We have all experienced that moment when you enter the break room and you see a box of donuts just sitting there. Maybe someone is retiring or its somebody's birthday, or any of the other reasons that donuts pop up at your workplace.

Whatever the reason, I want to help you work through it. I've seen firsthand how mindful eating has changed people's lives. I've helped hundreds and thousands of people through my books and programs, find freedom with their eating. By first being present in their life and enjoying their food.

I started studying mindful eating when I was in graduate school at the University of Denver. I then continued this work during my postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University.

I've written seven books on mindful eating and traveled the world teaching people the concepts of mindful eating. Today I am focusing on work eating scenarios. So let's get back to those break room donuts. Maybe you've asked yourself, how can I avoid the donuts or avoid overeating them. Well the reality is that you can't.

You can't avoid work food. There are going to be catered events, birthday parties, donuts, and all other kinds of food entering and exiting your office every single day. You can't stop it, but you can feel peace in it.

Mindful eating is the way you can get real with food. Through its techniques, you'll find yourself moving gently into the reality that food can be enjoyed.

So when donuts appear in the office here are three things I recommend for this work scenario. The first is having a solid plan for dealing with anxiety and stress at work. According to research, people who report feeling burnt out at their job, have a significantly higher level of emotional eating. No suprise!

They head for the donuts or the snacks in the break room to help them unwind or to get a little bit of a break.

Instead what I recommend is you find a small box, something you can place on your desk or in your drawer. Fill it with items that help you to destress for a moment or two.

Below are 6 Ways You Can Avoid Mindless Eating At Work:

1.Keep a tennis ball at your desk.

When I need to unwind, I just slip off my shoe,place this under my foot, and roll it around or I can put it behind my shoulders against the wall and instantly I have a massage.

2. Keep a magazine nearby to flip through to provide a distraction for a minute or two.

Instead of glancing at your email, which can increase your anxiety, the things in the box help you to disengage from your work.

3. Use hand warmers.

This is great if you have a cold office. Instead of getting up to get a sugary coffee drink to warm up, pop this into the microwave and place it on your shoulder or in your lap and it will provide you with a good hour of comfort instead of that momentary burst that you get from eating something.

4. Put on essential oils or soothing lotion.

These can help you fill a few minutes that would have been filled with boredom eating.

5. Next think location, location, location.

In one office that I worked in previously, simply taking food out of the line of sight made a huge difference. We moved our snacks from the first floor to the basement lounge. This took snacks out of the path that most people walked by naturally. To get to the snacks they had to intentionally walk down the stairs. This moved the snacking from just that unconscious automatic behavior that we have to a conscious choice.

6. Being mindful of your eating all the time.

And this the crux of what my online video course is all about. Check it out and let me know what you think in the comments!