Somebody stop the train! 7 Key Strategies for Coping with Stress

Lately I've been having conversations with my friends about how quickly time seems to be going. We all seem to be having the same experience of time just FLYING... It feels like even in just the last 3 months, someone flicked some cosmic switch and just put us all in warp speed. Do you feel it too? There is just sooo much to do, and we feel perpetually "on"... busy beyond busy, yet a feeling of never really making a lot of progress. And, while friends are on our minds, and we still feel connected to each other, a month can easily pass without so much as a phone call... maybe a quick email exchange here or there, but no real face time or even phone time. When we speak, we pick up where we left off, but as we're talking, we catch ourselves referring to things that have happened in our lives as if the other person knew about them... when we realize we hadn't talked since before "X" happened, we are snapped into the reality that "holy crap, we really haven't talked in a while, eh?" I'm glad to know this isn't just me feeling this way, and the fact that we're all going through this together is somewhat comforting, and allows us to give each other the breathing room without anyone taking the lack of contact personally. But shoot, it's exhausting isn't it? AND... I miss my peeps! AND... dun dun duuuuuun... we're only about to go into the holiday season! Let the madness begin! Sigh. Anyone else getting a headache? I need a nap.

At times like this, we may be feeling a multitude of effects of being in the "Warp Zone." For example:

• Physically - tired & depressed, or alternatively tired & "wired," headaches, difficulties with digestion, having an increase in appetite or cravings for sweet & fatty foods, feel like you can never get enough sleep, perhaps catching colds or sore throats more easily
  
• Mentally - low mood/apathetic, or anxious, irritable, and time-pressured, problems concentrating or remembering things
• Spiritually - somewhat disconnected, perhaps you look back at your day (or even just what you were doing in the last hour) and it's all just a blur... especially activities involving interacting with other people, if you look back on it a couple of hours later, does it feel like it was way earlier in the day or like several days have passed since the interaction?

These (and there are more) are all signs of chronic stress. Stress is the absolute #1 underlying factor in the development dis-ease and lack of vitality and wellness. Short of adding more hours to the day or physically slowing time down, there are some things you can do for yourself - body, mind and spirit - to help mitigate the effects of stress:

1. Breathe. Get PRESENT. Ever notice how when we are kids, a day feels like a week, a week, is like a month, and summer feels like it goes on forever, but it seems like the older we get, the faster time speeds by; A day is nothing, in fact we wish we had more time... a week flies by like a day used to feel, and the summer... it's what we were looking forward to back in March and April a the first signs of spring, but suddenly in autumn we're looking back and realizing it's gone already and we didn't even take advantage of it. This happens because as adults, we are always focusing so much on the future - what we have to get, want to get done, need to get done, or "can't wait for." When your head is always in the future, your body and soul go with it. You are no longer present in the here and now, so you don't experience it fully. Bring your focus back to the present moment. Remind yourself to do this several times a day. Give yourself even just 2 minutes to take some deep breaths, look around and notice the sights, sounds, smells... look out a window (or better yet, go outside), talk to someone and get back in the moment, and regain some perspective.
2. 
   Honour your body's need for sleep and rest. If you aren't getting enough rest, you are going to burn out, mentally and physically. When you're under periods of stress, your body needs more recovery time, and your brain needs a break. You're going to crave sugary and fatty foods, you're going to feel depressed or anxious, and let's face it, you're not going to be nearly as productive or as effective in anything you do. Your workouts will suffer, your work performance will suffer, and your motivation to do much outside of work will suffer. This makes it harder to do the next step.
3. 
   Stay organized. Make lists, and prioritize. Recognize there ARE only so many hours in the day. Take the pressure off to be a super hero, take a stand for your "only human" self, and give yourself a break. If you have a tendency to run a to-do list in your head all the time, do yourself a favour and just write it down. Use electronics to your advantage; for example, you can use the "tasks" function in Outlook to remind you of important tasks - when something comes up that you need/want to follow up on, schedule a task for that date/time and let it pop up to remind you. Or use a dayplanner and do the same thing. And, please make sure you put at least ONE thing on that list EVERY DAY and EVERY WEEK that is fun, relaxing, and rejuvenating for YOU.
4. 
   Eat a well balanced, nutrient-dense diet that is nourishing to body and soul. Much like getting enough rest, your body, mind and spirit cannot go on well without getting adequate nutrition to support the demands you're making to keep going at that pace. Eat more fruits, veggies, whole grains, and beans and legumes. Eat a little less animal protein. Eat grounding foods like sweet potatoes, carrots, turnips and beans. Soups and stews are easy to digest and comfort the body and soul.
5. 
   Take B-vitamins and Vitamin C. These vitamins are depleted under periods of high stress. B-vitamins in particular help your body cope with stress, and boost your energy and support digestion and metabolism of carbs, fat, and protein. Vitamin C helps as well, and supports the immune system which can become compromised by excess stress.
6. 
   Take adrenal support supplements and/or 5-HTP. The adrenal glands are the body's stress-glands. They product stress hormones that help your body release extra energy to keep you going. But they can become overworked and fatigued when stress goes on too long. A nutritious diet, b-vitamins, and adequate rest are important. Avoid caffeine, it adds more stimulation to the adrenals. Try "adaptogenic" herbs (adrenal supporting, helping your body adapt to stress) such as Relora, Rhodiola, or even adrenal glandular formulations. 5-HTP is a hormone that supports serotonin production, so if you are feeling depressed, this can help. However, consult a doctor before taking it if you are already taking SSRI medications for depression.
7. 
   Less screen time, more face time. The relationships in our lives are what make life worth living, aren't they? So while life seems to have sped up with more and more demands on our time, remember, you will never on your death-bed wish you'd spent more time at the office, or catching up on your tv shows, or playing internet games or surfing the net. Time spent connecting with friends and loved ones and colleagues alike is ALWAYS time well spent, and help us get present and reconnected to ourselves. Make sure you take some time EVERY DAY to connect with at least one important person in your life, even if just for 10 minutes (the more the better).

As the holidays approach, use these strategies and CONSCIOUSLY CHOOSE how you want to spend your time, and how you want to remember them. Be present, take the pressure off, and prioritize yourself, your health, your relationships, and your enjoyment of the time that you have. I know it feels like it's not possible and not in your hands to choose how your time is spent. If that's the case, then perhaps the first priority for you is in fact to prioritize YOURSELF. No one else - and certainly no job - will do this for you. You have to own it, and make it happen. The reward is priceless.