Leaving Stress at the Door

We all know that stress isn't good for our health and can actually contribute to a myriad of health problems. The Huffington Post recently asked its readers to list things they were committed to NOT stressing out about. I've listed a few stressors that Huffington Post readers submitted (and promised they would stop stressing about). See if you can relate to any of the following!

How many of you stress out about what other people say about you? (I think if we were honest we would all raise our hands!) Try not to worry about what other people say about you, as one woman committed to doing.

I know, I know - so much easier said than done, especially when it comes to sensitive topics like your weight. Letting go of what other people say or think about you can be sooo challenging. For instance, maybe people in your life rolled their eyes when you told them you were starting Beyond Diet, or they don't think you can really do it. Don't listen to them! Believe in yourself and don't let what they say affect you.

One person said they were going to try and not stress out about whether anyone else believes in their dream. Ooooh - I love that one!

Some of you may not know that the only two people who really believed in my dream of starting Beyond Diet were myself and my husband. Even family and friends tried to tell me that I would never be successful in helping other people with their weight, because there was already so much diet information out there.

Imagine if I had listened to them! Truth be told, it really only takes one person to believe in your dream: you. Whether your dream is to start your own yoga studio or be a dog trainer or simply drop five pounds, all you need to do is believe in yourself and make it happen.

Another great submission by a Huffington Post reader was to stop stressing out about other people's lives! Even though sooo many of us try very hard to control other people and their lives, the only person you can truly control is yourself. And we can't even control a lot of what happens to us!

The key is how we react to what we can't control and how we act on what we can control, like the food we eat and exercising our bodies.

Another reader is committed to not stressing out about the past: "Whatever hasn't happened yet and the past. Every mistake is a lesson." The past is over, and we can't change was has already happened. Maybe you have struggled with your weight for so many years that you just don't think it's possible to have a better, healthier future. WRONG!

And I totally agree with this reader's point about mistakes being lessons. If you view your mistakes as lessons, they aren't really even mistakes. None of us are perfect, and each day is a new beginning and an opportunity to start over - including retraining yourself how to eat healthy foods that will keep you slim and full of energy!

Striving for perfection - that's another stressor we can all let go of! Newsflash: No one can achieve perfection. Even I am not a "perfect" eater - at Thanksgiving, I relish a piece of pie, and I love my morning coffee!

When you slip up, the important thing is to jump right back on the horse. Don't let one misstep spiral into a week-long binge. Let your mistake go and move on!

Last but not least, stop stressing about "the little stuff." Don't stress about what you can't change, focus on what you can do something about, and DO IT. Yes to this suggestion!

By focusing only on the things you can change, you will feel so much better. And fortunately, choosing how we feed our bodies is definitely something that we can control and change. #beyonddiet #healthlifesuccess