psychologically exhausted person has a greater appetite, particularly for sweet and fatty foods, while simultaneously having less capacity to resist impulses. This mechanism explains why it is so difficult to eat healthily when feeling unwell.
This entire system – the psyche, food, body care, sleep – functions as an interconnected network in which each element influences the others. The good news is that this interconnectedness also works in the opposite direction: small, conscious changes in one area can gradually bring positive shifts in the others as well.
One practical approach that is gaining increasing attention is mindful eating. This is an approach in which a person pays full attention to what they eat, how they eat, and why they eat. Instead of automatically consuming food in front of a screen or in a rush, a person pauses, notices textures, aromas, and flavors, and observes their own emotions. Research published in the journal Mindfulness shows that regular mindful eating practice significantly reduces emotional eating and helps restore a natural connection with the body.
Body care rituals that are not primarily functional but deliberately slow and present can play a similar role. A hand massage with natural oil, a bath with herbal additions, or the conscious application of cream may seem like small things at first glance, but from a psychological perspective they are powerful signals that tell both body and mind: you are worthy of care. These are precisely the beliefs that are most undermined during psychological distress.
The environment in which a person lives also plays a significant role. A cluttered, chaotic, or chemically burdened home can deepen psychological distress, while a clean, natural, and aesthetically pleasing environment supports mental balance. Switching to more eco-friendly cleaning products or natural cosmetics is therefore not merely a fashionable trend – it can be part of a conscious approach to one's own health.
Taken as a whole, understanding how psychological distress affects our relationship with food and body care is not merely an academic exercise. It is an invitation to deeper self-reflection and to the gradual building of habits that nourish both body and mind. Dramatic changes are not necessary – it is enough to start with small steps, such as making more conscious food choices, adding one movement ritual to the day, or reaching for a product that is gentler on both body and nature. Each such decision is also a decision to say: I matter.
