Stress Management

After bariatric surgery, you’ll face a lot of new and intense changes. A distinct diet and exercise plan, frequent checkups with your weight loss surgeon and profound physical changes will be part of your new routine. Changes and complications in personal relationships may also arise. It is easy to feel overwhelmed after surgery and to experience emotions that you might not have expected. You may feel an additional amount of stress during this time. This stress is normal, but you want to make sure you take the steps to constructively manage these feelings in order to optimize your weight loss and overall wellness.

Tips to Managing Stress after Weight Loss Surgery

As new emotional or physical challenges arise after your bariatric surgery, work hard to stay positive. Recognize your emerging stresses and find a way to best approach and cope with these emotions. Some tips for stress management are:

• Relaxation techniques. Try listening to music or meditating. Find a way to calm yourself down and clear your head by detaching yourself from a current stressful situation.
• Time management. Avoid feeling rushed and limited with your day by maintaining a planned schedule. If you manage your time successfully you will avoid amounts of unnecessary stress.
• Take good care of yourself. Don’t smoke, and limit your alcohol intake. Also, make sure your sleeping habits are beneficial to your new routine. Get enough rest each night and don’t overexert yourself.
• Speak up. Find someone to talk to, whether it is a close friend, family member or a professional. Taking it all on your own can be overwhelming; it’s all right to let people know what’s bothering you. Good communication skills can help you express how you feel in a thoughtful and tactful manner.
• Find new ways of thinking. When you find yourself beginning to worry or stress out, try and stop these thoughts. Find ways to let go of things you cannot change. You can’t fix everything, but you can learn to cope effectively.
• Journaling and creative outlets. Try keeping a journal when you are feeling overwhelmed. Maybe take up a hobby such a painting or drawing. These are relaxing ways of letting out pent up emotions.

If all else fails, don’t feel embarrassed to seek help. Emotional support groups and psychological specialists are always available options if you feel as if you can’t manage your stress on your own. It is important to find stress management techniques that work for you after your bariatric surgery. After surgery you want to fully benefit from your dramatic weight loss, this includes having a healthy mind as well as body. Stress is unavoidable, but with the right methods and techniques, it’s more than manageable.