Week 2: Stress – Managing It to Reduce Stress EatingAfter setting my non-negotiable foundations last week--daily walks, meditation and adding a nutritious item to each meal --I'm shifting focus to a major mental health challenge many of us face: STRESS!

Stress is a powerful trigger for emotional eating. Its that overwhelming feeling that sends us reaching for comfort foods, not because were physically hungry, but because were looking for relief. So, this week I'm asking: If I manage my stress better, will I be less likely to stress eat?

My New Weekly Strategy

Moving forward in this 90-day journey, I’m adding a new structure to my approach. Each week, I will: 1️⃣ Identify a key mental health topic (this week: stress)2️⃣Learn about it – understand its impact and why it affects eating habits3️⃣ Discover actions I can take – implement practical strategies to manage it4️⃣ Keep myself accountable – track my progress and reflect on what’s working

Learning About Stress & Emotional EatingStress triggers a hormonal response in the body, increasing cortisol levels, which can lead to cravings for high sugar, high fat foods. It is a biological survival mechanism - our body thinks we need energy to fight off threats, even if the "threat" is just a packed schedule or overwhelming responsibilities.

Action Steps for Managing StressThis week my focus is identifying my stress levels & trying to apply coping strategies outside of food to lower my risk of crash & burn on the couch at the end of the night - honestly my foundations (see week one!) have already helped me so much with this. Here's what I've added this week:

✨ 1. Daily Stress Check-InAm I REALLY busy?? Are there really time restraints to adhere to, am I in a rush or am I actually just comfy in my business?!

✨ 2. Intentional DaysI remember hearing Jay Shetty talking about effective days vs efficient days & that got me thinking about taking time for myself to go and do an activity - something just for me. So I went to The Lume to see the Van Gogh exhibition - which in case your wondering is amazing!

✨ 3. Self ReflectionI'm really starting to identify that if food was the outside of the onion, stress was the first layer... but there has to be more to it. What is under the rest of the layers when I begin to peel back the layers of the onion?!

What’s Next?Each week, I'll share updates on my progress, challenges, and lessons learned. This isn't just about the physical changes - its about how my improved mental health can shift the focus from weight loss to wellbeing.

I'll be sharing behind the scenes on Instagram so follow along for real time wins, struggles, confessions & updates. I'm excited to see where this journey takes me!

Please share this link with the women in your life, we could all do with some validation that emotional eating is normal, burnout is normal & there is access to support & its OK to reach out for help. Next week I'll be digging deeper into the POWER of RELAXATION after an encounter with a world famous author & speaker xx

If you have health or weight goals you keep getting stuck with - take my FREE assessment to see whats really blocking you xx