The stresses of life can be an incredible burden. Regardless of the causes of these anxiety troubles, they can take both psychological and physical tolls on us. While many assume that overeating is the worst stress-inducing eating disorder, another consequence of anxiety is a lack of appetite, which can end up resulting in serious health problems.

Instead of brushing off these sudden changes in eating and merely labeling them as nonsense, it is important to identify the causes, potential concerns, and possible solutions in order to revert yourself back to a healthy and stress-free lifestyle.

What’s the Science Behind Stress-Induced Loss of Appetite?

When we become stressed, our bodies begin to release stress hormones that impact different parts of our body, such as the digestive system, that in turn affect the way we function physically.

The reactions of bodies to the stress hormones, as well as how long these reactions last, can vary greatly from person to person. People who don’t commonly experience anxiety may overeat as a result. Meanwhile, those who deal with anxiety and disorders much more frequently can be more susceptible to a loss of appetite.

In addition to the lack of eating, other digestive troubles people can experience include diarrhea, indigestion, breathing troubles, and shakiness. In some cases, these also have the tendency to contribute to a person’s appetite issues.

How Do You Know if You Have Stress-Induced Loss of Appetite?

Many people who have experienced this painful stress side-effect say that they have a desire or need to eat, but can’t bring themselves to digest anything due to mental or physical blocks (such as a knot in their stomach). If you have gone through similar periods of little-to-no eating, either due to inability or disinterest, it could be a sign that you deal with a hefty amount of stress and anxiety in your day-to-day life.

It is important to look into and act on your appetite issues, because there are lasting effects that can develop from them. Serious weight loss is one danger of not eating, as is loss of energy and strength. A person’s mood will undoubtedly change in light of their eating disorder as well. In short, very little good comes from your body receiving a lack of nutrition.

Identifying the Stresses that May Be Causing Your Appetite Changes

Now that you understand the inner-workings of stress-induced loss of appetite, the next step is identifying the causes of your anxiety. There are numerous circumstances in your life that can be inflicting troubles, such as:

• You or a loved one’s health
• Your work environment
• Your social life
• Your finances
• Substantial changes in your life (perhaps a death or a move)

Being able to identify one or multiple causes of stress impacting your appetite is a crucial step in the path to fighting your ailments. This task could be easy for you, as what is bothering you could be on your mind constantly and thus easy to recognize. Or, you might need to do additional work in narrowing down your problems.

There are a number of methods you can take. Attempt to go through every day while keeping your mood in mind and seeing when and how it changes because of specific events or thoughts. If you are too busy to pay attention and analyze your moods, try this method at night instead, and write about your day in a journal. Note what stresses or feelings were significant. If this still does not help to reveal anything substantial, a trip to a licensed therapist is always an effective way of working out your struggles and mapping out a game plan for how to proceed.

Fighting Your Stress and Dealing With Your Eating

When thinking about ways to relieve your stress, your mind might instantly go to “meditation.” It is a time-proven strategy that works. There are many meditation techniques that are easy to learn and can be performed practically anywhere. All you need to do is embrace the newly-found wave of muscle relaxation and zen.

Another method of de-stressing is doing what you love. Whether that involves fishing, exercising, or reading, putting yourself in an activity that brings out feelings of joy and engagement can help you block out negative thoughts and reactions.

There are also ways of maneuvering through your loss of appetite while working to bring your stress levels down. One method is finding foods that you can digest more easily. Be it crackers or toast, putting something in your stomach is much better than skipping meal after meal. If you are still having trouble eating, you can always substitute foods for liquids in order to maintain a constant consumption of calories.

If you think your lack of eating may be getting worse, seeing a doctor is highly advised. They will be able to help properly diagnose you and advise what steps in order to take next. Having too many opinions on your situation can never be a bad thing.

Staying Strong

While it is always possible to conquer your stress and disorders, it cannot be done overnight. While it might be frustrating to not see results right away, having hope and staying strong through times of difficulty is a great strategy that can help your mood and energy.

Taking the time to perform some self-care is something many of us forget to do in the never-ending bustle and hustle of our days, but it is an increasingly important action we must take in order to keep ourselves safe, healthy, and energetic. No matter how much stress and work you may have on your plate, remember that you always come first. The sooner that can be realized, the sooner you can start overcoming your anxiety and eating disorders.

If You are Suffering from Appetite Loss, There is Still a Way to Get Nutrition

ENU Nutritional Shakes were specifically created for individuals who have trouble eating. There are a number of reasons why a person might have trouble eating, and appetite loss is certainly one of them.  ENU Shakes are the perfect meal replacement shakes to add to your diet.  To see how ENU can help you make sure that you are getting the nutrition that you need on a daily basis, visit our shop page to learn more.