New Anxiety and Stress Busters

What you may have thought to be your de-stressing routine or anxiety wind down just might have been the source of your stress in the first place.

After a long day:
You start in front of the couch and start in on some chips or a loaf of French Bread until you are in a carb-induced coma.
“People tend to go after carbohydrate-rich food because it kicks up the neurotransmitter serotonin, which has a relaxing effect on the body,” says Lisa Dorfman, RD, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association and author of The Anti Stress Diet.

New Solutions:
Instead of stuffing yourself with that loaf of bread, take a hot bath or shower to relax your muscles and mind. Or lie down and breathe quietly. If you do decide to eat, make that decision consciously. Ask yourself: what are the consequences? What are the benefits? Eight out of ten times, if you just take the time to ask yourself, you’ll skip the chips.

After a fight with your (whomever):
You turn on the tube, and you zone out. That relaxes you, you just want to go somewhere else, turn your brain off.
“It relaxes you all right, it puts you in a stupor,” says Robert Kesten, executive director of the Center for Screen-Time Awareness, a Washington, D.C. non-profit. That TV trance is callused in part by your falling metabolism, studies that find watching television lowers your metabolism more than sleeping does. Also, not to mention, the emotion goes nowhere. It’s simply being stuffed down, waiting to pop right out probably the wrong moment.

New Solutions:
To release the emotional stress and anxiety of a fight, talk to a friend, write in a journal, take a brisk walk, or get some other kind of exercise. If a mental vacation is what you’re after, pick up a book to escape. Once you’ve re-grouped, then talk to your husband. (And remember, never go to bed angry.)

You freak out over your shrinking bank balance
and decide to go shopping.
Compulsive shopping regulates your mood, says James A. Roberts, PhD, a consumer spending researcher at Baylor University.
And when you’re focused on shopping, you’re avoiding feelings of low self-worth or inadequacy.

New Solutions:
If you’re shopping to make yourself feel better, avoid situations that require you to make buying decisions. Get a different rush: Take a ride on your bike, or go for a run to get the adrenaline flowing. A mental health pro can help you deal with your behavior too, and you may want to consult a credit counselor to get control of your finances.

Since you started caring for your elderly mom, you find yourself reaching for the menthols.
“Nicotine briefly releases feel-good chemicals in the brain, include beta endorphins and dopamine,” says Thomas J. Glynn, PhD, director of cancer science and trends for the American Cancer Society.

New Solutions:
Taking a brisk walk or running for at least 20 minutes can also trigger the release of those feel-good endorphins. And immersing yourself in meditation, prayer, yoga, deep breathing, and even reading can keep you calm. Instead of trying to puff away your feelings, talk to a friend or a counselor. And see Health.com for help on quitting.


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Note: The above information is written for information and/or entertaining purposes only. If you feel the need for expert guidance, please seek the advice of a physician, pharmacist, or other healthcare professionals.