Most of us know that we can take a hot shower and almost always feel better. Problems melt away.
You feel better because feelings come from your body. And warm water is a pleasurable feeling as opposed to say cold water.
The same is true of eating food. It’s definitely something that triggers positive reinforcement.
No doubt you’ve been hangry at least once in your life only to miraculously feel better after eating.
So if you’re stressed and you can’t take a hot shower, grab a bite to eat if you haven’t eaten recently. Of course don’t overeat.
And if you really want to maximize the relaxing power of food, or hot showers, then try to focus on just the food, or just the shower.
Let go of wandering thoughts and try to focus only on how your body feels in reaction to eating or showering.
Emotions are a moving average summary of feelings. The more you focus on a calm, relaxed body instead of anxiety about the future when lost in thoughts, the better you will feel!