What is best to tackle stress?

I can’t believe it’s May already. It seems like the last month flew by. Actually, it went so fast that I forgot my monthly column was due last week. Oops. April was an interesting month. I’m happy to say I lost a pound, although I certainly wish I could say I’ve lost more. Still, a loss is a loss, right? When I say April was an interesting month, it was for several reasons. First of all, I’m trying to get used to working mornings at my new part-time job. I wrote last month that I recently started working at Marketlink to supplement my income, and while I enjoy the job, I’m still adjusting to working longer hours. A significant change in a person’s schedule can cause stress, which as any of us trying to lose weight know, can lead to gaining a few excess pounds. Luckily I managed to avoid that trap, but it wasn’t all my doing. You see, I’ve been sick to some degree or another for a good portion of April. It started out with the flu. (The only good thing there is that it definitely curbed my excess snacking for a while.) Then that morphed into a sinus infection. My pharmacist told me I’m one of the lucky ones to catch a particularly nasty bug going around that likes to linger for a few weeks, causing one problem after another. Yay me. I’m still not feeling 100 percent, but at least I no longer have to keep a bowl handy ... just in case. With the stress of being sick and changing my schedule, I’m left with a question: How should people trying to lose weight deal with stress? When my stomach feels a bit funky, I don’t eat, of course, but it seems that when I am hungry, I’m eating too much of the wrong things. Even watching TV — my usual stress-buster — isn’t working as well because I have less time to watch it and because I realize it’s not helping me lose weight. So what are some ways all of us — not just those of us trying to lose weight — can relieve stress? If you have some thoughts on the subject, please share them with me by writing to Christine’s column, c/o the Sentinel, 64 Downtown Plaza, Fairmont, MN 56031, or e-mailing me with Christine’s column in the subject line at news@fairmontsentinel.com. Here’s to a healthier and less stressful May. Christine Rupp is the Sentinel’s city editor.