“Too many people tend to view stress as something that they just have to deal with,” says Talbott. “But they really need to think about managing stress as something that is as important as their diet or their exercise program.”
Here are some tips for breaking the chronic stress-weight gain feedback loop:
1. Set priorities.
“Make a record of how you spend your time each day for a week,” suggests Chao. “Decide which tasks and activities are most important to you and prioritize them.” Don’t forget to incorporate time for adequate sleep and exercise into your schedule. “Sleep and joyful physical movement are important parts of self-care,” says Alexis Conason, PsyD, a private-practice psychologist in New York City who counsels her patients on body image and acceptance, as well as mindful eating.
Sleep lays the foundation for mental well-being — when you feel well rested, you’re more likely to have more resilience and be better able to handle the changes that are bound to come up in your life. “In contrast, when you don’t get enough sleep, every little obstacle that comes up in your day-to-day life feels more difficult to cope with,” says Dr. Conason.
2. Become efficient.
“Streamline healthy eating and physical activity to make them easier to fit into a busy lifestyle,” says Chao. Chop vegetables for the week to eat as snacks or to add to stir-fries or salads, and prepack several days’ lunches over the weekend. Keep a set of exercise clothes and shoes at the office so working out after you wrap up at your desk becomes a no-brainer.
3. Love your body.
“Poor body image, internalized weight bias, and body shame are major sources of stress,” says Conason. “Research suggests that internalized weight bias increases stress, as well as contributes to other poor medical and mental health outcomes.”
Improve your body image by focusing on being healthy. When eating, for example, fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables, take walks several times a week, and begin other healthful habits, rather than putting all your mental energy into the number on the scale.
“Mindfulness meditation is a great tool to decrease stress and improve our capacity for self-acceptance and self-compassion, which have been shown to reduce body image dissatisfaction, body shame, and associated stress,” says Conason. Mindfulness meditation is the practice of being fully aware and present in the moment, with a nonjudgmental sense of acceptance, explains Conason.
4. Recognize what you can appreciate in your life.
At the same time that you acknowledge whatever is stressing you out, recognize what you can appreciate in life.
“As simplistic as it sounds, the fact that you can look to what is improving in a given situation can help to psychologically buffer the stress in other areas of your life,” says Talbott.
5. Think before you snack.
Try to stop eating before mealtimes, and consider whether you are actually hungry or reaching for food for another reason.
“Food is not the best match for the emotional need of stress,” says Conason. “It may alleviate stress for a moment, but the stress will almost always return. It’s important to find a way to more authentically meet our emotional needs.”
Conason recommends focusing on noticing when you’re eating in response to stress rather than physiological hunger. “From there, you can think about how to best care for your needs, whether that is with food or another coping mechanism, such as a stress-reduction or relaxation technique,” she says.
Do some yoga or deep breathing, call a friend, read a book, engage in your favorite hobby, or even take a nap. Don’t be afraid to seek professional support if you need it.
6. Take a walk.
Instead of coping with stress by eating a bag of chips, venture outside or go for a walk around the house. It can do wonders for helping to calm you down. Even a 10-minute walk may have the same effect on anxiety as a 45-minute workout, according to the Anxiety & Depression Association of America.
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