Why Multitasking Is Expanding Your Waistline (And How to Retrain Yourself to Be Healthier)

I have a ton of things to do every day—and ladies, I see you.

You’ve got kids to wake up (or ones who were already up at 4am, thank you to them!). You were up late last night crafting a World Book Day costume after your angel told you—at 3pm yesterday—that this magical learning experience was tomorrow. You’re exhausted. Your partner is asking where their socks are. The dog is whining at the back door to go out. You haven’t even had a wee yet—actually, you forgot you needed to wee—and now there are Cheerios all over the floor from the wonderful child who tried to make their own breakfast and you simultaneously want to kiss and strangle them.

So what do you do?

You open the back door with your hip, sweep Cheerios with one hand, and chuck—sorry, gently hand—socks to your partner with the other. You still need to wee. Nope, no time for that.

Your brain receives the message: "Turn off body signals." Like a tortured, downtrodden personal assistant, it shuffles to the back of your mind, hidden behind the thoughts of washing, the school run, the birthday wine you need to get for Sarah… the list never ends.

When You Stop Hearing Your Body

Every time we override a message from our body, we create disconnection. And I get it—I am a recovering ever-ready girl.

I’ve typed while eating. Walked through meetings (okay, sometimes that is a good idea). Stirred coffee while feeding the dog. I was so disconnected from my body I couldn’t name a single feeling if you held me at gunpoint. I had no idea which bits of me hurt, because I had shut all that down in the name of KEEP. GOING. "You are a machine," they shouted—and I wore that like a badge of honour.

The result?

• IBS that flared at the slightest hint of stress

• Constant bloating

• Chronic fatigue masked by momentum

Until one day… enough was enough.

The Real Reason You Can’t Stop Eating at Night

How does this relate to your waistline?

Picture this: you’ve had the MOST stressful day. You finally get home after sitting in non-moving traffic for 20 minutes. You should have gone to the gym, but you left your trainers at home—and in the car, convinced yourself that the extra 20 minutes of traffic has left you no time to collect your trainers and get to class. You collapse onto the sofa, exhausted. You order pizza and grab a bottle of wine. The TV goes on. You blink—and suddenly all the pizza and wine are gone.

Now compare that to a night out with friends. You still had a stressful day at work. You weren’t planning to go to the gym, so you haven’t beaten yourself up about it. You’re still having pizza. Still sipping wine. But now you’re laughing, chatting, present. You eat half as much. You realise halfway through glass #2 of wine that you’d like some water, so you drink some. You feel satisfied—and stop.

Why? Because you’ve slowed down. You’re enjoying the experience. Your brain—finally not buried under mental chaos—comes out and gently offers a message: You’re good now. And you actually hear it.

Imagine scenario one is your everyday. Again—I was in your camp. One eye on the TV, the other on my phone. The food in front of me? Gone. It could literally have been anything. I occasionally thought, Did I enjoy that? And my honest answer would’ve been: I have no idea.

How to Reconnect With Your Body (Without Adding More to Your To-Do List)

I hear you screaming: "Becky, I don’t have time to add anything else. I want a quick fix."

And like the fairy godmother I am… Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo. Here’s what to do:

🛏️ Before Bed: Tense & Release

While lying down, scrunch every muscle in your body—starting with your feet and moving all the way up to your head. Even give your ears a squeeze (yes, you can). Tense, then relax. It’s like a nervous system exhale. It teaches your body to recognise tension—and how to let it go.

🚶♀️ Walking Meeting? Add This:

If the only way to fit in a walk is during a meeting or call, do it. Before or after your call, walk for five extra minutes. Name all the colours you can see. Touch two different textures. Smell a flower (or literally anything with a scent).

🚗 School Run: Count Your Breath

Turn off the radio. Count your breaths:

• Inhale = 1, exhale = 2

• Inhale = 3, exhale = 4, and so on

• When you get to 5, start again
  Lose count? No biggie. Just go back to 1.

🍽️ Eat Like a Michelin Critic

For one meal a day, put down your phone. Eat like you’re reviewing for a food magazine:

• What’s the texture?

• What flavours stand out?

• What do you love most, and why?

Go deep. Get curious. Extra points if your internal review makes you laugh. Double points if you can get your partner or kids to join in.

None of this requires a single extra minute in your day. But if you try these for a week?

🔥 You’ll feel the difference.
🔥 You’ll eat better food.
🔥 You’ll shout at the kids less.
🔥 And if you teach them to do this too? They’ll likely behave better—because they’ll feel more connected, too.

So go on, give it a try.
Reconnect. Reclaim your calm.
And maybe… enjoy your pizza and your peace. ✨