“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” -George Bernard Shaw
Speaking of stress (in our recent blog posts), there’s something to be said for checking on our ability to effectively communicate with our support system.
Pandemic or not, a common connection I see between heightened stress and nutrition is the lack of communication (or assumptions made about it) between and within families, partnerships, and other person-to-person relationships.
“Shouldn’t they know by now I can’t do all of the shopping and food prep myself?”
”Didn’t I give enough hints that I have no time for making dinners this week?”
”I sure wish he would help with grocery shopping.”
”I have to do everything around here.”
”Why is my coach scheduling 10+ hours of training this week when I have zero time?”
The above statements are common ones I hear from my athletes whose stress gauge is consistently showing in the red zone. Like the stress needle is 11 out of 10, if you know what I mean.
Sometimes we need to take a pause and ask ourselves if WE are really being honest and open. Are we expressing our needs and feelings effectively? As much as it may hurt to hear this, it’s not always THEM who aren’t hearing us or seeing what is to be seen.
There are many layers to uncover in the realm of communication techniques and we won’t go into the specifics here (although I will say I’m a fan of Nonviolent Communication).
My main point is to think about your stress levels around nutrition. How have you communicated your needs? Or have you at all?
It can be a delicate step for some of us to take, but re-examining our communication patterns can open new doors that lead us down the path of stress reduction, relief, and improved well-being.
Thanks for reading,
Dina