Don’t Stress – It’s Bad for your Waistline!

A lot of things can cause stress in our lives: health, relationships, money, work… the list goes on. Just because nothing major is happening to put stress in your life doesn’t mean you are free from stress. In fact, some of the most common stressors people deal with come in the form of daily annoyances and hassles. These things may be minor, but they can add up. We may have the ability to let go of small things fairly quickly, but in the long term, stress can have negative effects not only on our mental well-being but on our bodies too.

What Stress Triggers in the Body

When we’re stressed in the short term, a part of the brain (the hypothalamus) releases hormones that suppress appetite, therefore allowing you (and our ancestors) to deal with the immediate situation at hand. This is also known as your “fight or flight” response. This moment of stress causes your muscles to flex and your arteries to dilate, giving you the full arsenal of thought-power and muscle-power to deal with the situation at hand. If stress persists, however, and isn’t just a short-term event that needs your immediate response, the hormone cortisol is released by your adrenal glands. Cortisol increases appetite and has actually been shown to increase the intake of foods high in fat, sugar, or both.

Not only can stress cause weight gain, but over time the cortisol released due to constant stress can actually weaken your immune system too. This may make you more susceptible to getting sick. How’s that for a Catch-22?!

Chronic stress can also cause consistent headaches and have a negative effect on your heart. Stress affects every part of your body negatively over time, so take the time to learn how to reduce the stress in your day-to-day life. Your health, happiness, well-being, and waistline depend on it.

How to Decrease Stress

One of the best ways to lessen stress? Exercise. It’s been shown that regular aerobic (meaning cardio) exercise decreases levels of tension, elevates and stabilizes mood, and improves sleep, which, in turn, helps with weight loss. Even 5 minutes of exercise can kick-start your body’s anti-anxiety reflexes. With the endorphins released thanks to exercise, you’ll be able to cope better with the stress in your life and feel happier overall.

Other coping strategies from the National Institute of Mental Health include:

• Make sure to get proper health care for any issues that are causing you stress.
• Talk to family, friends, and others in your community to help support you.
• Do you notice yourself eating more or different types of foods when you’re stressed? Is your routine lacking exercise during times of high stress? Pay attention to how your body is responding to stress. Knowledge is power!
• Set priorities (not everything on your list needs to get done TODAY).
• Schedule time for relaxing activities and exercise.
• Take a stroll. 30 minutes per day of gentle walking can help boost mood and reduce stress.
• If you have tried these stress-reducing tactics but still feel overwhelmed,  talk to your primary doctor or mental healthcare provider.

Other ways to cope with your stress in a healthy way are to eat with mindfulness, meditate, and take the time to laugh. Laughter and positive thoughts release neuropeptides in your brain that support your immune system and help fight stress.

Laugh and Sweat Your Stress Away

With so many reasons to stress out, it’s important to incorporate healthy stress-reducing tactics into your day. Whether it’s a walk, a good laugh, or a heart-to-heart with a friend, make sure to take care of your stress. Your waistline and your overall health depend on it.

Written by Kelly Stecker, edited by Amanda Messier