When the Dalai Lama was asked how he maintains such good cheer in the midst of life’s trials, he replied… “If there is a solution, why worry? If there is no solution, why worry?”
There is really no easy way to define stress, it means various things to different people. Everyone has their own unique stressors.
Stress can manifest itself physically in terms of digestive problems, difficulty sleeping, getting sick more often, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and weight gain/loss. Stress can have wide ranging effects on emotions, mood, and behavior.
According to the National Institute of Health- 85% of all illness, disease, and pain is caused by stress! That is just wild, and undeniably illustrates the powerful link between the mind and body.
The funny thing about stress is that stress actually doesn’t exsist. It is really just an experience that we create within ourselves. We have thoughts, which we perceive, and label as stressful, which in turn, creates an unpleasant feeling in our energetic bodies.
For women who struggle with food, and weight, this can be a major trigger for emotional eating. I know firsthand how grounding food can be when your emotions are flying all over the place. But the thing with using food as a way to soothe stress, is that it only ends up creating more stress in the long run, and brings you further away from having the body, and life that you truly desire.
When we eat under stress, our metabolism is actually diminished, and stressful thoughts actually have this same result. In fact, a large part of digestion is actually due to how we taste, see, smell, and feel about our food.
If you are struggling with food, and weight, start noticing, without judgement, where your mind goes when you are eating. Are you relaxed, and clear headed, or are you tense, and stressed out? Make a point to make a ritual out of meal time. Set the table, light some candles, clear your mind. Do whatever you gotta do to chill out. You will inevitably eat less, enjoy your meal more, and increase the digestive power of your metabolism.
Elizabeth Mauro is a Certified Health Coach who works with women who have struggled with food and weight for years. Through shifting their focus to an integrated understanding of themselves and their behavior with food, her clients are able to make changes on all levels of belief and behavior.
You can learn more about her work by visiting www.ElizabethMauro.com. She can also be found at www.facebook.com/ElizabethMauroHealth