stress

You’ve worked all year for this—the time that we all look forward to—vacation! Finally, time to devote to ourselves to get away from the stresses of daily life. But there are some things to consider when planning your vacation to ensure that you don’t come home even more stressed out than when you left. Here are some simple things to keep in mind when preparing for your stress-free getaway.

When you’re trying to lose weight, stress is your worst enemy, not only because it messes with your body chemistry, but also because it can take your eye off your goal. Meditation is one way to take some time for yourself, shed the weight of the world, and learn to listen to yourself. The many benefits associated with meditation—more restful sleeps, overall calmness, better concentration and focus—are all part of our quest for stress reduction. Simply put, meditation aims to quiet the mind, guiding us to a deeper state of awareness.

A stress journal can help prevent emotional eating.

Stress is an unfortunate reality of our busy lives. Sometimes stress can feel overwhelming, leaving us powerless to do anything, and a common reaction to this stress is to treat it with food. Stop that cycle! The key to stress management is realizing that you’re in control of your life and you don’t have to let stress ruin you. Remembering this simple fact will help you overcome any obstacle big or small, and prevent stress from pushing you off the healthy lifestyle track you’re on.

After a long day and a frustrating commute home, the last thing many of us want to do is tackle cooking dinner, much less figuring out a meal that’s nutritionally balanced. But being time starved and making poor meal choices doesn’t just add to our weight—it can actually add to our stress, too.

With life getting busier every day, it seems like various tasks pop up on our to-do lists faster than we can cross them off. As you jump from one thing to the next, remember that taking some time to breathe will ensure you don’t burn out.

Rewarding ourselves for hard work can be as simple as enjoying a hot cup of tea or going for a pedicure after a hard week. If you’re at work, try not to eat lunch at your desk. Instead, get away for a quick walk in the sunshine. Consider taking the kids to the park for an hour and sit on a nearby bench.

The moment is finally here, you’ve brought your newborn home for the first time after months of anticipation and planning. Being a new mom comes chock-full of joy and elation—but something that your pregnancy doesn’t prepare you for is coping with late-night feedings and a severely altered sleeping schedule.