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Making decisions for our kids during COVID can be really hard, especially when it comes to school. It’s okay that you may not feel like you have the “right” answer. Giving yourself time to think about decisions and time to NOT think about decisions you have to make is a way to pace yourself during the pressure of deciding. Staying flexible and trusting that you can adapt and pivot as you and your family move forward is really the key to dealing with this constant change of circumstances.
When human beings feel stressed, we often experience a shift in our eating habits. Some of us lose our appetite altogether, while many of us find ourselves "stress eating" and feeling frustrated at the end of the day with our food choices. In fact, a body under stress craves quick energy- so that may make it even easier to stress eat.![]()
It's important that we don't let guilt take over- that just adds more stress, right?![]()
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Stress eating means that food is helping us deal with our feelings. ![]()
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I know when I'm feeling upset or anxious, I almost always want something sweet or salty, something that makes me feel better right NOW!![]()
A little bit of this is not going to hurt us. We've been comforted with food since we were babies and food will always represent being taken care of. But if you're like me, that quick food comfort doesn't do a great job in the long run with helping me get rid of my uncomfortable feelings. ![]()
The difference between intentional eating and stress eating is that you are eating for fuel because you are hungry rather than eating to cope with your feelings.![]()
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When you think you might be stress eating, no need to get upset!![]()
Here are a few things to do instead:![]()
1. Notice what you are feeling. When you reach for something to eat, simply ask yourself, what am I feeling right now? Just naming the feeling you are having will help you.![]()
2. Notice if you got triggered by something that brought up the uncomfortable feelings and make a note of how you might choose to do deal with that thing in a way that YOU choose.![]()
3. Consciously and mindfully choose to eat what you are eating and kick guilt in the behind!![]()
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Remember, as your self awareness grows, you will begin to feel more and more in control of your decisions and become more compassionate and encouraging towards yourself. Love wins over fear and criticism every time! 🙂
Stress places a strain on our body and stretch breathing is a great way to help our body out. This is how stretch breathing works:![]()
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1. Take a slow, deep inhale through your nose![]()
2. Pause![]()
3. Slowly stretch your exhale through your mouth for a longer period of time than you inhaled![]()
4. Repeat several times, allowing your breaths to stretch and your body to relax.![]()
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Stretch breathing interrupts the stress response, helps our body relax, and opens up our mind to think more clearly. Take a few minutes today to practice stretch breathing. This can be a great thing to do together with your children to help their body release some of the extra stress that they may be feeling.