Busy days full of work, kids, appointments, errands, sports. Meetings or phone calls with people who leave you feeling less than relaxed (to put it nicely). You’re stressed, tired, agitated…what do you do…grab the first delicious looking thing you see and eat it. 

This (along with boredom eating) was something I really wanted to kick. Because most times when I was having a crazy day, it was NOT a healthy choice I was picking. And many times I wasn’t even hungry.  From talking with many friends and clients, I hear that this is a common struggle, so I know that you probably can relate.

I talk a lot about stress reduction to help with overall health as it relates to things like high cortisol, sugar cravings and adrenal fatigue. Constantly elevated stress levels can be really hard on the body.  

While reducing stress in your life is ideal, there are often things we can’t eliminate and also times when we have to ride it out.  In these cases, it’s so important to create more space mentally to allow your body to handle the stress and recover from it.  Finding a self care relaxation technique is key to reducing the effects of stress.  This is an activity you can work into your daily schedule that helps calm your mind & body.  

These are my favorite ways to take a moment, step back from the situation, and refocus:

• Go for a walk (even if it’s just a quick one)
• Take deep breaths
• Meditate for 5 min (I love the Calm app but there are lots of other options online)
• Grab a journal and write out some thoughts or even better make a list of 5 things you’re happy about or grateful for today
• Pray
• Call/Text a friend to chat
• Exercise
• Drink some water

By choosing an alternative activity like these, you are doing 2 things. First, you are doing an activity that will lower your stress levels and help you feel better. Second, you are beginning to associate another activity, other than eating, with relieving stress. We can’t always eliminate stress in our lives, but we CAN do things that counteract the stress and allow us to handle it better. It is SO important to do this!

Learning to manage stress better will help improve your sleep, anxiety, and overall health.  I recommend choosing one of these activities to incorporate daily.  Even if you just have 5-10 min per day.  Make it a habit!