Stress Management Techniques for Weight Control

Stress and weight loss? What? 

Let me guess you always have heard that eating fries after fries leads to obesity’s rise. But stress? Never thought of it. 

Well, yes. And it does much more harm than sitting on a couch. Among all the factors that lead to unhealthy weight gain, stress is prime. 

What to do? After all, stress is all around us and we cannot run from it. Job, study, deadlines, financial bottlenecks, and whatnot. Everything tries to sag us down. We cannot run from our duties. Surely! But we can manage stress. 

Today, stress management should be as vital to you as your other duties. It will not only bring a wave of bliss to your life but will save you from that unhealthy weight gain. 

And unhealthy weight gain, as we all know, is a gateway to hundreds of ailments. But worry not my comrades, this easy guide will help you understand stress and tell you the many techniques that will help you control your weight. Let’s roll in.

Understanding Stress – Your Hidden Enemy

Many people believe that they know what stress is. However, the roots of stress are much deeper than we perceive. 

Stress, in philosophical terms, is a friction between what you want and what you get. The more this friction is, the higher the stress. Now, let us understand this in evolutionary terms.

Stress and Human Evolution

Let’s go back a thousand years when there used to be no offices, no colleges, and no deadlines. Life must have been so easy back then. Right? 

No! Back then, there were other kinds of threats, much more serious and immediate. A little nap in the night and the deadly neighbour tribe might attack; a light stroll in the jungle and the lion might attack; food, hunting, water, nothing was a promise. Back then, stress served a purpose.

It induced the fight or flight response. If possible, fight; if not, run.

Both these actions helped us survive. Because of it, the human race has come so far. 

But what actually happens within our bodies? When does stress become deadly? And how can stress management work?

What is stress? The science behind

When the tiger comes before our eyes, snarling, and threatening, it is not the right time to think rationally. Just then, our brain floods us with a stress hormone called ‘cortisol’. Here is what happens as it happens:

• We perceive the threat
• The hypothalamus sends a signal to the pituitary gland, which further sends the signal to the adrenal gland
• The adrenal gland releases ‘cortisol’ and ‘adrenaline’
• We get that adrenaline rush (have heard of it right?)
• Heart rate increases, blood pressure jumps up, and breathing rate goes up as well
• We hear our heartbeats; 
• We get more alert, focused, and ready to deal with the stressful situation before us

We either fight the tiger or try to run away. 

All good and healthy when it is in the short term. But when it is prolonged, stress becomes chronic stress. Our body stays flooded with cortisol and adrenaline hormones. In a way, we invite numerous health issues.

Today, there are no tigers, but there are numerous deadlines, exams, tasks, duties, etc. We think of them as stress and our bodies react accordingly. 

The most common effect of this stress is weight gain. Cortisol can weaken the immune system, increase the risk of heart disease, and contribute to weight gain. 

Or on the other hand, it can lead to depression, lack of sleep, lack of eating, and terrible weight loss, the unhealthy one. Adrenaline also has negative effects on the heart and blood vessels. In a word – fatal.

How many types of stress are there? 

Basically, three –

• Acute stress – Sudden, high stress, for a short period of time. For example, traffic jams, loud noise, or seeing a tiger
• Chronic stress – Prolonged stress, for days or even months. Most common and worst for health
• Eustress – The beneficial stress that encourages us to learn new skills

What is the way out? 

Stress management techniques. It is all in the mind, and it must be dealt with. These techniques are the antidotes that must be taken. So, let’s learn. 

Stress management techniques – make your life peaceful again

From here, one thing is clear, stress means sickness, terrible sickness. And that prevention is always better than cure. So, you first must prevent it. 

There are many techniques that can provide temporary and even permanent relief from stress. As a result, the weight is controlled. 

Here are the most common stress management techniques:

• Exercise
• Sleep
• Relaxation techniques
• Diet and lifestyle changes
• Social support
• Behavioural therapies

Now, let’s discuss these one by one.

Exercise for stress relief and weight loss

When we work out, our brains release ‘endorphins’. These are the ‘feel good’ hormones that boost mood and make us feel joyful. Also, exercise provides a temporary distraction from stress. Is this all? No. 

Exercise leads to good sleep, which is crucially important to lead a stressless life. Now, what exercises work most? 

• Go for a brisk walk with your dog
• Start with a simple jog
• Run
• Climb or trek a terrain
• Dance or join Zumba classes
• Swim
• Go to the gym and do weightlifting (under supervision)

It could be anything that pumps up your heart, makes you sweat out your stress, and floods you with endorphins, our feel-good allies. 

As far as the question of the best exercises for stress management, there is not one exercise. Any exercise can be helpful as long as it is not posing a serious threat to your health. 

For example, if you have a hernia, don’t do weightlifting without consulting your doctor.

Sleep as a stress-buster

It might put sparkles in the eyes of many. After all, who does not love to sleep? 

Most of us do not value sleep as much as we should. It is one of the most ignored things in the world and is one of the most effective healing techniques as well. 

As we grow and walk through the lanes of our lives, we start valuing work more than our sleep. As a result, stress arrives with a baggage full of ailments. 

When we are sleep-deprived, our brains release stress hormones.

Good sleep directly drops the cortisol levels (the two-faced stress hormone) in our bodies. 

Also, sleep restores brain functioning. It is like a sleep mode for your body, quite literally. It provides the much-required relief. Sleep has been shown to reduce activity in the amygdala, the brain’s emotional centre. This calms emotional responses, particularly to negative stimuli.

But, we are not talking about sleep. We are talking about ‘good sleep’. You can sleep for 12 hours a day and yet feel tired. 

So, how do you get good sleep and be stress-relieved? Here are a few techniques – 

• Go to bed on time, and ensure that your sleeping time does not vary much
• Have a soothing bedtime routine – gentle stretching, reading, warm bath, calming music, aromatherapy, see what works for you
• Avoid electronic devices (especially those with screens) at least 2 hours before your bedtime
• Stop drinking caffeine at least 5 hours before you sleep
• Have your dinner at least (and have smaller meals) 3 hours before you sleep
• Have a comfortable sleeping environment, one that makes your eyes heavier with sleep. Dark, quiet, and cool room is what you need
• Practice meditation right before you sleep, even if for a few minutes

Trust us, all of this will prepare your brain and lull you to a much-needed good night’s sleep.

Relaxation techniques to relieve stress

A wave of calm is all you need, ripples of peace and mindfulness. These techniques are the most effective ones. When you practice relaxation, it triggers the relaxation response in your brain. The cortisol and adrenaline levels drop the overthinking; the monkey mind takes rest; your blood pressure gets the much-required balance. 

All this induces your parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the “rest and digest” response. 

Don’t believe it? Just try a 10-minute breathing meditation when you feel stressed and feel that cool breeze by yourself. 

Here are some of the relaxation techniques that do wonders in stress management:

• Deep breathing exercises – Sit or lie in a comfortable position and close your eyes. Take slow, deep breaths. Focus on nothing but your breaths, and as you find your mind to be diverting, simply bring it back without questioning or cursing it. You may find many videos online with calming music.
• Meditation – Here, you do nothing but at the present moment. You can turn your whole life into meditation. Although there are many types of meditation, their purpose is one – to make your mind still and focused, like a calm lake. Start your day with it, do it as the last thing before going to bed, or do it whenever you need it. It helps. Even an 11-minute yoga nidra meditation was found to be extremely helpful when done for 30 days straight. ^[1]
• Yoga – Yoga means union, union of your mind, body, and spirit. It surely involves meditation, but it also involves several body poses. Here are a few yoga exercises that help –
  • Pranayama – a set of several breathing exercises
  • Marjaryasana to Bitilasana – cat-cow pose 
  • Balasana or child’s pose
  • Viparita Karani or leg-up-the-wall pose
  • Savasana or corpse pose
  • Standing forward bend or uttanasana
  • Supta Baddha Konasana
  • Jathara Parivartanasana
• Mindfulness – Be in the present moment, be aware of what you are and what you are doing. Now, bring calmness to it.
• Guided imagery – There are numerous guided imagery meditations that will induce your mind to a soothing environment and train your subconscious to deal with life, with ease. 
• Progressive muscle relaxation – Also known as Chitta Shakti meditation, this technique involves tensing and relaxing different muscle groups in your body.
• Massage – Ask your beloved to give you a good massage or get professional help.
• Gratitude journal – It is the time when you write the things you are grateful for when you tell yourself that all is good. 

All these will calm you down and help you control your stress and weight. 

Diet and lifestyle changes for stress

Not many of us believe this but diet plays a crucial role in stress management. What we eat is what we become. Fill your fridge and your table with plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. There are many stress-relieving foods that can weave you into a thread of love and comfort. Here are a few examples: 

• Green Tea: Green tea contains L-theanine, an amino acid that can have a calming effect and reduce stress.
• Herbal Teas: Chamomile, lavender, and valerian root teas have calming properties that can help reduce stress and promote relaxation.
• Dark Chocolate: Dark chocolate in moderation can stimulate the release of endorphins and improve mood. Look for chocolate with a high cocoa content (70% or higher) for the most benefits.
• Turmeric milk: The active compound in turmeric, curcumin, has anti-inflammatory properties that may help reduce symptoms of stress-related disorders.
• Good Healthy food: Whole grains and millet are sources of high nutrients that help your body feel good. 
• Fresh fruits and vegetables: Do we even have to tell you about these?

These are a few of the many foods out there that can reduce your stress in the long run.

Apart from that, try to reduce your alcohol consumption and smoking habits. These might seem like stress relievers, but they actually increase your stress and reduce your body’s ability to deal with it. 

While working, take breaks when you feel stressed. Go for a walk in nature. Connect with your loved ones. All these things help, very much. 

Social and behavioural support 

Sometimes, the best help arrives from where we least expect it. Our loved ones, friends, and even strangers can provide vital emotional support. They can make us feel understood and show us the flambeau that we stay blind to. 

So, talk to the person you trust. You never know the sort of relief your mind will feel. Being social also helps us feel good. You may even join support groups and share your concerns. 

Apart from that, taking behavioural therapies can strongly help. After all, stress these days is usually psychological rather than physical. It will change your perspective and help you embrace little issues in your life, giving you fresh energy to hop around like a child again. 

Conclusion

Stress is a silent killer. A few of us don’t know this, and most of us ignore it even after knowing. It not only pulls depression into our lives, but it also invites several health issues. The most common of all those is weight gain. And when unhealthy weight gain takes place, nothing good is assured. This is why stress management techniques come as a life saviour. 

If you are stressed or not, you must work on keeping it away at any cost. Exercise, proper sleep, yoga, meditation, breathing exercises, social support, and even diet can do wonders in making your life stress-free. 

It doesn’t cost much except will and consistency, and in return, it offers eternal and unbreakable peace. Not only is this necessary for you but your family as well. Because when even one link in the chain becomes weak, the whole chain breaks away. 

So, what are you waiting for? Relax, take a deep breath, and smile. Live, one moment at a time. Peace! 

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