New Yorkers working harrrrd
I had to work late tonight, but thankfully, it inspired me to write what I planned on being tonight’s post… That was then, but as in life, and especially in NYC, things just don’t always go as planned…
I like my original post, so I’m going to use it to paint a picture of how I got to where I am right now. You’ll just have to read through it all to get to the deeper stuff ;-).
Tonight’s post was going to start as follows: How I Put on a Happy Face When Working Late
So goes the “glamorous” NYC life. We play hard, but we work way harder (at least I do!). This is an aspect of New York that I think Hollywood gets right (Devil Wears Prada is my fave movie of all time). Thus at times, living the fast life may mean a bit of a late night at the office. Tonight is one of those nights for me. Looking on the bright side, I’ll get back 1-2 hours of time that I would have spent laying on my couch, turning off my brain, digging in to pretzels and cream cheese and watching reality tv (No worries: I’ll be sure to make up for the loss this weekend).
I refuse to pretend that I don’t complain, because I do. In my opinion, the only person who doesn’t complain is a robot ;-). However, I will admit that complaints are rather uninteresting. Therefore this post will discuss 5 ways I keep that smile alive while burning the midnight oil:
(The above commentary is ALL true. Nobody wants to work late, but it’s much easier to do when you have a supportive working environment, full of fun, dynamic and creative people. I’m lucky enough to have this in my current job.)
So from here, I was going to lay out the 5 things making me a little happier to work late.
I was going to talk about laughing (commiserating) with my amazing coworkers.
Celebrity gossip and Taylor Swift make a late night at our office fly by 😉
My cube buddy and I both had the good fortune of working late tonight, and you can bet there was a lot of laughter and country music making the night a little more tolerable, mixed in with a little celebrity gossip. (Note the standard NY Minute Hair Bun – With daily morning runs in my routine, something must be sacrificed – straightened hair is the first thing to go)
I was going to talk about dreaming of items to buy tomorrow for my candy dish while at the same time being grateful it was currently empty because otherwise I would have been digging in and spoiling dinner.
Empty candy dishes may actually be a good thing during a late night at the office...
Yes, I am indeed “that girl with the candy dish” at my office. Are you really shocked by this?
I was going to talk about being happy that I was able to have a balanced dinner even though I was a bit stressed and overwhelmed
Turkey/Ham Subway Salad, quick, easy, no fuss!
A balanced meal really is only a Subway away (I mean the chain restaurant, not the transportation, but I suppose in NYC, this too is true). Subway’s product placement in Biggest Loser may be obscenely annoying, but with good reason. It’s healthy, accessible food that most people can afford.
I was going to talk about being glad I could enjoy a little treat while working away
Reddi Whip elevates this "dish" to another level
Yes, that is Reddi Whip on my hot chocolate. I am also the girl with the can of Reddi Whip in the refrigerator at work. Luckily, I share, so no one will actually tell me to my face that he/she thinks it’s weird
Finally, I was going to talk about how lucky I was to have a giant beer garden and Irish pub directly across the street from my office.
A good beer is always less than a block away here in NYC
Admittedly, most New Yorkers have that same luck. But, hey, I’ll never stop appreciating the fact that the option is always there.
So that was supposed to be the end of my post…but then I got home and saw this:
Laundry, laundry everywhere 🙁
The giant pile of laundry tore down my “Positive Polly” wall unleashing “Stressed-Out Sally” and the millions of items/concerns on my mind: (I’m rarely Debby Downer, Negative Nancy or any of those other ones, but stress is a characteristic that MANY would use to describe me)
- I thought about my bills: Had I paid them all on time? What if I missed one??
- I thought about the 3:00 PM tomorrow deadline: How would I get the work done with back-to-back meetings through 3:00??
- I thought about this blog: What if I wasn’t worthy of talking about this healthy living stuff? What if I couldn’t keep up with it consistently? What if I’m making a fool of myself? What if no one reads this?
- I thought about tomorrow’s workout: HOW would I fit this in to my crazy day??
- I thought about my relationship status: Those who know me well know that I very much value my “Jamie” time. But, my 10 year high school reunion is just around the corner (July) and I’m from Nebraska…let’s just say I’ll be in the minority come July…
- I thought about my good friend’s wedding in Texas next weekend: Love weddings – hate to fly, so of course I start worrying 1 week in advance
- I thought about my friends and family: Was I doing enough to keep in touch? Had I just been a complete b***** to my poor mother on the phone?
- I thought about running: Was I losing my running mojo? Did I need to sign up for another race ASAP so I would have a concrete goal?
- I thought about my weight: This one’s a big one…and a topic I’ve never discussed on here. Since the marathon, understandably, I’ve gained a couple of pounds. The problem is that it REALLY bothers me.
- I thought about the royal wedding: With all of this going on in my life, how would I find the time to watch the most important wedding of all time (I’m OBVIOUSLY kidding – with all this serious talk, I just had to throw in a joke)
The list could go on and on. But the point is that right away, I did what I always do: I turned to food. It’s not important, nor necessary for me to detail exactly what I emotionally ate tonight on this blog. As much as I joke about the fact that I’m an emotional eater, sometimes it’s really just not that funny. Yes the picture of a happy-go-lucky girl, staring out the window of her tiny NYC apartment, shoving handfuls of Fruit Loops into her mouth while simultaneously dipping pretzels into cream cheese, IS mildly entertaining. However, at times, it gets me down. (But don’t worry, I’ll still joke about it :-))
I’m in a constant battle to control my urge to eat during emotional times. I am not overweight, and I do not have an eating disorder. BUT, that doesn’t mean I do not struggle with food. Furthermore, I am not depressed or even somewhat unhappy. I’m merely a high-energy, high-stress, content 20 something New Yorker struggling to find a healthy balance of indulgence in all areas of her life.
And when I get overwhelmed, I eat…a lot…of carbs :-). Health Magazine recently featured a wonderful article on combatting emotional eating. Not sure if they’ll work for me, but at the very least, it’s worth a read.
I can’t pinpoint what triggered tonight’s “emotional eating spree,” but I do know that writing about it felt liberating! Tomorrow’s a new day, and I will do my best to make healthy decisions!
I’ll leave you with my favorite little mantra. It is completely cliche but I can genuinely say that I live my life with this in mind: “Never frown, because you never know when someone is falling in love with your smile.”At Mile 25 of the National Marathon, a volunteer at the water station told me my smile was one of the biggest he’s ever seen. “That a girl,” he shouted at me. “Keep that giant smile going through the end!” I’ll never forget that moment. And I figure, if I can smile that big after 25 miles, with 1 mile to go, I can smile through anything 🙂
(So please excuse the overabundance of happy faces on my little blog)
Question:
What are your techniques for coping with stress? How do you avoid the emotional eating trap?
I just try to do my best when the urge comes. I take a bath—play with my dog—anything.
Sometimes though, I just eat. However, it’s not mindless anymore. Sometimes eating something really DOES Make me feel better so I just go with it. I think the idea though is that you must be present when you are doing it!
To alleviate concerns, you do a great job in all of those worry areas-it amazes me everyday how you make time for everything! Who cares about laundry anyway? I used to have a box of cereal at work to have a bowl with milk in the morning or when I needed a snack in the afternoon. I find not buying the box of cereal to be the most effective defense from eating it. 🙂
It’s so hard not to emotionally eat. If I get in one of those moods, the best thing for me is always exercise. When I can’t, I try to set aside the treat I want (a serving of cookies, chocolate, etc. ) Then I set a timer, or say I can have it in 30 minutes after reading, taking a bath, etc. Somehow I really appreciate it more when I get to enjoy it, and I feel no guilt which is so important to me. 🙂
Thanks for the tip! 🙂
This is such a great post! I love the way you turned working late into so many positives – that is inspiring. But more importantly, I loved your honesty. I am definitely an emotional eater and I think recognizing this is such an important thing. And writing about – uncensored – is phenomenally cheap therapy. 🙂
I’m a big believer in focusing on the positive in the most stressful situations and you totally communicated that in this post. Thank you for being so candid with us!
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Wow so I found your blog through Chef Katelyn and im so glad this was the first post I read. I have the same problem. While I joke about my need to overeat when I’m stressed, its not funny. Especially when my pants get too tight. Now when I stress out i find someone, anyone, to talk to just to get it out 🙂 Cant wait to read more!!!