Dr. Amanda Woods is a licensed clinical psychologist in private practice in Suwanee, Georgia, and serves as an adjunct faculty member at Emory University School of Medicine. She specializes in conducting pre-surgical psychological evaluations for individuals pursuing bariatric (weight loss) surgery and has over a decade of experience working with this population.
In addition to her evaluation work, Dr. Woods provides psychotherapy to adults in her private practice. She has a longstanding passion for understanding the complex relationship between the brain, body, and food. Her research and clinical experience have deepened her commitment to helping individuals navigate the psychological, behavioral, and emotional factors that influence health and well-being.
Read on to discover very helpful information from Dr. Woods with some challenging mental health issues.
1. What are some of your favorite ways to deal with anxiety?
When anxiety starts to build, it can help to focus on simple, familiar things that bring you back to the present. Spending time outside, even a short walk, can make a noticeable difference. Putting your phone away for a bit and taking a break from constant input can also help your mind settle. Reaching out to someone you enjoy talking to, especially someone who makes you laugh, can shift your mood quickly. Other helpful options include listening to music, getting your body moving, or doing something with your hands like organizing, cooking, or working on a hobby. It can also be helpful to focus on one sensation at a time, such as noticing the smell of spices or fruit in your kitchen, paying attention to the sounds around you, or tuning into how something soft, like a blanket, feels.
If anxiety is showing up more consistently, it’s important to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. That might mean evaluating ongoing sources of stress in your life, making adjustments where possible, and building more supportive routines. Connecting with others through a support group, or working with a therapist, can provide tools and perspective that are harder to develop on your own. Managing anxiety isn’t just about handling the moment, it’s also about addressing what’s fueling it over time.
2. Special holidays can be difficult after a loss. What are some positive ways to cope with grief on those days?
Grief often becomes more intense around meaningful dates, so it can help to approach those days with intention rather than avoidance. Some people find comfort in creating rituals, such as lighting a candle, visiting a meaningful place, or doing something that honors their loved one. Others may prefer to spend time with supportive people or keep the day simple and low-pressure.
A key part of self-compassion is allowing yourself to feel whatever comes up, without judgment. At the same time, it is also okay to give yourself breaks from those feelings. Many people naturally look for ways to distract themselves from grief, and food is one way this can happen. While that may provide short-term relief, it can sometimes become more of a problem than a helpful coping strategy over time. If you notice this pattern, it can be helpful to try other forms of comfort that engage your senses, such as lighting a scented candle, doing arts and crafts, watching a funny movie, or going for a scenic drive while listening to music.
You may also consider joining a grief support group, where you can be around others who truly understand what you are going through. There is no single “right” way to navigate these days. What matters most is finding a balance between honoring your loss and taking care of yourself.
3. Share some ideas for stress relief which are non-food related.
Everyone has their own ways of dealing with stress, and those strategies can change depending on the situation. A helpful place to start is by asking yourself: Do I need to calm down? Do I need a distraction from my thoughts? Or do I need a break from my current environment? That quick check-in can help guide you toward what will be most effective in the moment.
If you are feeling overstimulated and need to calm your body, you might step into a quiet space, take some slow deep breaths, take a bath, or go for a light walk while listening to calming music. If you feel stuck in a stress-related thinking loop, it can help to shift your attention. Calling a friend, watching something funny, or spending time playing with a pet can interrupt that cycle. If what you really need is a break, consider physically changing your environment, even briefly. Taking a short drive with the windows down or stepping outside to get fresh air can help reset your system.
You may need to try more than one approach, and that is normal. The goal is to give both your mind and body a chance to reset. Stress can be helpful in short periods when it motivates action, but it becomes less useful when it leads to feeling overwhelmed.
4. How can someone handle negative reactions from others when making major health changes?
When you make a behavioral change, you are not only changing your habits, you are also changing how you show up in relationships. That shift can impact how you relate to others and how they experience you. Making intentional changes to improve your health is something to be proud of, but the people around you may not be in the same place. Even if they care about you, they may feel uncomfortable or intimidated by your progress, especially if it highlights changes they are not ready to make in their own lives.
It can be helpful to stay grounded in your reasons for change and remind yourself that other people’s reactions are not a measure of whether you are doing the right thing. If someone is not supportive, you may choose to share less with them about that part of your life for now. This is not about shutting people out, but about protecting your goals and your progress.
Over time, as your changes become more consistent, others may feel less threatened and even become curious or supportive. Until then, it is important to prioritize your well-being. Making changes in yourself can sometimes lead to shifts in relationships, and that is okay. It does not mean the relationship is lost. If it is a relationship worth keeping, it can adapt and grow alongside you.
5. What would you say to someone who has reached their health goals and has a fear of returning to their “old self”?
This fear is very common and often reflects a concern about slipping back into old patterns. It can be helpful to shift your focus from a specific outcome, like a number on the scale, to the habits and skills that helped you get there. Sustainable change comes from what you consistently do, not just where you end up.
One way to think about this is through a driving analogy. The windshield of a car is much larger than the rear-view mirror because it is more important to focus on what is in front of you and where you are going than on what is behind you. The rear-view mirror still serves a purpose, it helps you stay aware of potential risks, but if you spend too much time looking back, you are more likely to run into something ahead.
The same applies here. It is helpful to learn from your past, but staying focused on it with fear can get in the way of maintaining your progress. Try to stay grounded in the present and focused on what you are doing right now to support your health. If something from your past comes up, approach it with the insight and skills you have developed, then continue moving forward. If you notice the same fears or patterns returning repeatedly, it may be worth talking through them with someone to better understand and address what is coming up.
6. What advice do you have for someone who does not see themselves as any different after they have lost weight?
After losing a significant amount of weight, both your body and brain go through a major adjustment, and that can be a lot to take in. Because you see yourself every day, the changes can feel gradual and easy to miss, which may lead to the sense that not much is different, even when meaningful progress has occurred.
It is also important to remember that physical appearance is only one part of the process. When weight loss is approached in a healthy, sustainable way, there are many other changes happening that deserve attention. These can include shifts in energy levels, improvements in mood, increased strength, better mobility, and overall functioning. I often encourage people to keep a journal throughout their journey, not just to track physical changes, but to notice how they feel day to day, what feels easier, and what has improved over time.
Our culture tends to place a strong emphasis on appearance, but that is only one lens. Most animals in the world have never seen their own reflection, and they function just fine. There can be value in shifting some of your focus away from how you look and toward how you feel and what your body is able to do. Over time, this broader perspective can help your internal sense of self catch up with the physical changes you have made.
