We all live with stress, negative thoughts and the occasional comfort food — but if any of these gets too intense, they'll rob you of joy, leave you feeling defeated about your health and wear you out. No matter your age or gender, it's time to take a deep dive into your stress, negative thoughts and feeling. We often give ourselves a hard time when things aren't going our way. We drag out past mistakes, dwell on past failures and replay them over and over again in our minds. Similarly, we rehash our insecurities, putting ourselves down and placing unrealistic expectations on ourselves. I frequently see this with weight issues, someone's past failures holding them back from moving forward. Do you ever find yourself doing any of the above? If so, then it's time you checked-in with your thoughts and feelings. This is a gold nugget, it's not what happens to us that determines how anxious or depressed we feel, it's the meaning we give to the event. When we attach a negative meaning to something, it can lead to stress, depression and anxiety. This is because we aren't separating our thoughts and feelings. Our interpretation of an event, a trigger, affects our feelings, which in turn affects our thoughts. So, while I think it's very important to be able to challenge your thoughts, your triggers and stressors might still be there which creates cravings for comfort. Being aware of your need for comfort whether from food, sweets, nicotine or alcohol. All of these are avenues to handle stress and our pent-up emotions in an unhealthy way. This is where our mental health and physical health converge through our triggers, feelings and thoughts. And when we reach for comforting foods, we want comfort in the moment but we're actually self-sabotaging our mental and physical health. I want to share with you some ways to challenge your self-thoughts, but I want to make you aware of the adrenal stress hormone cortisol and how it’s coming into play and making you feel worse. This is a powerful episode! Would you like more information about this topic? Read my blog here. Best in health~ Dr. Susan

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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