Do you Stress Eat?
I have been known to stuff a cookie, or two, or five, in my mouth when I was frustrated.
I have also been known to down a couple of glasses of wine and top them off with a slice of cake when I was feeling emotional!
It took me a loooong time to realize what I was doing…
I was feeding my emotions rather than dealing with them!
So, what did I do about it?
That’s the hard part.
I had to first realize that I wasn’t allowing myself to feel what I had to feel. And that caused more long-term problems than I could have anticipated.
I was literally numbing myself, in the same way that people use drugs and alcohol, except my drug of choice was food.
When I wasn’t eating my emotions, I was masking them with sarcasm and wit.
Keep reading to find out what worked for me.
Step One: I Started Listening to Podcasts
Initially, I listened because I respected the person who recommended them, but they really made me do some serious reflection! I wasn’t even aware of what I was doing to myself and how much I was holding back in my relationships because I didn’t allow myself to feel.
I equated vulnerability with weakness: What a mistake!
At the bottom of this blog post, I have recommended my favorite podcasts for you to check out!
Step Two: Journaling
It was such a relief to get my thoughts down on paper.
I was able to process what I was going through with much more clarity.
And the greatest lesson for me was realizing that I was making things worse in my head.
Writing my thoughts or saying them out loud felt scary, but also provided such a sense of empowerment and healing.
Step Three: I Found a Healthier Way to Relieve Stress
It took time but I found that my most effective ways to handle stress are:
- Sit with the discomfort of the feeling and remind myself that the situation is temporary.
- List what I can and cannot control about the stressor. Then focus on what I can control.
- Call my best friend and talk it out, or sit with my husband and talk it out, once the kids are in bed 😊
- Walk on the treadmill or take a leisure walk outside. It naturally reduces stress and allows you to get more focused on your movement and your breathing. You can literally feel the tension release!
- My favorite…… Lift Heavy Weights! There is something so insanely therapeutic about lifting heavy shit! You let go of the stress and become this badass version of your formerly stressed-self.
I still eat cookies, but only when I want to, not because I’m trying to shut down some emotion! 😊
Check out my Favourite Listens to Prevent Stress Eating:
Audible:
“The Power of Vulnerability” by Dr. Brene Brown It literally changed my life.
Podcasts:
“The Best Life Podcast” by Jill Coleman and Danny J
“Super Soul Sunday” by Oprah Winfrey
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