We all experience stress in our lives. Because the vast majority of health problems are caused or influenced by stress, it's important to understand how stress affects your body, and to learn effective stress management techniques to make stress work for you rather than against you.
What Is Stress, and What Causes It?
Stress is your body’s response to changes in your life. Because life involves
constant change (ranging from changing locations from home to work each
morning to adapting to major life changes like marriage, divorce, or death of a
loved one), there is no avoiding stress. This is why our goal isn’t to eliminate all stress, but to eliminate unnecessary stress, and effectively manage the rest. There are some common causes of stress that many people experience, but each person is different.
As anyone who’s watching their weight will tell you, hunger is just one of many
reasons that people eat. Those with a tendency toward emotional eating are
especially vulnerable to making poor diet choices for reasons outlined in this
article. If you’re an emotional eater, you may find yourself eating to deal with
uncomfortable emotions, using food as a reward when you’re happy, and craving sweets or unhealthy snacks when stressed. (Don’t worry; you’re not alone!) The following ideas can help you to cut down emotional eating and develop healthier eating habits—even when stressed!
• Find Relaxation Techniques: When you’re under stress, your body is
likely producing higher levels of cortisol, a stress hormone that tends to make
people crave sweet and salty food—the stuff that’s generally not good for us. If
you’re experiencing stress on a regular basis and aren’t finding ways to relax
your body relatively quickly, cortisol could be creating these cravings, as well
as contributing to other health problems. The following stress relievers for
busy people can help.
• Cope In Healthy Ways: Many people use food to deal with
uncomfortable emotions like anger, frustration, fear, and other feelings. While
we need food for survival, there are healthier ways to cope with emotions:
• Talk To A Friend. Social support can go a long way toward helping you
process your feelings, gain support if needed, and move on. (Just don’t meet
your friend at The Cheesecake Factory!)
• Try Journaling. Processing one’s feelings in a journal has been found to have many health benefits beyond mere stress management. When you feel like reaching for unhealthy food, reach for a pen instead.
• Exercise. Getting your body moving is a great way to blow off steam and get your endorphins going, and is a much healthier option than overeating.
• Face Your Problems: If you’re using food to muffle your feelings in a difficult relationship, try assertiveness instead. If food is your only treat at a job you hate, try techniques for finding satisfaction at your job, or get a different one. Cut down on the stress in your life and you won’t need food to help you cope.
• Try Healthy Alternatives: If these techniques don’t completely eliminate your emotional eating urges, go ahead and indulge—but use healthier fare. Drink Perrier instead of soda; munch on veggies or healthy snacks instead of chips; savor one small piece of dark chocolate instead of binging on a whole chocolate muffin from the coffee shop (it’ll help you live longer!). All of these things can be good for you, so you’ll still come out ahead without feeling completely deprived.