That pressure building…the walls closing in…that feeling of
never catching up and no end in sight…
Stress is the ultimate thief of joy, but it can be a
motivator if we approach it with the right attitude. It is a part of life and
you had better learn how to deal with it. I am a full-time high school English teacher and yearbook adviser. This time of year is tough for me....tons of papers to grade and mot of my yearbook deadlines. Stress in the past often took me by
the hand and led me down the difficult path of self-destruction. I would eat
mindlessly, filling myself with empty calories and snapping at the people
around me. I allowed it to steal my “happy” and I would dwell in the land of
negativity. It became my excuse for poor nutrition choices and my lack of
exercise.
That doesn’t have to be the case. Life is all about choices and in the grand scheme of things,
what you are stressing over probably isn’t worth the grief that it is causing.
There are a few things that I do when I am stressed to keep
myself on track…
ü
Sip on a cup of herbal tea. It has no calories
and still allows you to be “putting something in your mouth.”
ü
Chew a stick of sugar free gum. Again, it has no
calories and gives you that chewing sensation.
ü Keep
lots of fresh veggies cut up and ready to snack on....because if I do cave and
need to snack, it is easier to keep myself on track if there are
"good" things ready to grab.
ü
Get my workout in. Usually once I
get my workout in, I feel less stressed and more ready to take on the
world....and I no longer feel like stuffing my face!
Personally, I spend a lot of time swimming in a sea of
herbal tea and am a pack of gum a day kind of girl if that is what it takes. It
is a whole lot better than coming out on the other side of an empty package of
Twizzlers and finding out that my belly is suddenly rolling over my waistband,
trying to escape my pants.
The crazy thing is, the stress kind of motivates me too. I
try to make deals with myself to get one more thing done before I take a break
or head to bed for the night. I am more apt to set goals for myself….and crush
them.
It’s your choice. Stress can destroy you, or you can master
it and use it to push yourself forward.
