In addition to nourishing our bodies, it's also very important to make sure we're nourishing our minds and emotions. By balancing our 'plate of life' just like we would balance a plate of food, we can help to ensure that we feel fulfilled and avoid using food to meet other needs....
Resilience is often defined as being able to bounce back from adversity, similar to how a rubber band bounces back when we stretch it. Another way to think of resilience is bouncing forward-when we're able to learn from difficult situations, we grow and can actually come back stronger than before....
While we can't always control how and when changes unfold, we do have the power to take charge of how we react to them-it begins with our thought process. Our thoughts impact our feelings, and our feelings affect our behavior. So if, for example, we tell ourselves that the change isn't manageable, then we'll likely feel powerless and probably won't take constructive actions to better cope with it....
While we can't always prevent things from happening, we do have control over how we choose to interpret and respond to stressors. We all have negative thoughts sometimes, and that's OK! It's when we're not consciously aware of these negative thoughts that they can really get in the way....
Caring for an elderly or ill loved one is incredibly important work and can be highly rewarding. However, it can also add to the normal pressures and demands of life and really take a toll on caregivers. Very often, caregivers are so focused on helping others that they forget to-or don't prioritize-taking care of themselves....
While it's critical to feed our bodies nourishing food, it's equally important to think about how we are feeding our minds and our souls. By finding ways to nourish ourselves that don't involve food, we'll be less likely to use it to fill a void and more likely to enjoy better physical and emotional health....
In addition to managing stress in the moment, it's also very important to proactively invest in your health. You can think of it like a bank account-if you never make any deposits, there won't be money in there when you need it. You can build up your "stress management reserve" by practicing making yourself and your health a priority....
One of the best things you can do to lower stress is to challenge yourself to find humor and laugh more every day. Studies show that episodes of laughter help to reduce pain, boost the immune system, and decrease stress-related hormones....