Of all the difficulty I have faced, stress is the most challenging. I can say it is the worse thing ever; it makes my workout look useless, I end up with bad headaches, I am unable to do most of the things I want to do, and I gain weight.
We are distinctive beings and our bodies respond to stress differently, I’ve had people tell me, how come you are still fat with all these stress (this is because people assume stress results in weight loss, I used to think that too)
First of all, What causes stress? with all the ups and downs in life why wouldn’t you be stressed, well if you are non-reactive to life’s challenges you might able to control or deviate from going into stress mode, but guess what? even a little increase in workload can stress you out.
I noticed I usually get stressed when I worry, when I am not getting enough sleep, and when I am overworking, also not taking rest, and being pressured. Now that’s for me it might be different or even more for you.
Why I gain weight when I’m stressed
When stressed, there is a rise in cortisol (primary stress hormone), which often causes increased appetite and food cravings. That’s true, I feel so hungry and I eat the wrong things, the sweet things, which is often what I crave during such times, I overeat and I get constipated. It can be really uncomfortable to feel full and bloated which often results back to the bad mood, and worries and the cycle continues.
Stress can result in other health problems asides weight gain it can disrupt your body’s processes and might put you at risk of various health problems like anxiety, depression, digestive problems(like I mentioned, I’m usually constipated), bad headaches, sleeping problems and many more.
How I manage stress
First, I try not to worry and get rid of the things that bother me through meditation, breathing, walking, sleeping, reading, listening to music and sometimes I go for a run. Basically doing the things that make me feel relaxed, happy, and at peace. All these you can do and also, don’t forget to keep eating healthy and lastly, keeping healthy friendships and relationships.
It looks so easy and yes it’s definitely easy sharing it with you, but I won’t forget to mention it was hard initially, now here is the thing, when trying something you aren’t used to and haven’t tried before, it can be, but it takes practice and patience and the most important, try not to worry, you will get there.
Life is easier without stress or I can say when we find effective ways to deal with it.
Breathe and clear your mind, worrying doesn’t make it better.
So, I advise you first identify why you are stressed out and work on it.
Featured Image:
Unsplash photo by Matteo Vistocco
The gifs are from giphy.com if you were wondering. check them out you’ll find something you like.
Justsharingalife
Cindy.
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