relaxing without food or alcohol

On the road to health transformation, our food rituals sometimes need to be reframed. One ritual common to many is using food or drink to relax, release frustration, or as an end of the day reward.  Often, however, these habits don’t support our health goals or add a few unwanted pounds.

One of my “relearns” when losing weight after Eli was learning to relax without food or wine. Learning to uncouple food and relaxation allowed me to reach health goals faster, grow as a person as I learned new ways to nurture myself,  and I began to relax in ways that I didn’t regret later.

When we want to relax, we are looking for relief -from the day, a feeling, or tiredness. I looked at how I felt toward the end of the day from both the cause and effect level.  By 7 I was exhausted, so I looked for ways to make my day less exhausting, stressful, and draining. Then I looked at what was available to me as other ways to relax.

Out of the first inquiry came the ever changing list I wrote about last week, “How to Make My Life Easier.”  If you missed it, you can find it on our blog. Hopefully, you made your own list and are on the road to making your life easier.

I also made a Pleasure List for new ways to unwind.  These are things that give me joy, that are easily accessible (like food), make me feel good (like food), and have no potential downside (unlike relaxation snacking).  

Some of the items on the Pleasure List are:

• Turn on the fireplace and watch the fire - if you have a wood fireplace, I would add enjoying the smell and sound.
• Knitting - I love to knit.  This is meditative and keeps your hands busy.
• Looking at my coffee table books.  Such beautiful pictures to soak into.
• Journaling. This helps me to digest the day, appreciate my wins, and release my losses.
• A hot bath or shower relaxes me and refreshes me.  Both help clear your mind, so you have more control over your cravings.
• Abhyanga is a Ayruvedic practice of self massage using warm oil. This is a favorite, especially in winter. Here is a youtube link to learn how to do it. It is super simple.

Now write your own Pleasure List of easily accessible ways to relax.

Actively use your two lists.  As the day winds down today choose a new way to relax and reward yourself for all your efforts today.  Learning new ways to nourish yourself and stay aligned to your goals will build your momentum of showing up for yourself and trusting your ability to nurture yourself.
Love,
Julia
xo