Healthy choices

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audge62
audge62 Posts: 1 Member
in Introduce Yourself

I struggle to make healthy choices during stressful times. Any suggestions?

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  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 37,188 Member

    I understand what you're saying, but if it's at all possible, I think it's good to deal with the root causes of things. I try to tell myself that if the problem isn't hunger, fueling or nutrition, the best answer isn't food.

    For stress in particular, there are lots of non-food stress reduction or stress-management options.

    The stress-reduction side is usually personal/individual: If it's job-related, we may or may not need to stick with that job in the way it is, for example. Sometimes there are stress reductions we can make purely on our own: For example, I see people here adding to their personal stress by over-exercising (sometimes even doing things they find unpleasant), or by trying to lose weight super fast. Both of those are physical stressors, and potentially psychological ones in addition.

    What works for non-food stress management is also individual. Others can provide ideals, and we as individuals can experiment to see if any of those ideas work for us.

    Things I've seen people here recommend, or done myself, include: Meditation or prayer, mild exercise (stretching, yoga, casual short walk, etc.), creative pursuits like sketching or painting, calming music, absorbing/distracting but non-stressful hobbies (needlework, carpentry, gardening, etc.), journaling, getting out in nature, phoning an old friend for a good chat, adult coloring books . . . even quasi-food things like hot, calming herb tea.

    I understand that changing that stress response from food to something else is difficult, and take effort, though. As with any personal change, we don't need to be consistently perfect in an instant: It's fine to treat change as a process, trying to gradually improve habits. YMMV.

  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 14,684 Member

    "I struggle to make healthy choices during stressful times."

    Why not make the choices BEFORE the stress hits? Make a plan when you're calm and collected, figure out a couple options ahead of time. Then when you get stressed, you don't have to choose between an unlimited selection of options (which include your "bad" choices), but rather pick between the two or three pre-approved "good" choices.

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