3. Eat the Right Food.
It’s hard to prove that specific foods lead to increased stress.
What’s easy to prove is that while you are already stressed, you tend to eat more food.
Eating more could cause even more stress problems, especially if you have a specific nutrition goal.
Consider a recent study that tied eating behavior to stress levels.
When stressed, 73% of the people in the study ate more food than they would have in an unstressed state, regardless of gender[3].
4. Don’t Be Afraid To Treat Yourself.
This one is tied into food as well. An article published in Psychology & Behavior determined that stress and resultant overeating associated with stress is tied directly to the body’s reward system.
Here is how it works—you are stressed out so you eat, something your body sees as a reward, and your stress starts to go away[4].
Don’t be afraid to reward yourself. It doesn’t have to be about food either.
You can reward yourself with anything, you just want to be sure to let your body and mind understand that, as you complete a particularly stressful day or task, that you are going to provide a reward.