good morning everyone! i am alive i swear! it’s been particularly crazy in the lab lately (hey phase III clinical trials ending…i’m looking at you!) but i have proof that i have not turned into a reclusive cat lady. Megan spotted me out last night at first friday—hey girl!
i have declared this weekend: retail therapy operation rejuvenate. this will include: proper lie ins, coffee with coconut milk, painting my nails, going to the natural history museum on this rainy day & nourishing meals a plenty!
i admit that my sleeping has been poor lately. for the first time in my adult life, i have been waking at ungodly hours and worrying/trying to solve experimental design issues/math ad nauseam until dawn. i also confess to an episode of starting to cry but then bursting into laughter when my rational self started to parse through the stressful situation in which i find myself at present. did i actually think that drug discovery at a start up biotech would be easy? no. i like the challenge and competitiveness. poor nate! halllp meh.
so i’m a touch melodramatic right? i might not be the best at managing my stressors but at least i remain passionate about my life and everything that shapes me along the way. i would also like to take this opportunity to apologize to my family & friends for neglecting them. i love you so much and have been selfish with my time. i’m not purposely avoiding you, just taking ‘me’ time to maintain my sanity! x
if you have any tips to give me re: stress management i am willing to try them! hit me up in the comments! until then, you’ll find me in ‘therapy’ aka stocking my closet with this:
September 8, 2012 at 7:06 pm
Here are my favorite stress busters:
-The amino acid l-theanine induces calm alpha brainwaves and helps with focus. You can take 100+ mg at a time (play with the dose- it’s safe). Look for the Suntheanine form (many brands use that form). Sometimes taking it before bed can help you to sleep better.
-Deep breathing- most people under stress hold their breath or breath shallowly into the chest and shoulders and this triggers a sympathetic nervous system response. Deep belly breathing will massage the vagus nerve and induce a parasympathetic state. This video does a great job of showing how:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZRiHDrhJZY
-Acupuncture would be good but if you can’t/won’t do it, here are some acupressure points. Massage these throughout the day and if you wake up at night.
The Heart 7 points on your wrists can help to settle an overactive mind (the laughing/crying combo and the waking up with a busy mind indicates an unsettled “heart energy” pattern):
http://www.yinyanghouse.com/acupuncturepoints/ht7
You can also massage the Yin Tang point between the eyebrows:
http://www.yinyanghouse.com/acupuncturepoints/x-yintang
-A cool bath. I know it doesn’t sound fun, but it really gets me into a peaceful, zoned-out state which is a welcome relief when I’m hysterically stressed.
I hope you find a little slice of peace and relaxation!
-Erin
September 9, 2012 at 1:53 pm
erin, thank you so much for your thoughtful comments! i will definitely look into l-theanine as i have heard about that as well. you know, i find myself often only shallow breathing so that in and of itself might help! simply remembering to breathe deeply!
i am still looking into acupuncture and you were right—some places will let you pay as you go instead of signing up for a complete package! it’s definitely an option still on the table. i am also looking into that for regulation of my cycle. i have yet to get a period from last christmas and just had a full hormonal workup in july. my serum results were all normal but they don’t know why i am not ovulating so i’m being patient and exploring other options in the meantime
September 8, 2012 at 10:33 pm
My favorite way to de-stress is workout!!
September 9, 2012 at 1:54 pm
haha i knew you would say that and you have the bangin bod to prove it!
but in all seriousness, you’re totally right…working out definitely helps me let go…especially when i can make myself slow down enough for yoga. other days, i feel like i need to ‘sweat it out’ you know what i’m saying?
September 9, 2012 at 4:04 am
If you figure out the secret, let me in on it too!
I’ve been taking rhodiola, an herb. It has been working wonders for me. Maybe its a placebo, but if so….I’m okay with that.
September 9, 2012 at 1:58 pm
interesting…i haven’t heard of that one but you know i have faith in the power of the plant! i get what you’re saying about the placebo effect—i feel that way about maca powder actually. i took the rec’d dose for months cycling 3 weeks on and 1 week off for like 5-6 months and never felt any different. at least i can save my money on that ‘superfood’ lol. are you taking 100mg or ?/i need to read up on this a bit. in my 30s of research, i saw the primal calm formula by mark sisson has both your herb + l -heanine as a blend so you guys must be onto something right
September 9, 2012 at 10:31 pm
My stress reliever is working out…it feels good to let out the tension and put it all to perform as good as possible. Another thing is I actually do house cleaning!
September 10, 2012 at 3:05 am
hope you get some R & R!
my fav ways to relax:
1) yoga
2) nap time/ reading time in bed
3) heading to the water! seeing the water always calms me!
…I also love retail therapy
September 10, 2012 at 5:00 pm
oh yes, been there. Spending time with family always helps. A nice long meal together and walk. Take it all in then breathe it out.
rest up friend.
September 12, 2012 at 8:54 pm
Breathing is a de-stresser for me. I do this thing where I close my eyes or focus on one point, and then I take a deep breath in, hold for five seconds, then release slowly. I keep doing this and I notice I feel less tension. Another thing I’ve noticed that helps is to make “brrrrrrr” sound with my lips.. like what you see little kids do. I do it sometimes when I’m running to get my body to rest, and then I kick it back up. But you can do this anytime. Humming to myself too.. there’s something about the vibrations of these things that’s really soothing to the physical body. Also, anyway that you feel the need to release, just do it
start the day with morning and evening stretches and remind yourself that these stressful times are temporary. Things will calm down again.
Much love!
September 25, 2012 at 4:32 pm
Hi Melissa!
I’ve been a lurker on your blog for a couple of years, but this is the first post that I felt I *had* to comment on… It looks like someone else already mentioned acupuncture, but I’d recommend trying a Community Acupuncture clinic, which can be much more affordable than a traditional practice. I did a quick search and it looks like there are at least two in Pittsburgh.
In the community model, many people are treated together in the same room. To me, it’s kind of like practicing yoga in a class vs. practicing alone in your living room–they’re both good, but you don’t get that same nourishing shared energy that comes from a bunch of people having the same experience together. I’ve found that to be especially great for stress and anxiety. And acupuncture in general is one of the best things I know of for what I call “mind-won’t-shut-down” insomnia.
I’ll admit… I’m probably a little biased since I’m an acupuncturist and just opened a community clinic in Tucson : ) I had a traditional private practice for years, but once I tried the community model I totally fell in love with it. And one of the reasons I started going to acupuncture in the first place was for issues with anxiety. It worked so well that I decided to become an acupuncturist myself!
Good luck with everything!
September 26, 2012 at 2:35 pm
kelly, thank you so much for your thoughts on this. i am seriously considering giving acupuncture a try! i plan on recapping what has been helping reduce the stress in a future post!