I’m stressed.

And when I’m stressed, I binge.

Not necessarily an epic binge, but a binge none the less.

I was so sure this year would be different.

This year I was committed to making time to enjoy my own life.

Walks on the beach. Naps in the sun. Reading. Resting. Enjoying.

And how’re those grandiose plans going so far? Not sure. I’ll let you know if I ever emerge from under this mountain of “stuff” that had to be done yesterday and is now waaaay too urgent to leave until tomorrow.

I guess it’d be fine if I was one of “those” women who lose their appetite when they get stressed… you know the ones? They drop 5 kilos with the click of their perfectly manicured finger (seriously? A manicure? Who has time for that?) while they complain about how stressed they are.

But not me. Noooo… I don’t complain.

I EAT!

Does stress make you binge?

Here’s 5 ways to beat stress at it’s own game….

If you’re like me and the thought of opening your inbox in the morning makes you want to dive naked into a bag of Doritos, then keep reading.

1 Understand that your thoughts are the cause of your anguish.

It’s always your thoughts. It’s not the stress itself that is the problem… it’s your thoughts about the stress (horror!) and subsequent reaction to the stress (eat chocolate to drown out said horror) that cause you pain. It’s your interpretation of the stress and the labels that you give it that make something good or bad. Nothing is GOOD or BAD in and of itself. Only YOU get to decide what something means.

2 Separate yourself from your thoughts

You are not your thoughts. You are the one who notices them (yes, I’m channelling my inner Yoda). One of the main road blocks we face is that, unlike animals, we can think about what we’re thinking about. And the problem is that, when we don’t REALISE that YOU and YOUR THOUGHTS ARE SEPARATE, then we end up thinking that our thoughts ARE US and that we have to do what they tell us to do… such as, eat extraordinarily large amounts of chocolate. When you define yourself and your capabilities through your thoughts, you LIMIT YOURSELF

3 Make the connection

Let’s be real. As women, we need to vent. Or at least get together for a cuppa and a natter about the partner, the children or your neighbour who looks ten years younger than her age and you’re sure she’s had “work done”. Just getting the things that irk you “off your chest” can help. I have a trusted network of people I can rely on to listen to me and give me sensible advice (because, err… I can be quite un-sensible)

4 Soothe it

If you’re stressed, you’re in need of some “me time”. Watch some TV. Try your hand at meditation. Understand that using chocolate to stop or “block” the feelings has not worked in the past and it’s unlikely to change anytime soon. Remember your feelings are a reaction to your thoughts so use this time to REFRAME

5 From another point of view

Ask yourself, what can you do, think or say to yourself to change the way you handle this situation without a chocolate bar in each hand? Will the challenge bring you closer to the woman you want to be? Can you learn the lessons and use them in the future (preferably to avoid these crazy-pants levels of stress from ambushing you again). How can you reframe and turn this into your moment of power?