Use these fun ways to relieve stress and weight loss will seem so much easier to you… Whenever you feel like eating for emotional comfort these ideas to bust anxiety and simple stress management techniques are super easy to implement in your busy schedule.
Are you wondering why should you do all you can to relieve stress – especially when you fight abdominal fat?
Well, if you know about the effects of stress on health and body weight you know how chronic stress makes you unable to lose weight due to the release of cortisol, the fat-storing hormone.
Chronic stress builds up not only because of overwork, physical fatigue or lack of sleep, but also when you experience feelings of anxiety, overwhelm, resentment, depression, guilt for long periods of time. Through the effects of cortisol, chronic stress makes you gain weight – especially in the abdominal area – AND it stops you from losing weight, even when you eat right and exercise regularly.
How is this possible??
Well, first of all, your body is in a fat-storing mode when cortisol levels are high.
Second, if you are like most people, under stress you probably feel a strong urge to eat sweets or refined carbs, like chocolate, cookies, pasta, bread, pastry, right?
Can’t blame you.
These comfort foods increase your blood sugar almost instantly and this, in turn, triggers the release of serotonin and dopamine, the “feel-good” chemicals in your brain.
So when you feel stressed out or want to ease your anxiety or depression symptoms, instead of unconsciously self-medicating yourself with fattening foods, choose one (or more) of the fun ways to relieve stress below.
They are all simple anxiety and stress management techniques that you can easily do on your own.
Always, always, remember this.
While it’s true that you can’t control most of the bad things out there that trigger your stress, frustration, anger or depression you CAN control how you react to them.
Simple things like…
- letting go of SHOULDs & SHOULDN’Ts
- changing your perspective
- not taking things personally (even when they are personal)
- building up your personal boundaries at work and at home
…all these help you diffuse negative emotions at will.
Re-frame upsetting situations, stop judging others and learn to say “NO” – and you’ll deal even more effectively with the stress-induced weight loss resistance that makes you unable to lose the excess pounds – including that belly fat.
Most of all, use some of the ways to relieve stress below before you sit down to eat… Make sure you spend at least 10-20 minutes doing something that makes you feel good and above all, relaxed.
So here are…
Top 10 Fun Ways to Relieve Stress
1. Give yourself a quick self-massage on your neck and shoulders
2. Care for your garden or house plants or play with your pet(s)
3. Walk in the park or on the beach for 10-15 minutes (barefoot is best)
4. Meditate or listen to some relaxing self-hypnosis scripts
5. Sing and/or dance on your favorite tune
6. Visit the pet shop and watch the kittens, puppies, birdies, fish…
7. Put on some soft music and pamper yourself to a candle-lit bubble bath
8. Watch a funny video or have a quick laugh with our selection of weight loss jokes
9. Take a 30 minutes scenic drive away from the city
10. If you’re at your desk and can’t get away, consider using a desktop game for stress relief – it is not only one of the most fun ways to relieve stress, but a great way to bust the worries, anxiety or depression that trigger your emotional eating. A beautiful and incredibly calming stress reducer game is The Journey to Wild Divine, a super-fun stress-busting game. By using it a mere 15 minutes at a time you’re able to relax completely through your ability to control your mental focus, feelings, breathing and awareness.
Of all the many fun ways to relieve stress, my favorite is a special kind of guided relaxation that resets the brain’s response to stress immediately, turning off the body’s FAT triggers. In fact, most people who want to drop the extra pounds naturally but have difficulty relaxing find this special technique extremely helpful – check it out now for yourself and see if it’s something you’d like to try too >>
Well, I’m Alex and I hope you find valuable this practical guide to fast healthy weight loss! As your coach here, at Brainy Weight Loss I’ll show you how to make the impossible possible and the possible… easy & fun 🙂