After weight loss surgery, you’ll learn a lot about the impact that your sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass or gastric band in Ft. Myers or Naples has on your physical health. You’ll work hard to adopt the healthy habits that promote a lifestyle free of obesity, and this can be a big help in maintaining a healthy body. But what about a healthy mind?
Losing weight is as much a mental battle as it is a physical one. When stress adds up, it can make it much harder to maintain the positive attitude that will help you maintain your diet and exercise habits. Too much stress can lead to problems like emotional eating, which can slow your progress with excess calories.
Everyone gets stressed out from time to time—it’s a natural part of life—but many stress management techniques make it easy to reduce stress on your own. Activities like progressive muscle relaxation can do wonders for your stress levels and require nothing more than your own body to perform.
Ready to relax? Start by finding a comfortable and quiet place to sit or lie down. You’ll want to flex each of your body’s muscles in succession—hold it for 20 seconds, then relax for 30 seconds and feel the tension leaving your body.
Work through your muscles in this order:
- Wrinkle your forehead.
- Close your eyes tight.
- Wrinkle up your nose.
- Push your tongue against the roof of your mouth.
- Clench your jaw.
- Tighten your neck by bringing your chin down towards your chest.
- Arch your back.
- Tense your chest with a deep breath.
- Flex your stomach muscles.
- Tense your arms by flexing your biceps.
- Clench your hands into tight fists.
- Tense your thighs and butt.
- Tense your calves by pushing on the ground with your feet.
- Tense your feet by turning your toes up.
This process can take up to 15 minutes, so don’t rush it. You’ll need to give it your full attention and progress through the movements slowly for the most benefit. To master the skill and manage stress effectively, you should try doing progressive muscle relaxation twice a day, but you can do it as much or as little as you like.
As you work on lowering your stress levels after sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass or gastric band in Ft. Myers or Naples, combining different relaxation techniques can help even more. Besides progressive muscle relaxation, what other techniques do you find most effective after weight loss surgery? Share your favorites in the comments below!