4. Know That Stress Can Lead To Being Overweight In At Least 3 Ways. Negative stress has been clinically proven to caused increased production of the hormone cortisol. Elevated cortisol levels lead directly to increased body fat.
Stress also leads to "compensatory" eating. What's that? It's when you turn to food, not out of real physical hunger, but out of a psychological craving. It's when food is used as a pacifier instead of a nutrient source, as an "escape" rather than a source of sustenance.
And, as we saw above, stress leads to impaired digestive function. That leads to poor digestion and poor assimilation, which can (and does) cause us to eat more than we need AND retain it longer in our bodies. Result? Excess weight.
5. Remember That You Always Have Options Other Than Creating Negative Stress
You really do have a choice. You see, it's not an event itself that creates stress in our lives. It's our perception of that event, what we tell ourselves it means to us. All events are "neutral." It's only our personal interpretation that gives them meaning - to us.
And what underlies our personal interpretation? Our own unique set of beliefs and attitudes. More accurately, it's our "personal programming" that really does the interpreting, which means that it's almost never a conscious process.
In the end, it's our unique personal programming (most of which is operation on an unconscious level) that really determines the amount and kind of stress in our lives. And that personal programming really does differ a great deal from one person to the next. For example, one person may see a car crash as exciting, while another sees it as tragic.
Who is right? Neither. Or both. Take your pick. After all, it really is up to you!
6. Understand That Some Stress Is Normal, Inevitable, And Even Desirable. There is really no way to live a totally stress-free life, and we wouldn't want to anyway. So the key to successful living is to learn to manage (i.e., reduce) your stress, and to keep an optimal balance between negative stress and eu-stress (i.e., enough of the latter, not so much of the former).
There are lots of books, takes, CDs, etc. available to help you learn about and manage the stress in your life. But the ultimate secret of stress management is in understanding that stress is "optional." That is, you can truly opt to create it or not under any given set of circumstances.
7. Best Strategy: Lighten Up! Nobody Gets Out Of Here Alive. Worry is probably the single source of stress in contemporary life. But you really are in charge of what goes on between your ears. So simply refuse to worry.
Worrying is a lose-lose-lose scenario. It makes you feel bad in the present, it drains your energy and thereby reduces your coping resources -- just when you may need them the most. And it causes you to make decisions based primary in fear rather than on a rational, healthy, relaxed assessment of your situation.
Don't take it all so bloody seriously! Simply refuse to participate in the American Nightmare. Let the American Dream be enough. Don't join the "get mine before you get yours / king of the hill / claw my way to the top crowd. That's just one big race to the grave -- the fast lane to the tombstone!
What good is a life filled with "stuff" is you're too busy or stressed to enjoy it? What good is a huge bank account if you drop dead before you can spend it? What good is a 10,000-square-foot house if you're always slaving away at the office?
I think you get the idea.
So relax. That's an option, too!
Peace be with you,
"Dr. Frank"
Dr. Frank B. Smoot, MA, DD
GHF's Success Coach
www.CoachFrankSmoot.com
