This post has been sponsored by Sharecare and refers to my personal experience with the programs.
Sometimes things LOOK differently than they are
Take for example my life. I know that there are times when I make life look PERFECT. Let me stop right here. There is no such thing as a perfect life. While I did lose 45 pounds last year, and I talk about my weight loss, truth be told that I’ve slipped. I gained back four pounds while on vacation and while that may not seem like a lot, I know myself well enough to understand that it is the beginning of what could be a downward spiral for me. I have been struggling with eating again. I find myself rummaging through the refrigerator and cupboards “looking for something good.” Add this to the fact that I’ve had sleep issues (and sleep is SO IMPORTANT for maintaining weight and for overall well-being) that I knew there was more than just the four pounds going on. Life has gotten stressful and instead of dealing with it, I’ve been feeding it.
I needed help
I turned to Sharecare. Now, I’ve been using the regular Sharecare app for my health. I love learning about screenings, foods that are healthy, etc. But, when I learned that they now offered two new apps focusing on the two things that I’m struggling with, I had to check them out.
Breaking the cycle
Knowing that they were interrelated for me, I downloaded both the Unwinding Anxiety as well as the Eat Right Now apps. Now, before you say “OMG, that’s too much for me to do” I’m telling you that it’s not. It turns out that you can easily and effectively break cycles of worry in just 10 minutes of daily practice. I knew that I needed to step away from my computer (one of the causes of my stress – WORK), but just never took the time. Now, I just open up my Unwinding Anxiety app and take a 10-minute coffee (or tea) meditation. That’s right 10 MINUTES. I find that taking a few minutes helps me to reset my mind and relax. It not only helps me with the stress that I’m holding, but it also helps me focus more on the work that I have to do and get it done more effectively so that I can spend more time on the things that I love.
Learn through video modules
Learn what triggers your anxiety and worry with Unwinding Anxiety. We seldom take time to do things like be kind to ourselves, explore our inner child, and even most important, stay on track with the progress we’ve made once we do. For me, learning how to deal with the triggers helps me to sleep better at night. Each module includes exercises. For me, this interactive approach has worked. By dealing with and using the focus and meditation exercises, I’m able to calm myself down so that my mind doesn’t race the minute that I hit the pillow at night.
My relationship with food
Old habits are easy to slide back into. I used to tell people that asked me how I lost the weight that “I ate when I was hungry and stopped when I was full.” It was only partially true. I was fairly regimented, but the moment the regimen was HALTED, I lost control. I realize now that I’ve always had this relationship with food that became my stress reliever, my pacifier, my boredom reliever….everything but what food is for – HUNGER.
Eat Right Now is different from diet apps and different from diet thinking: it’s about rewiring the brain to identify stress and emotional eating patterns, reduce cravings, and build sustainable, healthy habits so that you can deal with your relationship with food. My favorite tool in the app is the Want-O-Meter that helps me to understand whether I am looking to eat because I’m hungry or it’s from something else, like stress, tiredness, boredom, habit, etc. and based on your answers, it suggests exercises that you can do using the app so that you can deal with the REAL problem (rather than eat it away).
For yourself, for your friends, and for your family members
I know, that giving the gift of mindful eating or stress reduction seems odd, I really do. But, think about the difference that something like these two apps can make in their life. That scarf that you were thinking of buying them for the holidays is just another scarf in their collection (and by spring they will have forgotten about it), but the gift of helping them reduce anxiety or actually lose weight and conquer their relationship with food can be LIFE CHANGING.
Sharecare has special offers this holiday season starting Cyber Monday and running until the end of the year: Sharecare
- Unwinding Anxiety: Family memberships are 50% off for up to five family members
- Eat Right Now: Buddy offer – Buy One, Gift One
To redeem the holiday offer, sign up for a subscription and you will receive an email with instructions on redeeming this offer.
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sharecare.
