If you are to face a stressful situation - an important meeting, a heart-to-heart talk with someone you don't like, but you have to meet - you may feel like you need something special to calm your nerves. Most people in such situation grab a piece of chocolate or a cookie. Don't worry if you are among them, using food to lower one's stress level is a common and effective method of coping with stress. Provided of course that you won't overdo it. We all use eating as a method of stress relieving even if we do not consciously notice it. The problems begin when you face serious long-term crisis or simply a prolonged stressful situation (like romantic or family problems). Then eating becomes a habit and soon after you start gaining weight because of high-calorie food you use for stress reduction. In a matter of months your problems cease to be solved by snacks which become another serious problem itself. Surprisingly enough, the most dangerous job when it comes to coping with stress by overeating is a truck driver. Long hours, being constantly in the move and having to meet tight deadlines make them eat more and more snack foods to calm down. Soon after that, many of them become overweight - all because of an attempt to reduce the stress level. Eating food provides some measure of comfort and improves your mood, that's true. There are countless mothers who have a candy or a piece of chocolate every time when children start fighting or when they don't know an answer to children's questions. The problem is that while it makes them feel better, it does not solve any problems: children will still be fighting and asking difficult questions. In case of long-term stress, eating is a short way to gain weight. A lot of weight. The bottom line is that we can't cope with stress only by using food or medications. The only way to overcome it is finding its true reasons. Whether it is work, cleaning the house or health problems, the stress can always be coped with. You are never stuck in a routine soi deeply that you can't go out and change your life for the better. It is not easy as habits built up last ten years won't let go in a week, but you can always win. Sometimes it is a slow and step-by-step process, but it is always possible to lessen the stress level for good without candies.
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