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Stress eating can lead to unhealthy weight gain. But it's not just the cravings that make us gain weight in these moments. 

When we're stressed, our fight or flight response triggers processes in the body that contribute to weight gain. The stress hormone cortisol not only triggers sugar cravings but also slows down the metabolism. We tend to rely on "emotional eating" and readily accessible unhealthy "comfort food" on top of other stress-related habits like neglecting to exercise, skipping meals, eating irregularly and sleeping less. All these lead to weight gain. But how can we prevent it? Here are a few ways.

Prioritize

When you are feeling stressed, pause for a moment and make a list of priorities. If you find this difficult to do because you are juggling things, start by tracking what you have done each day for an entire week and how much time you spend on them. From there, select which ones need to be prioritized and set a schedule, including breaks and time of sleep. 

Exercise

Even in its simplest form, exercise has been proven to improve mood and increase self-esteem. Incorporating exercise into your daily routine will help relieve stress, and it can also alleviate symptoms of anxiety. In one study, it was found to reduce sugar cravings.  

Meditate

Mindfulness meditation has been proven to reduce stress, especially in people with high blood pressure and heart disease. Regular practice can even help a person become more mindful of what they eat and control their impulse to give in to sugary cravings.