With the holiday season fully upon us, two things are probably a whole lot more prevalent in your life: stress and tempting, rich foods. Throughout the year, and especially during the holidays, many dieters face the issue of stress eating.

When we consume food, our brains release chemicals called serotonin and endorphins that relieve stress and make us feel happier. Of course, these short-term gains in mental well-being, while reducing holiday stress, come at the expense of gains in excess body weight. The holidays, in particular, can be a troubling time for chronic stress eaters. Adjusting to the colder season, purchasing gifts, balancing budgets and making arrangements for holiday gatherings add plenty of stress, and we’re conveniently presented with tempting sweets and feasts that make it easier to cope.

Tips and Techniques to Successfully Eliminate Holiday Stress Eating

Of course, taking the “easy way out” and eating your problems away will add pounds quickly, potentially negating your New Year’s resolution before it even begins. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways for dealing with holiday stress without resorting to stress eating. Your mental health, as well as your weight and body fat percentage, will be better for it.

1. Indulge in a quick nap

   You may think that you’re too busy for a nap during the holiday season, but the reality is that a nap doesn’t have to last for hours in order to be effective. In fact, the opposite is true. When you take a lengthy nap, your body enters a deeper state of sleep in which it essentially expects to be asleep for a full night. Waking up from an hour-or-more-long snooze will leave you feeling drowsy and just plain out-of-it.

   Instead, opt for a nap lasting just 15 to 20 minutes. This is just long enough to refresh your body and mind, giving you the energy you need to tackle the rest of your daily tasks without stressing out and resorting to excess snacking.

2. Switch to a gentler alarm tone

   Many people dread their alarms each morning, partly because they’d rather not leave their warm, cozy beds, and partly because the alarm sound itself sounds something like a cross between an ambulance siren and nails on a chalkboard. It doesn’t have to be this way!

   Modern alarm clocks have come a long way in terms of technology, features and the ways they wake you up, including gentle vibration under your pillow, soothing alarm tones that begin very quietly, and even lights that gradually become brighter to simulate a sunrise.

   Another option is to choose an alarm clock with a built-in iPod dock. This allows you to connect an MP3 player and choose a song that you’d like to use as an alarm tone. Most would agree that waking up to a favorite tune will provide a less stressful start to their day than being jarred awake by an annoying buzz or ring.

   Starting your day with as little stress as possible will help you cope with additional stressors more easily, reducing your likelihood to stress eat.

3. Exercise for 15 or 30 minutes

   Physical activity causes your brain to release serotonin and endorphins, just as with taking a brief nap. If you’re feeling stressed and unable to nap, try going for a quick bike ride or jog instead and see how you feel afterwords.

   A recent study showed that 15 minutes of physical activity can reduce chocolate cravings, and there’s no reason to believe that the findings wouldn’t apply to cravings for other foods as well.

   In short, when you’re feeling stressed and start to reach for a cookie, resist the temptation and go for a 15-minute walk or jog. The bonus for weight loss seekers is that you’ll actually burn calories instead of consuming more, all while ending with the same result – a reduced food craving and lower stress.

4. Stay hydrated and avoid caffeine

   Drinking a big mug of coffee may seem like a good way to boost your energy levels early in the morning, but you may be setting yourself up for disaster when the caffeine high comes to an end and your energy inevitably crashes. The caffeine crash can cause a huge stress spike, sending you to the refrigerator for a stress-curbing snack.

   Instead, it’s better to stay hydrated with water, juice and other non-caffeinated drinks. Drinking plenty of water will help to balance your energy levels and fuel all of your bodily processes, keeping them running optimally. Water also provides a sense of fullness, making you less likely to nosh as an automatic response to stress.

5. Switch to whole wheat whenever possible

   Reducing your likelihood to eat as a response to stress is partly about keeping your hunger levels minimized and your blood sugar stabilized, even when stress isn’t acutely present.

   One of the best ways to do this is to pay careful attention to how you’re getting your daily carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates, such as anything made with refined or white flour, give you a short burst of energy in the form of a blood sugar spike. Unfortunately, once this spike wears off, your body will crave additional carbs. A sudden dip in your blood sugar can cause a feeling of stress by itself, and it’s compounded when some external factor is already stressing you out.

   The solution is to avoid simple carbs in favor of complex carbohydrates, which you can find easily in the form of whole wheat and whole grains. Start by replacing your morning white bagel with a whole wheat bagel, and look for cereals and breads made with whole grain and plenty of fiber listed on the label. Continue the trend at dinner time by replacing white rice with brown or wild rice, and typical spaghetti with whole wheat spaghetti.

Dealing With Holiday Stress: The Bottom Line

The holidays will always be stressful, and that’s something you can’t simply change. What you can change is the ways in which you cope with holiday stress, especially when stressful moments tempt you to snack on rich, unhealthy foods.

When you feel the need eat in response to stress, go for a 15-minute walk or take a 15-minute nap instead. Invest in an alarm clock with a gentle, soothing wake-up mechanism to start your day off peacefully. Drink plenty of water, avoid the temptations of caffeine, and boost your intake of complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains, while reducing your intake of simple carbohydrates.