dealing with stress over events you have no control over (without using food)

Ok, first of all, I do NOT want this to turn into any kind of a debate about the politics of what is going on in the Middle East (or here in the U.S.) and I will have the thread deleted if it does... so please don't, because I think the subject is important.

I am curious about how people deal with stress and continue to eat in a healthy way -- whether that means NOT overeating or means forcing yourself to eat and get all your protein when you are so stressed that the thought of eating makes your stomach turn -- when the stress comes from something like this (or from the general state of the US economy, or something similar) when there isn't anything you can actually DO about the situation.

I'm not really talking about ways to relax, exercising, etc... I have plenty of those; I am talking about how you mentally deal with the stress, if that makes sense.

Not all of my stress is from national/world events, to be sure, but I find the stress that I do have from those things is harder to deal with because of the sense of powerlessness.  I sometimes ban the news from my house when I start to get too stressed, but that isn't particularly effective, and many of the ways that I mentally deal with stress aren't practical when I have no control whatsoever about the situation.  So I am curious about what others do.

Lora

Hmm.. I don't know how to separate the ways to mentally deal with stress and the ways to relax and cope. I don't understand the difference.

I'm very sensitive to stuff too and generally, avoidance is best. I don't need to know all the news going on. These are not things I can change. I love being informed. I do not love being short circuited from all the sensory input all around me in the world.

In reality, what DO we have control over? Our choices. Our reactions. I would say our feelings, but our feelings stem from so much, chiefly our perception of what's going on -- which can be skewed by so much and be the result of projection, etc. It's pretty fluid in my opinion.

As far as I'm concerned, life is an exercise in letting go. I don't really control anything, I just think I do, for awhile. Until something happens, that *tada* I can't control, and makes me have to adapt all over again and regain my "control" all over again.

So what do I do when I get in a situation that I do not control, but I'm still caught up in the current anyway? Nothing. Nothing at all.

 I tend to store stress in my body and it makes me physically agitated, so a lot of what I do to calm myself focuses on the physical.

I think control IS part of it.  Right  now there are a lot of things stressing me out that, for various reasons, I don't have any control over.  Some things I do have SOME control over (like the issue with the dog breeder), though.  Maybe if I just exercise more of my control over those things it will help...

Thanks for your thoughts.

Lora

As a long time member of 12 step programs I try to say the Serenity Prayer.  I lean on my faith to get me through those things that I am unable to change which in reality is just about everything outside of my own behaviors and reactions.  I'm not saying I am perfect at it or even close.  I just need to remind myself that I am not in charge.  For me, whether you believe in God or not, the whole  purpose of having a spiritual belief is to have a way of coping with things that seem difficult, frightening or unfair.  Otherwise, to me, things don't make a lot of sense if there isn't any kind of higher authority in charge of things or order in the world.  It may turn out that my beliefs aren't right but they do help me get through the many things in the world that don't make sense.

I used to find a lot of strength in faith.  Now... well, not so much (there are some spiritual issues associated with the traumas that I have been struggling with for several years).

Lora

As you know right now I have a ton of stress over the situation with my daughter that it's for the most part out of anyone control. Yeah we can do stuff to help her but the end result is still totally unknown.

Hotter I deal with the not overeating well not real sure. Mentally o know o just have to keep pushing forward.

i write and journal a lot. to get it out in some fashion is good for me. It helps me to have a clear understanding of what is bothering me, and free writing/journaling helps me achieve that.

once i know what the real problem, anxiety, whatever is, then it's easier for me to address it, deal with what i can, and try to let go of what i can't.

I try super hard not to worry about what i cannot change - worry is an emotion that isn't productive. i dont' always succeed, but that is always my goal. i don't avoid problems, but i try to find another view of looking at them.

Yes, worry is usually a very unproductive emotion, and I know that, but I still do it, though.  It honk right now theree is just so much stress from so many different corners that I am feeling much more overwhelmed by it than usual.  Somewhat oddly, stress usually makes me want to eat, but lately I have and to force myself to eat (and, unfortunately, it's frequently only crappy food that sounds good).

Lora

 i just want to say, that from the little i know of your story, i think you are a very couragous individual.  my stresses are nothing compared to what you go through.  i wish i had better advice :(

Sometimes it is enough for someone to remind you of things that you already know, but that get lost in the "tunnel vision" that anxiety and depression can create.  Like that worry is unproductive.. And is, in fact, usually DEstructive.  I appreciate the reminder.

Lora