Stress Beaters.
I
We can choose to overeat, be badly groomed or untidy, but we have to accept that it will be noticed by others.
Image counts, whether we like it or not. In interviews, a person is judged within the first 30 seconds, and that initial impression usually remains.
You do not need to depend on diet alone to change your image. Clothing, hairstyle and personal grooming are just as important and will be noticed. This need not involve spending huge sums of money and can be as simple as remembering to polish your shoes before an interview.
You do not have to accept being seen as a second-class citizen because of your size, but you may have to work harder to overcome prejudice to get to where you want to be. If you find a change of image too difficult, change your work or home environment to one you are more comfortable with.
Although we all have to live with the shape we are given, it is your choice to choose what image you present. Follow your aims and goals, not other people's.
like it or not, in this world appearances do count. This may be unfair, but it is the real world and you are living in it. Whatever your size, be comfortable with who you are. Apart from calorie-counting, develop other ways to improve your image, such as clothes, personal grooming, hairstyle and make-up.

Commit yourself
At the end of an exhausting day, it is always good to get home and be jumped on by my children. They do not care what sort of day I have had, but simply want me to play with them. The problem is, I would quite like some time to myself first, so what do I do? Simple - I commit. I give them 10-15 minutes of complete attention, knowing that after this I can begin to unwind properly and catch up with what has been happening at home. Once I have done this, I can put the day behind me and turn my attention to my family again in a more leisurely manner. This becomes more significant when you realize that research suggests the total amount of time men spend each day with their children has fallen from an average of 30 minutes a decade ago to as little as 15 minutes today. If you add to this the point that children often prefer quality time with parents rather than quantity alone, it is soon apparent that throwing yourself into what you choose to do is important for both you and your family. Try to remember:
Not to be distracted by outside tasks when playing with your children. You may think they will not notice but they do.
If you must work at home in the evening or at the weekend, have distinct cut-off times for both work and play. If you spend all your time looking over your shoulder at what else you need to do, you will do a bad job of both.
You have your whole life in which to work. You will not have your children for long. Is the occasional 10 minutes of quality time for them too much too ask?

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