Please give me a nice long list of non-food stress relievers. I have to head to the store today still and I'm incredibly stressed at the moment. All I can think about is different types of food I want to eat. I've already had a cup of tea, worked out, and stepped outside for a minute. Nothing seems to be helping.

Meditation, reciting mantras, taking a warm bath, reading a good book, yoga, qi gong, tai chi, writing poetry, drawing, painting, doing word puzzles or sudoku, going for a walk, getting a massage, playing video games, listening to music, etc.

Surfing the internet. For me it's almost as bad a habit as overeating--i surf the internet way too much. Almost...but not quite as bad.

Calling a close friend or petting a pet, yours or someone else's.

I hope your stress decreases!

Hey! I have recently replaced food with boxing/boxercise for stress relief. x

Cuddling a pet! Also, reading, knitting, drawing, writing-things that involve my hands help.

Exercise. Do cardio, pilates...something.

I do my nails. I'll paint and repaint them if need be. I hear learning how to crochet is a good idea because your hands are too busy moving and reaching into a bag of chips or cookies is not so easy.

But I'll be honest...It's almost a neccessity for me to eat when I am stressed so I choose really healthy items and nibble really slow.

I recommend taking Valerian root. It is sold at health food stores. There is also something called Bach flower remedies. There is one for stress, but I forget what it's called. You just put a couple of drops in water and sip on it all day (I think u shake the water before you sip). I know this is very "out there," but I thought I'd mention it. I hope you feel better soon.

i take a warm relaxing shower, do my nails, and read a book to avoid eating!

Burning incense, or any type of aromatherapy. I often find that when I think I want to eat, having something nice to smell is just as satisfying.

I used to burn candles for this very reason. Yankee Candle Butter Cream is my favorite... And it felt like I was eating frosting without the calories!

For me it's keeping busy. Finding a friend to take a walk, cleaning the house (yuck!), window shopping, gardening, volunteering somewhere. Boredom is what gets me.

I find ear candles de-stresses me perfectly, but you have to do it with a friend. Other than that I'll organize a drawer or a cupboard or randomly clean a fiddley item (like a washing machine, fishbowl, behind the toilet or the windows) I love seeing the finished product and feeling a little more in control once finished.

Taking a bath definitely relaxes me, take in a good book and maybe have a little snooze in there too