Diet Talk - Handling Stress

DIET TALK is a series of 56 topics addressing the psychological and social aspects of successful, long-term weight management. DIET TALK is based on my NPR series. This lecture addresses handling stress.

Transcript

Handling Stress An important aspect of being able to lose weight and keep it off is learning how to handle stress so you won't find yourself wanting to eat as often.

Here are nine suggestions to help you deal with life stressors.

First,

Get enough rest and sleep.

Things that normally don't bother us cause us distress when we're tired and sleepy.

Second,

Share your worries with someone you trust and respect.

They may help you see a new side to your problem.

Third,

Learn to accept what you cannot change.

And if the problem is beyond your control at this time,

Try to accept it until you can change it.

Fourth,

Take one thing at a time.

That's all you can do anyway.

Fifth,

Take time for rest and relaxation.

Recreation means to recreate.

It eases stress and revives vitality.

Sixth,

Get out of yourself.

We often concentrate too much on ourselves and our situation.

So get your mind off yourself for a while.

Seventh,

Compromise.

It is stressful to always have to be in the right.

If you give a little,

You may find that others begin to do so also.

Eighth,

Don't self-medicate.

It doesn't help you adjust to the stress itself.

The ability to handle stress comes from within,

Not from the outside.

Ninth,

Work off stress.

Blow off steam physically.

Even taking a walk can help.

Physical activity is a good outlet for mental stress.

Stress is a normal part of life.

We can't completely avoid it.

And it does have an impact upon our ability to keep weight loss a priority.

Therefore,

Knowing how to handle stress is an important part of the weight loss process.

By trying these suggestions,

You will begin perceiving your life as less stressful.

And the result will be less unnecessary eating.

Reviews

Thank you for these tips. Some of them I’m aware of. As a friend of mine puts it, never underestimate the power of telling somebody something they already know. Thank you for extending that power to me.

I suppose this is probably the same for anxiety. Thank you!