Workplace and home life stress can be overwhelming. Exposure to stress is not always bad, because stress can improve performance at a certain level. You may have experienced this when your productivity kicked into high gear due to a looming deadline. Yet that “ideal” stress level can be surpassed, pushing us far from our comfort zone. Distress ensues when our ability to adapt falters and we feel intense negativity. When this (inevitably) happens, what do we seek for comfort? For many of us, high stress leads to overeating.
Stress happens when we notice unfavorable circumstances combined with a lack of control. It is a sense that, despite our best efforts, we are unable to change or improve the outcome. We may feel stuck or hopeless. Perhaps you can relate to this uneasy feeling in some area of your life. Areas outside your personal life also matter because stress can be induced by keeping up with politics, and world events, colleagues, friendships and by comparing ourselves to others too much on social media. All of these situations offer a perception that we can’t exert control in ways that make the situation better.
When life’s challenges threaten our sense of stability and security, many of us return to the familiar. The “familiar” is often rooted in what soothed us in early childhood. It’s no surprise that comfort can be found in delicious food. In times of high stress, some of us are extra motivated to purchase and consume familiar comfort food. For some, we may be lured into making meals, snacks, or desserts that give us pleasure. When we feel like we are hurting, we are often focused on something that can change our state of mind. Food can be the bandage we use to address the wounds of unmanaged stress. Stress often coincides with fatigue; our healthy intentions may be easy to ignore. 
One of the many ways that stress leads to overeating is through energy depletion. This happens because the stress response is energy intensive. Think of that high-pressure feeling: Your heart pumps faster, your blood pressure rises, your thoughts may be racing… It is as if the body is gearing up for battle – and without recovery time built into your day, chronic stress can wear us down.
This lack of energy is part of how stress promotes the symptoms of depression and anxiety. Easy food options could include options like apples or oranges, but we usually want something that delivers a more potent pleasure response. Enter ultra-processed food, which tend to induce pleasure quickly and deliver a lot of calories per bit. Ultra-processed foods are usually high in fat, salt or sugar, and these foods currently account for more than half the calories we eat as Americans.
As we metabolize comfort foods, our bodies often manage blood sugar swings and use precious essential vitamins and minerals for those empty calories. The irony of that dietary decision is that these foods worsen our ability to think clearly.
Studies have monitored eating patterns over time and found a close connection between times of high vs low stress. For example, one research report found that during times of stress (as confirmed hormonally), many people show “reduced dietary restraint and increased caloric intake.” Body weight changes often reflect this change in eating choices. In fact, this shift in eating habits during stress accounts for 73% of the weight changes we experience. 
Sometimes we know a work week or family event will try our patience. When we have foresight to know that a challenging week is approaching, meal prep offers a great way to protect our healthy eating goals. One of the best ways we can protect ourselves from poor eating habits is with meal prep. Think of this as a way to be extra kind to your future self! Treat yourself the way you would a wonderful friend and spend a little extra time making the healthier option more appealing in the future.
Treo supports meal prep with a full array of recipe videos. We know that ideas about healthy eating are in short supply when we feel stressed, so we make it easy to navigate both at work, at home, and on-the-go. Our recipes avoid complicated steps and stick to common ingredients so you can complete your task and get on with your life.
Stress impacts more than just food decisions. Feeling overwhelmed can also interfere with peaceful activities, even when we may need them most. This includes activities like breathwork, meditation, calming yoga, petting our pets, knitting, listening or playing music, and for some, even yardwork or gardening. Stretching, going for a relaxed pace walk or working out are also effective ways to reduce stress perception. The key is to identify what works for you. What is that 10-60-min activity that changes your perception of stress? What are some activities you enjoy doing where time seems to fly by?
Treo recognizes that stress relief matters. That’s why we include sections of our platform devoted to gaining resilience and finding new methods that calm the mind. Since our energy levels vary, we offer active options in a variety of formats and lengths, because sometimes you only have 5 minutes to spare for a quick reset. We also offer plenty of relaxing, passive options, with guided mindfulness practices. 
Like any habit, we need to repeat behaviors, so they become second nature if we want to sustain them in the long-term. This means following through over and over till that behavior feels familiar. Some people find that writing down how they are feeling is a great way to monitor their stress levels and gradually find solutions. In fact, many studies support the stress management benefits of keeping a journal. These can help us understand ourselves better and view our situation differently.
Another way to track your behavior and try things for effective stress relief is through manual tracking. This may involve including the actions you take to address stress in your journal entries. To help Treo members, one of the features they gain is a digital way to track desired behaviors. This is wide-ranging, with individuals tracking things like meal prep, eating more fruits & veggies, specific forms of exercise, or by trying another specific stress releasing activity. This helps members remember to prioritize those actions until the repetition makes them routine and familiar. Over time, these new habits can become part of daily life, and it feels much easier as the brain forms new habit pathways.
Even though we can’t eliminate stress, we can learn to better manage it. This can improve many aspects of our home and work-life, helping us see solutions instead of obstacles. It’s natural to feel stress, so investing time in learning to manage it is worth the effort. Treo streamlines this process, complete with short educational sessions for those seeking more energy and less stress in their lives. Interested in learning more about how Treo can help you and your team? Let’s connect! Email us at info@treowellness.com or schedule a demo here.
As Treo’s Global Wellness Researcher, Karlie uses recent research findings to support healthier daily habits. Karlie earned her doctorate in Neuroscience and Behavior and bachelors in Health and Exercise Science.
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