How do you deal with the hiccups of life ?

  • Hi guys !

    I hope all is well on your side !!

    I´m a very anxious person and an emotional eater, the killer combination !

    There are a bunch of things in my life that I´m not happy about, and I´m working on changing them, but I learned that to be able to cope, I would have to do one thing at a time, set priorities, so my lifestyle change is currently my priority number one, and all the rest is there, waiting to get solved, and usually it works fine, but then there are the other things, those that we can´t control, those that come from behind and knock us down, and when that happens, I get hit by an overwhelming feeling of all the things that are wrong, and I stumble...

    So I was wondering if you´d care to share how you usually deal with the bad things that happen in life, so that it won´t interfere with your eating habits...

    Thanks !!
    Carol
  • I haven't quite figured that one out, yet. I hope to read some good ideas, here!
  • I take a deep breath and hold it for as long as i can, always works for me.....
  • For me it seems when something hits, it all goes down hill. Like financial problems... this year I am planning to take a Vacation in May.. then it turns out I owe money to taxes (which is weird because I always get something back)... now I need to get my oil changed on my car... my driver's-side wiper motor died and will cost over $100 to fix... work is changing the uniform on me again and I need to buy new dress pants... my tabs on my car are almost due and that will cost about $100... It's easy to get overwhelmed!

    I am just working to stay calm. My mom says, "It'll work out." I say, "How?!" and she says, "I don't know. I just know it will."

    It is all about perspective. Take a deep breath and step back to get a clear head. Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it. Maybe it's not as bad as it looks that day.

    On a good day you may be happier with you job, family, car, health... your job may be a challenge but it pays the bills, you kids may be testing you but you love them, your car may be clunking but you're thankful it's getting you around, and you may be a bit overweight but you are getting better at taking care of yourself and you are just happy to be alive.

    On a bad day: you hate your job; you feel overwhelmed at work, your family is sucking the life out of you; they are demanding your freetime, you car is old and needs to get repaired, and you body is barely dragging you thru the day.

    Take it one step at a time. Breathe... this too shall pass.
  • As for the bad things, you need to have faith that things will work themselves out. Whether you trust God, or some other entity, or just the cosmos in the universe, you need to have faith that things will work themselves out. Financial problems? The money always comes from somewhere. It may not be as much as you want, but it will be as much as you need. Hectc life? Take a deep breath, have faith that things will work themselves out for the best.

    As for the food, when dealing with all of these pressures, I have found it so important to plan. By planning your food for the week you can plan a shopping list and do it once and be done. You are spending less time and less money this way. Now you don't have to order takeout or run through the drive thru either. Also, this is the one thing that you can control in your life. When all is in chaos, you can treat yourself with respect and treat yourself well and be in control of what you put into your body. If you work outside them home, you can pack your lunch box with your breakfast, lunch and snacks. You can defrost dinner ahead of time and know what you are preparing when you get home.

    I prepare my menu for the upcoming week on Saturday. I look through the store ads for the three stores in the area to see what the best sales are on meat and produe. I look at the calendar and then ask DH if there is anything going on that keeps him away from home during dinner, or if we have anything coming up that will make cooking difficult. I plan quick meals on those days, or if we are having people over for dinner or going to someone's home, I can plan accordingly. Once my menu is made I make my shopping list. Every night I package up my lunch. I portion out my cereal, milk and fruit, etc. so in the morning I just have to load the lunchbox according to the day's menu.

    Sorry this turned out to be so long, but I hope it helps.
  • What has worked for me is partially just learning to be AWARE of what I'm doing! I can now realize what I'm doing when I am standing in front of the fridge because I am stressed out. Once I realize it, I can stop myself! Before it was all sort of automatic/zombie-like behavior. I ate without thinking.

    The other thing that surprisingly helps me with stress is working out! Now, mind you, I hate exercise, but it does help relieve stress and if you are exercising, you aren't eating!

    Hope you find what works for you!
  • Hi Carol...
    I am an emotional eater as well so I have been thinking about this. One thing is too think about whether food will fix the problem. I don't mean make you "feel better." I mean if the car breaks down will that candy bar fix it? If the kids are sick will me eating those cookies take care of that fever? I had to come to the conclusion that food is fuel not medication! Also when we are stressed that is when our body needs the best fuel not the worst. I think that is helping me. Hugs

    Kathy
  • I agree with bizlawchik. I do have a strong faith anyway, but I think this attitude can work with anyone. There are things in my life that are within my control. There are things that are totally OUT of my control. I try to focus on the areas where I can make a difference with what I do and let go of those that are beyond me.
    Sometimes what we think is the right path or choice turns out to be wrong. Or maybe that pathway is blocked. Call it God's plan or call it fate... it just wasn't meant to be. Many times when looking back, you can see that the path that you eventually took was right for you at that moment.
    Having said all that, I also have my moments of stress. I can't always find that focused/relaxed/happy place all the time. It is something I keep trying to work on and improve in my life. I think, though, that if you try to keep in mind as you reach for whatever comfort food that feeling you'll have after you've caved in, you might be able to stop yourself. I've noticed that more and more lately that it just isn't worth the feelings of dispair, disappointment and frustration I'll have if I overindulge and get off track.

    So, that's my advice. I'm strong today, but there are other days when I won't be. I'll be taking my turn to post on those days! Keep writing!
  • Thank you guys !!

    This is definately another one to add to our list of how to deal with the hiccups of lif, come and talk to you !! You´re great !!