Okay weight loss is one thing, what about stress management.

[Rose in BC]

Next to losing weight it seems stress management is vital.

 

How is that accomplished?

 

I mean I pray, I exercise . . . but I still blow my top and I definitely still feel stress in between the praying and exercise time :).

 

So how is stress managed during a hectic day, in the moment?

 

This is definitely a weak point for me.

[jplain]

Positivity by Barbara Fredrickson (Oops, my first link was an out-of-print edition. It is fixed now. More reviews of this book can be found here.)

 

This is a FANTASTIC book. It is not about stress management per se, but it all boils down to the same stuff. And don't worry, it isn't about faking happiness or optimism or always trying to look on the bright side, no matter what. In fact, she argues that faking it has been shown to be very bad for your health.

 

Meditation or yoga can be very helpful. The key is to develop a consistent practice, or you probably won't get much long term stress reduction out of it. Simple mindfulness meditation is a good place to start with meditation, and you needn't devote more than 5-10 minutes per day at first. Google for descriptions/instructions. If you have access to a yoga studio, a gentle (non-heated!) hatha yoga class is good for a yoga newbie.

Edited February 18, 2011 by jplain

[Amy in NH]

Figure out what your stress triggers are, and then work to eliminate them.

 

Ex 1> It stresses me out to be late to appointments, and I am always running late. So, I make a conscious effort to leave 1/2 hour early, try to make sure I have everything I need ready ahead of time, and don't over-schedule my pre-appointment time (be more realistic with myself about what I can accomplish in the time I have). Even if sometime happens to take some of that 1/2-hour-early time, I'll still be okay (ie - emergency diaper change, road construction...). If I still find myself late on a particular occasion, I do some deep breathing and let go. "I did my best to be on time and it is what it is."

 

Ex 2> By paying attention to myself and my stress levels, I have determined that I am easily overstimulated, particularly by noise-level, and more often when I'm a) trying to concentrate, b) tired, or c) hungry. I used to get stressed to the point of exploding at the kids.

To eliminate ©, I try to space my eating out with small, healthy snacks over the course of the day (keep apples, oranges, peanuts, etc. available to myself).

To eliminate (B), given that I must be up by a certain time each morning I force myself to go to bed earlier than my night-owlness has wanted to - I take Melatonin around 10, and I'm asleep by 10:30. I still get tired by the end of the day, though - so when that happens, or in the case of (A), I warn the kids when I'm starting to feel overstimulated. "I am feeling overstimulated by what you are doing. Please... stop/do that somewhere else/go outside to play... before I start to yell and scream, because none of us want that to happen."

 

Only you can know what it is that really causes you stress. Be realistic with yourself and others around you.

[laurad1125]

Figure out what your stress triggers are, and then work to eliminate them.

 

Ex 1> It stresses me out to be late to appointments, and I am always running late. So, I make a conscious effort to leave 1/2 hour early, try to make sure I have everything I need ready ahead of time, and don't over-schedule my pre-appointment time (be more realistic with myself about what I can accomplish in the time I have). Even if sometime happens to take some of that 1/2-hour-early time, I'll still be okay (ie - emergency diaper change, road construction...). If I still find myself late on a particular occasion, I do some deep breathing and let go. "I did my best to be on time and it is what it is."

 

Ex 2> By paying attention to myself and my stress levels, I have determined that I am easily overstimulated, particularly by noise-level, and more often when I'm a) trying to concentrate, b) tired, or c) hungry. I used to get stressed to the point of exploding at the kids.

To eliminate ©, I try to space my eating out with small, healthy snacks over the course of the day (keep apples, oranges, peanuts, etc. available to myself).

To eliminate (B), given that I must be up by a certain time each morning I force myself to go to bed earlier than my night-owlness has wanted to - I take Melatonin around 10, and I'm asleep by 10:30. I still get tired by the end of the day, though - so when that happens, or in the case of (A), I warn the kids when I'm starting to feel overstimulated. "I am feeling overstimulated by what you are doing. Please... stop/do that somewhere else/go outside to play... before I start to yell and scream, because none of us want that to happen."

 

Only you can know what it is that really causes you stress. Be realistic with yourself and others around you.

 

That is some great advice!! Thank you for sharing that.:grouphug:

[beaners]

In addition to being tired and hungry, caffeine sets me off. It makes me incredibly irritable and otherwise mildly annoying situations become stressful.

 

It sounds hypocritical to type this on a message board, but avoiding the internet makes my life a lot better too. It seems like things get hectic less frequently when I don't sit down at the computer until after dinner. It's hard to do, especially when there are so many things I just want to check on and I'm used to being able to find that information in 30 seconds. It's also tough because I work online. Still, not going on the computer adds a lot of time to my day. It also makes it less likely for someone to be interrupting me, which is another thing that sets me off.