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Get-In-Shape Help For The Stressed

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:53:35 +0000

Now that warm weather is upon us and summer is rapidly approaching, many, many of us are resolving to get more fit--to have more energy for summer fun, to feel more comfortable in summer clothes, or just to fulfill those forgotten New Year's goals of staying healthier. As you may or may not know, stress does play a role in such things--it can change your cravings as well as your habits--but fear not! If you have any interest in weight loss or fitness (or know someone who does), here are some tips for meeting your diet and exercise goals, even when stressed.

Stress Eating Resources From Elizabeth Scott:

Take The Stress and Weight Gain Test
Stress can contribute to weight gain in several ways. If you're having trouble with your weight and wonder what role stress may be playing, or if you just want information and resources for healthy change, this is the quiz for you! The following 10 questions are each designed to help you assess a different aspect of your lifestyle to determine if you may benefit from some simple changes that can help you keep your weight under control when you're stressed. At the end of the quiz, you'll find resources that pertain to your specific situation.

What Causes Emotional Eating?
Even if we know what we're supposed to be eating, there are additional factors that influence how much and what type of food we consume. One of these factors is stress, which is linked to increased emotional eating. Emotional eating has many causes. Learn about the main reasons--besides hunger--that stressed people eat, and find resources to stop emotional eating.

How To Stop Emotional Eating
As anyone who's watching their weight will tell you, hunger is just one of many reasons that people eat. If you're an emotional eater, you may find yourself eating to deal with uncomfortable emotions, using food as a reward when you're happy, and craving sweets or unhealthy snacks when stressed. This article can help you to cut down emotional eating and develop healthier eating habits--even when stressed!

Diet Tips For The Stressed
Despite best intentions, many people find themselves falling short of their diet ideals due to various 'diet traps', or factors that may sneak in and sabotage a healthy diet. The following diet tips can help you to combat some of the main diet traps people encounter, and maintain a healthy diet that keeps you feeling great.

Healthy Diet Resources From About.com

Low Carb Diets

Low Fat Cooking

Weight Loss

Nutrition

_{Source: Bray, George. Pounds Lost. New England Journal of Medicine February 26, 2009.

Image from iStockPhoto.com}

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Summer Stress Relief

Mon, 20 May 2013 01:22:13 +0000

Summertime...and the living is easy, right? Well, not always. While we tend to expect a more relaxed lifestyle during summer, and the season definitely has its perks, summer can bring its share of unexpected stress. This blog explores areas of hidden stress that affect many of us during the summer season, brings you ideas for summer stress relief, and allows you to share your own insights and tips for summer zen. Here's how to REALLY stay cool this summer!

Secret Causes of Summer Stress
Summer, like the holiday season, is a time of year that most of us look forward to with childlike excitement, only to realize about halfway through that things can be much more stressful at this time than when we were experiencing it as kids. What are the new stressors of summer? Here are a few of the biggies. (Don't worry--you'll find help with them, too!)
How To Avoid Summer Stress
How does one keep summer stress at bay and keep cool, so to speak? Here are several ideas you can use to keep this summer relaxing and fun, and let any additional stressors roll off your back.
How Do You Relieve Summer Stress?
Summer stress can take you by surprise. We expect fun during summer, not stress; but added summer responsibilities--kids underfoot, travel plans gone awry, vacationing co-workers, etc.--can leave us feeling more stressed than blessed. What stresses you during summer, and how do you handle the stress?

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How Healthy Is Your Family?

Mon, 20 May 2013 01:21:23 +0000

_{During October, otherwise known as Emotional Intelligence Month, I pledged to bring to your awareness the numerous, more-obscure-but-still-important holidays and observances that relate to stress management. (You can read more about it here.) May is Family Wellness Month.}...

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Less-Stressed Travel Plans For The Summer

Mon, 20 May 2013 01:13:32 +0000

As summer approaches, many people are stressing over their summer travel plans. In addition to the regular stressors of travel, and especially those of travel with kids, we now ...

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Are You Having Fun Yet?

Fri, 17 May 2013 02:19:13 +0000

Are you having enough fun in your life? Chance are, you probably aren't reaching your required fun quota, and may be fun-deficient. And ...

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The Link Between Gratitude and Happiness

Thu, 16 May 2013 01:12:50 +0000

There's an old adage that it's more important to want what you have than to have what you want. I love that phrase, and think of it often, as I see people experience stress over not having what they want. I've also sometimes wondered if the truth behind the adage could hold up to scientific scrutiny.

Apparently, psychologist Jeff Larsen from Texas Tech University and Amie McKibban of Wichita State University wondered the same thing, and set out to test the theory! They studied college students and their attitudes toward one major possession: their cars. Students with cars were asked to rate how much they wanted the car they had; students without cars rated how much they wanted the car they didn't have.

The results, published in Psychological Science, prove what we all know: that people can become accustomed to what they have, appreciate their possessions less as the novelty wears off, and therefore derive less happiness from their possessions as time goes by. However, they also found that it's possible to continue to want the things you have, and that doing so can, in fact, bring greater happiness! In short, they proved that happiness is both wanting what you have and having what you want.

"Simply having a bunch of things is not the key to happiness," Larsen said in a prepared statement. "Our data show that you also need to appreciate those things you have. It's also important to keep your desire for things you don't own in check."

So how does one maintain an attitude of gratitude for possessions already owned? In my experience, maintaining a gratitude journal is key. If you write down what you're grateful for at the end of the day, you get into the habit of noticing what you appreciate and why, strengthening your appreciation for what you have in your daily life. It also takes the focus away from things you want but don't yet have. If you don't keep a journal, there are other ways of developing an attitude of gratitude, which is so important for happiness and stress relief.

Also, let's not forget the other finding in this research: while happiness is connected with wanting what you have, having what you want factors in as well, so don't give up on your goal-setting! Going after a goal (with the right attitude) can be exciting, and achieving what you want has its own obvious rewards. Here are some effective goal setting tips to help you find happiness, get what you want, and do so with less stress.

More Articles on Happiness and Gratitude:

Cultivating Gratitude

Quiz: How Happy Are You?

How To Be Happy

Elaborate on your answer to the poll in the comments section, if you like!

_{Source:

Larsen JT, McKibban AR. Is happiness having what you want, wanting what you have, or both? Psychological Science April, 2008.}

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Post-Mother's Day Stress Management

Mon, 13 May 2013 06:24:11 +0000

Mother's Day is one of my favorite holidays, as I love celebrating moms and I love being appreciated myself. However, the holiday is not as joyous a day for ...

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National Women's Health Week: Take Care Of Yourself!

Mon, 13 May 2013 05:58:40 +0000

National Women's Health Week began on Mother's Day, as it does every year. This week, you are encouraged to do five things:

Schedule an appointment with your doctor and have any preventive screenings you may have missed
Get some exercise and be active
Maintain a healthy diet
Take care of your mental health
Avoid unhealthy behaviors like smoking or excessive drinking

Part of the mental health aspect of this is to keep an eye on stress management, and have a plan that works for you. Staying active, eating a healthy diet, avoiding unhealthy behaviors, and keeping your body healthy--these other four foci can all support stress management efforts. It's all connected! And now is the time to take care of yourself and be sure that you're doing everything you can to safeguard your health.

I've linked resources in the list above, but I recommend the resources below as well. As women, especially those of us who are mothers, we tend to put others' needs before our own more often. This is kind and benevolent, and sometimes necessary, but we need to be sure that we take care of our own needs with dedication as well. (Not only are we more able to care for others when we are doing well ourselves, we deserve to have our needs met, particularly when these needs have to do with our health!)

I encourage you to subscribe to About.com's Women's Health Newsletter as well as our Healthy Monday Newsletter (which I edit)--they both have wonderful resources from all around About.com Health that can help you to maintain a healthy lifestyle in simple steps.

The following resources can help women take better care of themselves--for their own wellness and so that they can continue to provide excellent care to those that they love. Take them to heart, and send them to the women in your life!

Women's Wellness Resources:

Read About The Importance of Self Care

Top Strategies for Women's Health

Tips For Finding Balance

More Tips for Living a Low-Stress Lifestyle

Learn Great Home Spa Strategies

Go Ahead, Crack Yourself Up

Sat, 11 May 2013 06:13:20 +0000

They say that laughter is the best medicine, and research is actually backing that up. Well, okay, I'm not saying we should replace pharmacists with stand-up comedians, but there are some real health benefits in a good laugh. Learn more about the many ways that laughter (and even smiling) can be good for you, and make a plan today to get more laughter in your life this week--and from now on. It's one of the most enjoyable things you can do for your health!

Please feel free to add your own thoughts in the comments section, sign up for the free stress management newsletter for ongoing updates, and have a wonderful week!

Overall Health Benefits of Laughter
Laughter can help you live longer, and enjoy other benefits as well! Learn more about how laughter can benefit you, and get inspired to get more laughs into your day!
Laughter For Stress Relief
Laughing can help you relieve stress in several ways, which can also enhance your overall health and wellness. Learn more about laughter as a stress relief tool, and see how you can relax with a good laugh more often.
How Smiling Helps, Too
Is a full-blown bout of laughter too tall an order? Smiling is easier, and you can work your way up from grins to giggles. Read about the health benefits of smiles, and put one on right now!
- Health Benefits of Smiling
- What's A Smile?
How To Have More Fun
Try Laughter Yoga
How To Maintain A Sense of Humor

What's A Smile?

Find Stress Relief On Facebook
For more ongoing stress reduction resources delivered right to your wall, visit and "like" this page--About Stress Management. You'll find inspirational quotes with articles that address the same concepts, with some great comments from other stress-relief fans. You can also follow me on Twitter for the same great stuff!

Another option for stress relief: Subscribe To The Free Weekly Newsletter!

_{Photo from iStockPhoto.com}

Celebrate Mental Health Month With Stress Management Resources

Mon, 06 May 2013 05:48:54 +0000

Stress impacts us in may ways, and mental health is no exception. Although stress can foster resilience in some ways, poorly managed stress, chronic stress, and severe stress can ...

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