Appetite affected by stress; de-stressing ideas?

missiontofitness
missiontofitness Posts: 4,059 Member
edited November 19 in Motivation and Support
So, I've had about eight million life changes happen in less than a month. Done with grad school, offered a job, and am in the process of planning an out-of-state move. So needless to say, the stress I was experiencing trying to finish grad school has exploded ten fold!

All of these big changes happening at once has really elevated my stress levels. My appetite has been affected lately; I'm generally not hungry, so I've been eating calorie dense items to hit my target each day. When I do eat, I get full very quickly. Things I used to like to eat aren't as appetizing; like Velveeta block cheese. Yeah, yeah, not real cheese. I tried melting some last night for nachos, and the smell and texture revolted me. I have all these delicious things in my pantry and freezer, but can't bring myself to eat them. There's absolutely no chance that I have a bun in the oven, and I am 99.9% sure that this is all stress related, because I went through this a few months ago once school started picking up.

What are some good ways to de-stress? I've tried walking outside, but the cat calling and gross comments/looks I get from passing cars makes it a not relaxing experience. Really just looking for some different ideas people have, so I can see some other options other than yoga and taking a hot bath. I want to enjoy the foods I like again, darn it!

Replies

  • laetifico
    laetifico Posts: 3 Member
    I don't know if you're into reading/audiobooks (I know from experience that many grad school programs require so much reading that sometimes reading for pleasure can feel like a chore), but I find that one of my best de-stressing techniques is:

    1.) Get an audiobook and fire it up.
    2.) While you listen, do something else that doesn't require much (if any) thinking. Wash the dishes, fold your clothes, tidy up your house, dust your shelves, paint your nails, whatever. Ideally some task you can do on autopilot.

    I find that when I do both things together, my mind is engaged with the book and my hands are engaged with the task, so stray thoughts/emotions barely register. And when my mind DOES wander, it's glaringly obvious and easy for me to redirect my focus back to the book.

    This might be better suited to shorter bursts of anxiety as opposed to longterm general stress, but I do this a lot and for me, it's a great way to get out of my own head for a while.
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,059 Member
    laetifico wrote: »
    I don't know if you're into reading/audiobooks (I know from experience that many grad school programs require so much reading that sometimes reading for pleasure can feel like a chore), but I find that one of my best de-stressing techniques is:

    1.) Get an audiobook and fire it up.
    2.) While you listen, do something else that doesn't require much (if any) thinking. Wash the dishes, fold your clothes, tidy up your house, dust your shelves, paint your nails, whatever. Ideally some task you can do on autopilot.

    I find that when I do both things together, my mind is engaged with the book and my hands are engaged with the task, so stray thoughts/emotions barely register. And when my mind DOES wander, it's glaringly obvious and easy for me to redirect my focus back to the book.

    This might be better suited to shorter bursts of anxiety as opposed to longterm general stress, but I do this a lot and for me, it's a great way to get out of my own head for a while.


    I love the audio book idea! I have wanted to incorporate more reading into my weeks lately...I generally do this with Netflix, but I think picking a book over listening to American Dad while cleaning will be much more productive. Thanks!
  • faithyang
    faithyang Posts: 297 Member
    edited June 2015
    I find what helps is some light jazz/listening music, sitting by a window overlooking any greenery/people walking about, a good cup of English Breakfast tea or green tea, and reading a good book, or a magazine.

    Another thing I find quite relaxing is the mindless task of planning meals and organising my recipe list.
  • MegaRaye
    MegaRaye Posts: 3 Member
    A good walk helps me destress. Make yourself a playlist on your mp3, get the headphones, comfy clothes and look around at your environment. No set time, no set pace, just moving.
  • tudoroaks4
    tudoroaks4 Posts: 26 Member
    If you like artsy things, adult coloring books are all the rage now. Search for them on Amazon.
  • amy_kee
    amy_kee Posts: 694 Member
    I agree about many, many forms of art helping to relieve stress and relax you. They even have art therapy classes at some places.
  • moribunny
    moribunny Posts: 417 Member
    I second the coloring books with more complex designs made for 'adults' and whatnot. I do this when I am stressed. I also will take baths (like you mentioned), listen to music, or meditate.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    tudoroaks4 wrote: »
    If you like artsy things, adult coloring books are all the rage now. Search for them on Amazon.

    Did not know. Thank you. I'm looking this up now.

    Dead lifting is usually good for my stress. Also lying in bed and listening to an entire symphony (especially on vinyl). Shopping. Mani/Pedi. Massage. Going to see a live band I can dance to.
  • duckykissy
    duckykissy Posts: 285 Member
    I'm an ex stress smoker who also has some pretty fun anxiety issues. My anxiety used to get so bad it would cause insomnia. And until I dealt with the stress, no matter what I could do- I just couldn't stop smoking.
    So yeah learning how to not be stressed & anxious has been something I've spent most of my life doing.

    I also agree with the audio books/music while you're doing something else. Great for packing & cleaning because you can just focus on what ever you're listening to while doing it. I usually prefer classical music because I'm a bit dyslexic and have to really focus on audio books. But whatever works for you- try audio books, classical music, your favorite kind of music, Disney dance music, etc. sometimes you just need to find your groove for this one to work.

    Another thing that I do is mediate. Just youtube the basics and ignore any religious implications (maybe search breathing exercises over meditation), but I find that it really helps with my anxiety. I use it mainly to settle in for sleep, but also like during finals times or if I have 10 thousand things on my plate. It allows me to just take a step back, breath, and I find it's easier to do/ handle whatever it is I'm dealing with. Sounds silly but it's kind of like on Scrubs when Elliot describes to JD how to handle a "train wreck" - just breath.

    Lavender oil is also supposed to have calming properties. If you like the smell perhaps you can get one of those oil sticks or use lotion/shower stuff they have.

    Also if art is the way you want to go you can get some free instruction from Bob Ross on Youtube.
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