Page 24 - Surveyor 50.1

MANAGING STRESS

The Malaysian Surveyor

with colleagues or even our family
members, and those frustrations were
stuffed with a piece of cake or cookies,
rather than open discussion. Eating
emotionally may temporarily take the focus
of anger, resentment, fear, anxiety and
other host or emotions but stuffing due to
emotion is an act of emotional eating.

Avoid emotional
eating

It’s all about moderation. Keep your you are a step ahead if you maintain a can also use water to slow down your
serving sizes in check at all times and modified fitness routine. eating by taking a sip or two between bites.
you can really enjoy your meals without
gaining weight. It only takes a few Drink plenty of water. Many people believe So, it’s time to accept the fact that
minutes for the brain to realise that the that mild dehydration feels like hunger emotional eating is bad. Take it seriously
stomach is getting full without the extra and the best way to avoid becoming to relieve stress in life so that the overall
amount of food but rather inculcate the dehydrated is to drink plenty of water. You stress level is lowered, besides other
habit of having small portions on the stress relief habits that can help you to
plate. Deal with the temptation of calorie- Try to admit to react towards the stressors you face in
laden foods by restricting those that you yourself that small life.
may find yourselves hooked on them that
can lead to over-indulgence. Allow plenty changes can Small changes can add up to a big
of options that help you make intelligent add up to a big difference. Let’s start now!
choices about what you can actually eat, difference. What
thus freeing from worry, guilt and the more if those small W.M.A. Wan Hussin is a Professor at the School
extra pounds. changes all start up of Civil Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia. He
during a holiday? conducts several courses on stress management
As the day gets busier, exercise is usually and delivers public lectures and brain storming
the first thing to go. Instead of stopping sessions on management issues for various
completely, there are ways you can reduce organisations. He is currently a Licensed Land
your exercise without losing all that you Surveyor, Member of the Association of Authorized
have gained. Always maintain the exercise Land Surveyors (MAALS) Malaysia, Fellow of the
sessions once or twice a week to gain the Royal Institution of Surveyors Malaysia (FRISM),
stamina and fitness level. Exercise habits a Malaysian Speaking Professional (MSP) of the
can go in many forms despite how busy Malaysian Association of Professional Speakers, and
you are. When you become busy to the can be reached at [email protected]
point of feeling overwhelmed, never give
up the routine workouts, even in smaller
doses as this can be a great source of
stress relief. Maintaining regular workouts,
even if they are shortened, can make you
easier to get back into a more robust
fitness routine. It is always effective to
invite family members for a brisk walk
during weekends. Sometimes there are
others, who’d love to work out but they
are just waiting for someone else to step
up first, and it could even be your own
spouse. You can start the day feeling like

24