Coping with Stress
I have read up through Chapter four of You on a Diet this weekend that people who endure stress over long periods of time gain weight. Until this year, I know that I have been a total stress monkey.
I just have become tired of always feeling like I was in chaos mode. I started recognizing it at work and have slowly taken on a different attitude towards my professional work - I will always have high standards, but I am not going to freak out if everything is not perfect, know what I mean?
However, it has taken a bit longer for that attitude to seep into my personal life. Really, I am one of the most boring, responsible, level-headed people that I know. But I like it that way because I can’t be bothered anymore with the friggin drama!!!
And what has brought all of this to light even more is my dear husband, the Wookie. He is the ultimate stress monkey (by his own admission) and I have learned that it is a familial trait. Heh. Much as I love him dearly, he drives me to drink. Chocolate milk. Kidding! But being married to him has provided even more focus in this area of my life because I am constantly trying to peel him off of the ceiling while maintaining my own sanity. Ah, newlywed bliss - It can be a real challenge.
I just know that the less stress we have in our lives the better off we will be. Part of that is living consciously, and taking steps to combat stress in everyday life.
For me, that means planning. When I don’t have a plan, I feel like things are out of control. I don’t have to follow the plan to the letter, but the intention has to be there. The Wookie likes to do everything free-form, but he is beginning to see the power in planning and organization. And he knows that I am a happier wife because of it!
Now, this trip to the States completely threw me for a loop. I am leaving for two months in less than 36 hours. I had about 9 days to re-arrange my life to take this trip and I couldn’t be more excited. This is a fantastic opportunity, but to tell you the truth, it totally stressed me out.
I had finally figured out a weight-loss routine that worked for me and I was not going to be able to maintain that while I am gone. Chaos again!!! But today I realized, I just need to adjust a bit. I can still get in some exercise. I can still drink water and watch what I eat. That will probably be the hardest part because I know I will be eating out quite a bit. But I won’t have the weekly weigh-in to keep me accountable. But I need to plan ahead. Track what I eat. Cooking meals when I can and taking lunches. Take the time to take care of myself. Get those key things in daily that will insure my success. Once I came to terms with that, I felt a hell of a lot better. I want to do what I can so that when I come back to Weight Watchers, there is LESS of me, not MORE! I am simply not satisfied with ‘not gaining’ any more. I can’t use stress as a crutch any longer. Planning is key for me.
What do you do to cope with stress?