Fighting Stress
Stress plays a bigger role in our weight than most people realize. However, numerous studies have shown a definite connection between chronic stress and weight gain. For that reason, if you want to control your weight, you also need to control your stress levels. Fortunately, there are plenty of things that you can do to fight the stress in your life.
Exercise
When you feel yourself start to get stressed, take a walk. Studies have shown that light to moderate exercises can help relieve stress. This is in part because when you’re stressed, your body’s “flight or fight” response is activated, and by doing something active, you’re tricking your body into thinking that you have escaped the danger, causing it to relax.
In addition to walking, you can also try some relaxing types of exercises like yoga or tai chi. These also will help you calm your mind because of their focus on breathing exercises which can help you relax. High intensity exercises should be saved for a time when you’re not stressed, however, since these can actually raise the levels of stress hormones in your body, making you feel more stressed.
Get Enough Sleep
If you’re not getting enough sleep, this can trigger your body’s production of stress hormones, so making sure you’re getting a full 8 hours every night will help your body fight stress. Getting enough sleep will also allow you to be rested during the day, which can help you be better prepared to face situations that cause stress.
Call Somebody
Sometimes, the stress in your life may feel overwhelming and you don’t know how to deal with it. If that’s how you’re feeling, try calling a close family member or a good friend who you can open up to about the situation you’re dealing with. Even if they can’t help you solve the problem, just being able to tell someone what’s going on could help you ease the tension.
Do Something Distracting
Often the situation begins to feel worse than it is because you’re over-thinking it, so taking your mind off of your stress for a little while can help you relax for a bit, and the break could even help you come up with a new solution to the problem. Although taking a few minutes or even a few hours to do something distracting won’t make the problem go away, it will reduce your stress levels.
Some things that will help keep your mind off of your situation for a little while include reading, listening to music, praying, going to the park, and watching a movie. Of course, what you will be able to do will likely depend on where you are, since you can’t very well leave in the middle of your workday to catch a movie showing. You can, however, take 5 minutes to plug in some headphones and listen to your favorite song.
Eat Something Healthy
One of the reasons stress causes weight gain is that when you’re stressed, you automatically look for calorie-rich comfort foods. So, if you do feel like you want to eat something while facing a stressful situation, be careful and reach for something healthy instead.