Boy - today has been non-stop. I had to leave work this morning to take care of some pressing issues and in the span of 4 hours I’ve: ridden two subways, walked almost 2 miles, stood in line at the post office for 20 min, then again for 45 min, saw a mouse in my uptown apt, dealt with my apt maintenance people, stood in line at the bank for 30 min, dealt with serious subway delays, post office under staffing and broken bank teller systems not to mention everyone and their brother gabbing away at full volume on their cell phones. I am so tense right now - I just want to stuff myself with cookies. I don’t know why I turn to food, but I’m feeling so on edge and I feel like it will calm me down. I used a Geneen Roth trick and asked myself what I wanted the food to do for me. Basically I want it to settle my nerves. Not a reason to eat. So I’m sipping a big iced coffee and listening to some classical and hoping for the best.
After my crazy morning, I had lunch around 2:30. I just picked up something simple while I was out. BumbleBee Tomato and Basil tuna:
and an apple:
One of my coworkers just came home from China and brought everyone these delicious cookies:
It was delicious - really flaky and delicate, with nut and fruit pieces inside and sesame seeds on the bottom. It was nice to have something a little exotic!
And an Adora, which I have 2 of every day and only mention today because it was a great way to get my chocolate craving settled while getting some vitamins and not housing a box of cookies:
So that was lunch. When I feel stressed like this, not only do I just want to eat, I also want to give up on all my plans (ie, skip the gym and go cuddle on the couch). What do you guys do to calm down after a stressful day? And to motivate yourself to workout after running around crazy all day?
Here are this week’s flowers. They’re calming. 
Today must be a stressful Monday! Tina at carrotsncake had her Q of the day similar to yours! Hope it gets better soon!
But, if the day gets stressful, a nice relaxing walk/run to clear my head always helps. I’m not sure I’d be very sane without my workouts!
Working out, for me, is a huge stress reliever. Morning workouts make me feel more in control and prepared for my day, so they kinda take the stress away before it comes!
Also, if I did evening workouts and skipped my workout, I think that would just stress me out more because later I’d feel bad for skipping it for no good reason!
So, in summary: don’t skip the gym!
I go and walk on the treadmill at the gym. if there is something good to watch on tv I’ll do that and if not I’ll read a gossip magazine. It always makes me forget my problems for alittle while, and I get a workout in
ugh i know EXACTLY how you feel. i have a hard time telling myself to deal with it. instead i grab a box of chocolate or cookies ahhhh. what helps me though is to really envision my long term goals - ie staying in shape/running a 5k or something. also, i usually call a friend or my mom when im super stressed
Sometimes if I’m having a hard time getting motivated for a workout, I treat myself to a new magazine, or plan something delicious and healthy to have afterwards.
Also, envisioning how it feels to leave the gym after you made the choice to workout instead of go home always motivates me.
Keep your chin up!
Whew!! Sounds like a busy day for you, indeed - hang in there!!
In order to calm down after a stressful day, I read magazines, listen to music, stretch, dance… anything that is FUN and relaxing.
Since I’m a full-time dancer, I’m ALWAYS on-the-go; and luckily, my dancing is super-active, so it’s a workout (obviously, haha).
The thing I do when I’m stressed is walk. When I can’t think about anything but how good those cookies in the cabinet would be, I just get out of the house and go for a walk. When I lived in Union Square I would walk down to Chinatown and back. Or in the park. Or over to 8th ave. Now I’m in cali and I have some nice trails by my house that work for me. Hope you can relax some more!
I have the opposite problem when I’m stressed-I start to feel nauseous and any thoughts of food disgust me. I have to literally force myself to eat-not because I get hungry but because I know my body needs to be nourished.
I find swimming to be very relaxing. If I’m aggravated then I end up swimming much harder and my body gets so into the movements and concentrating on the “stroke, stroke, breathe” that my mind can go blank and just wander. I always feel better after a long swim!
And if that doesn’t work, then meeting up with a good friend always does the trick. Having a drink and chatting (not just about the stress but about other things in life) always helps me to relax and get back in focus.
I have the strategy that if I’ve had a rough day and I don’t want to go to the gym, I only have to go for 15 minutes. Once I’m there I usually want to stay but if I don’t-then at least I did 15 and that’s better then nothing!
Good luck and feel better
Chewing gum definitely helps me when I’m feeling that way– sorta like today. I might go through a pack or even two packs of gum- but it’s still a lot less calories & fat than a box of cookies. But the best thing to do would probably be exercise and just follow the “just do it” mantra, even though it’s SO hard sometimes
Its great that you are aware of your feelings and actually verbalizing that instead of going right into the comfort of binging .. i think that is definatly progress for you!
wow, such a busy day…but you def dealt well w/ the overwhelming feelings you had, esp when it came to food. great job!!!
and when i get stressed and need to relax, i go out for a walk, or i go bird watching…i need sounds of nature to calm me down
hope you feel more relaxed soon!
I watch the Food Network! There’s always something “yummy” on and most of the hosts are so laid back and funny that they make me forget about my stressful day.
Poor Kate. I’m glad that Geneen Roth helped! I find her voice pops into my head just when I need some strategies. When I’m stressed and overwhelmed to the point that I want to eat when I’m not hungry, I STOP. If that means leaving work for the next day, skipping a workout, or breaking plans, it’s always worth it. It helps me collect my thoughts and most of the time I’m stressed, it’s because I’m trying to do too much at the same time. A walk or a run always helps, too, followed by a long shower and a healthy, tasty meal at home. I hope things calm down soon.
SarahF, I’m the same way — stress is my number-one appetite suppressant. Once when I was re-locating and leaving behind my job/friends/relationship, I couldn’t ingest more than half a soy latte for about 2 weeks :-/
Anyhoo, my favorite stress reliever since childhood has been the piano — whenever I’m tense or angry, I just sit down and bang out something loud and dramatic. It’s SO therapeutic! Another great option is power-walking — strap on your iPod and stride down the street, swinging your arms, at top speed. Or hitting a batting cage… anything that physically works out the aggression
Sounds like we had a similar day! When I am stressed, I go running, sleep, or drink wine.
Thanks for all the great ideas gang! I wrote them all down!
You guys are all the best!!!
Christie and Melissa S. - Thank you for helping me realize what a huge step in the right direction today was. I had urges to overeat, I acknowledged them, I dealt with them, and I overcame them. I don’t think I would have realized what progress I made today without your guys’ comments. Thank you so much!
- Kate