Tag Archives: Stress

Fear of Slowing Down

Let me describe a common scenario…

A woman/mother/man/father (could be you) rises to the sound of an alarm, steps out of bed and into a role that s/he plays well — always working diligently on the projects of the day (work, parenting, meals, cleaning, driving, etc.) — crossing all of the ‘t’s and dotting all of the ‘i’s — rushing around to make sure deadlines are met.

Sometimes meals get skipped; sometimes, fast food has to suffice. Transitions between events/meetings/tasks are tight and sometimes it doesn’t feel like there’s room to breathe, much less observe the subtleties within moments.

Sometimes s/he hears a “thank you” (although it might be rare). S/he’s become so accustomed to this way of life that (most days) there’s no longer even a thought about “self-care”, or doing something for your Self. The evenings require as much routine and squeezing in as the days do, and by the end of the night s/he’s left drained, often indulging in one or more forms of self-medicating — a drink (or two), a few Netflix episodes, the infamous late-night snacking, etc.

It’s not until the weekend that s/he sometimes wonders where the life s/he used to dream about went; s/he sees life flying by without actually living it, and wonders if this is just how it goes. Not quite what s/he imagined for her/his self.


Can you relate to this story?

BAD NEWS: If you’re like most Americans, this is a rough sketch of your daily life.
GOOD NEWS: It doesn’t have to be this way! (keep reading)

When we are living as described above, i.e. modern, over-scheduled lives, we are out of touch with our bodies, our emotions, and our dreams. This translates as living in a constant state of triggering and fear, which means we are going through our lives mostly in Fight/Flight/Freeze (Sympathetic Nervous System) mode, which causes degeneration and disease. When we are in SNS (sympathetic nervous system), blood is diverted away from the organs and into the limbs for quick response. The problem isn’t the SNS, but the fact that we are constantly “on guard” for the next thing that needs doing or email that needs checking.

In order to HEAL, digest, and restore our bodies/minds we need to be in Parasympathetic Nervous System. And as long as we are operating in SNS (i.e. stress response) for the majority of our minutes/hours/days/weeks, then our hormones (and lives) will be out of balance.

Recognizing this is one thing, but making a lifestyle change is quite another.

“Maybe we hear these pleas from our bodies, but we don’t know how to stop running, pushing, overreaching ourselves. We are afraid that if we stop, something terrible will happen.”

~ Dr. Claudia Welch

You might not think you live in “fear”, but I’m here to tell you that if you are choosing a life that is harming your health, inside and out, and limiting your potential, then you ARE. A little tough love here…

As unintentional as it may be, YOU ARE CHOOSING the path of INSANITY! 😱

GOOD NEWS: You CAN Get OUT of this Cycle!!!
BAD NEWS: There is no quick fix — no pill, no diet, no superfood, no surgery, no ONE thing that will “fix it” FOR you. The work is all on you.
MORE GOOD NEWS: This is EXACTLY my specialty and I’d LOVE to help you get UNstuck!

P.S. It’s not going to be EASY, but it’s going to be BEAUTIFUL and so so so FULFILLING!

Schedule a time to talk with me here.

xoxo

Jessica

How to Get a Handle on Emotional Eating

If you are reading this, chances are you have experience with Emotional Eating. The American Psychological Association’s website lists these statistics (among others):

In the United States, the majority of adults are overweight or obese, increasing their risk for Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. Obesity is a major contributor to preventive death in the U.S. and can raise morbidity risks associated with chronic diseases, such as hypertension, stroke, respiratory problems and various cancers. Research also shows connections between stress and food. People tend to seek high-calorie, high-fat foods during periods of stress, though in fact, when people are stressed, their bodies store more fat than when they are relaxed.

Thirty-eight percent of adults say they have overeaten or eaten unhealthy foods in the past month because of stress. Half of these adults (49 percent) report engaging in these behaviors weekly or more.

Thirty-three percent of adults who report overeating or eating unhealthy foods because of stress say they do so because it helps distract them from stress. 

Twenty-seven percent of adults say they eat to manage stress and 34 percent of those who report overeating or eating unhealthy foods because of stress say this behavior is a habit.

After having overeaten or eaten unhealthy foods, half of adults (49 percent) report feeling disappointed in themselves, 46 percent report feeling bad about their bodies and more than one-third (36 percent) say they feel sluggish or lazy.

http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2013/eating

Sadly, these numbers are not a true reflection of the magnitude of the problem we are talking about because:

  • the article from which these stats are taken is from 2013 and they have most certainly increased over the last 6 years.
  • these numbers come from the limited amount of people surveyed, not all Americans.

It’s likely that most “first world” peoples are suffering from emotional eating that stems from STRESS, and the lack of knowledge and tools to change.

In the VLOG below, I talk with Tarah Peek, of Mandala Mama, about this epidemic problem of modern culture and give practical tools to bring awareness and make change!

If you’d like to have access to these tools and MORE practical wisdom for Self-Healing, join my summer challenge — AWAKEN Your INNER HEALER! You can read more here or click here to join now!

Are YOU Ready to Take Control of your Health + Life and become a Self Healer?

We ALL have the power to heal and the power to choose no matter what your current life/health circumstances! It’s NEVER TOO LATE! Take one step in the direction of your healing and click the link below to schedule a 1-on-1 session with me to see how we can work together!

Jessica Graham Robinson

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