Dear Reader,

This is Dr. Anthony Centore, with Thrive Boston Counseling. I was just asked to write a couple short ideas on how to create / promote happiness in life, for potential publication somewhere (I don’t even know where). Anyway, as I send the quotes out into the ether of the publication world, I thought I would also share them with you here. I hope they are helpful! 

Be Well,

Anthony

Happiness Quote 1:

Many persons trade immediate happiness for future pain (example:  charging something you can’t afford to a credit card). Other people are professionals at delaying gratification, trading current pain at the hope of future happiness (example: working 50-plus hours a week). One key to happiness is to discover things that make you happy now, and will also promote happiness later.

Happiness Quote 2:

Happiness is often about having perspective. When something is not going well in life, the happy person will say, “I lost my job. However, I still have my heath, my family, the ability to live a full life, and I will find a new job.”

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This is a decent video about how a good relationship can go bad. It is less than 5 minutes long, and references some of the findings of Marriage and Relationship researcher John Gottman. 

http://ultimaterelationshipblog.com/2009/02/stressors-2.html?ec=136764-4

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Emotional eating is the process of consuming foods (often high calorie, fatty foods) as a way to cope with personal stress and duress.

Effective ways of curbing the habit of emotional eating involve finding new, healthier, methods of coping with—or altering—one’s emotional state. At Thrive Counseling, we have discovered that the following basic strategies are helpful to our clients.

1)      Alternative Enjoyable Activities. We turn to emotional eating because it improves our emotional state. Make a list of other activities that you enjoy—and review that list when you feel a craving coming on. For some of our clients, alternative activities have included: calling a friend, walking the dog, or downloading a song from iTunes.

2)      Drink Water. Many of us live in a constant state of dehydration. When we’re dehydrated we can mistake thirst for hunger. Staying well hydrated can reduce cravings and provide you more energy throughout the day.

3)      Substitute some lower calorie foods. If you’re going to snack, try incorporating fruits and vegetables into your menu. We usually don’t feel too guilty at the end of the day if we’ve eaten too many carrots and apples.

4)      Get the junk food out of the house. In the same way that an alcoholic shouldn’t have beer in the house, if you are prone to emotional eating, keeping junk food at a distance is a simple way of preventing a lapse when your willpower is low.

5)       Let the Craving Pass. –Most cravings last 20 minutes or less. It you are longing for something sweet, tell yourself you’re going to wait just 20 minutes before you indulge. The craving will pass on its own.

6)      Exercise. Tried and true, rigorous exercise both reduces stress and temporarily reduces appetite.

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