One clue

youre
sleep-
deprived:
You dream
during cat
naps.

7 Subtle
Signs Youre
Burned-Out
WOMAN, CONAN THAI/THELICENSINGPROJECT.COM

Sure, your life is nuts, but youre holding it

together just fineright? Time for a reality check.
Heres how to gauge how stress is affecting your
body, plus easy ways to dial it back.
B y K AT E RO C K WO O D

DECEMBER 2015 HEALTH.COM 73

LIVE HEALTHY | Beat Burnout
WHEN TESS KEARNS AND
her husband started
an all-natural catering
company in Chicago last
year, the responsibilities
of running a new business
and raising two kids were
super-consuming. I found
myself with a late mortgage
and not enough business
and racing to learn new
skills to keep it all going,
says Tess. But I didnt
feel like I was worn-out. I
just felt like I had a heavy
load to carry.
Then her memory began
to slip. Id meet someone
for a second or third time
and not recognize them,
she says. I needed to write
to-do lists so I wouldnt
forget tasks, but then Id
lose the lists. I was in my
40s, and I was afraid I had
early-stage Alzheimers.
Tess didnt have
dementia: She was
careening toward burnout.
Memory blips are just one
of the bodys clues that its
stressed to the max. But
were often operating at
such a fast pace that we
dont even notice the signs.
Our bodies try to tell us
to slow down, and we just
dont listen, says Alice
Domar, PhD, founder of the
Domar Center for Mind/
Body Health in Waltham,
Mass. If you ignore the
distress signals for too long,
they can turn into health
problems. Watch out for
these biological tip-offs
that its time for a breather.
You keep drawing
blanks
When youre under stress,
your adrenal gland pumps
out cortisol, and research
has shown that this fight-
or-flight hormone can
hinder your powers of
74 HEALTH.COM DECEMBER 2015
recall, making it tougher
to access stored facts
(including so-and-sos
name and where you left
your phone).
Add late nights or
insomnia to the mix and
your recollection may get
even slipperier. During
sleep, your brain replays
whatever you learned that
day and moves it into long-
term storage, explains
Sandra Ackermann, PhD,
a postdoctoral researcher
in biopsychology at the
University of Zurich. If you
dont get enough shut-eye
or you go to bed with your
cortisol levels still spiking,
that process of encoding
details is disturbed.
Tess finally connected
her spaciness to burnout at
a networking event, where a
Reiki therapist spoke about
how stress can make the
body go haywire. I went
in for a session, and while
I was there I felt peace and
calm, says Tess. It may
sound woo woo, but I got
my focus back. Shortly
after that, we had our best
business month yet. (See
page 94 for more on Reiki.)
Your cuts take
forever to heal
Whether you graze your
knuckle with a vegetable
peeler or develop a nasty
blister on a long-distance
Your head pounds on Saturdays
After a brutal week at the office, the weekend feels like a gift from the
gods. You sleep in, enjoy a leisurely brunch and then...develop throbbing
IMAGES; CHOCOLATE ICON, LUSHIK/
GETTY IMAGES; MAGNIFYING GLASS
THIS PAGE: WOMAN, IAN HOOTON/
GETTY IMAGES; OPPOSITE PAGE:
pressure in your skull? Were not exactly sure why, but migraines
BREATHE ICON, RHOON/GETTY
are sometimes triggered by the letdown after a period of stress rather
than the stress itself, explains Peter Goadsby, PhD, a neurologist who
specializes in headache disorders at Kings College London. The effect
might be the result of a sharp drop in cortisol. Who knew?

Delaying your
usual 8 a.m.
espresso until
10 a.m. could
be enough to
trigger caffeine
withdrawal.
CRAFT ICON, RAKDEE PHAKHASUP/
GETTY IMAGES; TEA ICON, LUSHIK/
ICON, APPLEUZR/GETTY IMAGES;
JUSTINROQUE/GETTY IMAGES
run, expect to wear a
GETTY IMAGES; TREE ICON,
Band-Aid for a while if
youre overtaxed. When symptoms before and during
you get an injury, your
immune system engages
right away, sending signals
to produce collagen, form
a blood clot and recruit
cells to protect against
germs, explains William
Huang, MD, assistant
professor of dermatology
at Wake Forest University
School of Medicine in
Winston-Salem, N.C. But
when youre stressed,
your body has higher
levels of chemicals called
glucocorticoids, which
suppress your immune
system and make healing
slower. Researchers from
Ohio State University
studied this effect in the
caregivers of dementia
patients: They found that
people shouldering such
responsibility healed
24percent more slowly than
those in a control group.
Your cramps
are lethal
You already know that
stress can make your
period late. Thats because
when the hypothalamus,
the regulatory center of
the brain, senses that your
body is running on empty,
it can delay the release
of an egg, shifting your
whole cycle offtrack.
But for some women,
feeling frazzled may make
PMS worse as well. In a
National Institutes of Health
study, researchers followed
259 women for more
than a month and quizzed
them on how often they
felt, for example, nervous
or not in control of their
lives. Those who reported
more stress early in their
cycle were more likely
than relaxed women to
have moderate to severe
four cups a day for six weeks
their period. (Because
killer cramps are just what
you need right now.)
COUNTDOWN TO
CALM
For most of us, stress is a constant. But every
break you give yourself helps, says Alice Domar,
PhD, a pioneer in mind-body medicine. Even
just a minute of rest will calm your autonomic
nervous system, giving you time to recover,
she says. If you can squeeze in 20cumulative
minutes a day for a few weeks, you can reset
your whole system, making your body less
sensitive to stress hormonesand less
vulnerable to the symptoms on these pages.
Here, a few quick suggestions.
1 minute 2 minutes
BREATHE OUT EAT
When we get (A LITTLE)
stressed, we tend CHOCOLATE
to breathe very shallowly or A study published in the
hold our breath, says Domar. Journal of Proteome Research
Deep, diaphragmatic breaths found that eating an average-
increase your oxygen intake size bar of dark chocolate
and create a sense of calm. (1.4ounces) a day for two
To make sure youre breathing weeks helped reduce peoples
from your diaphragm (not your stress hormones. But in order
chest), place one hand about to skip the blood sugar crash,
an inch above your belly button; Domar recommends having just
as you inhale for a count of four,
yourbelly should expand by
one square: Focus on enjoying
it mindfully, without doing
about an inch. anything else at the same time.
3 minutes 10 minutes
STARE AT A GET CRAFTY
PICTURE OF A A study in the
SNOWFLAKE Journal of Nursing
Or a nautilus shell, fern branch Scholarship found that arts and
or lightning strike. They all crafts helped relax people who
exhibit fractal patterns, which were caring for cancer-stricken
can help your mind unwind, per relatives. If you dont know your
a University of Oregon study. knit from your purl, try one
When people took a break from of the new coloring books for
a taxing task by gazing at fractal grown-ups, like the Posh Adult
images, their stress response Coloring Book: Soothing
was 44 percent lower than when Designs for Fun & Relaxation
they looked at a control image. ($13; amazon.com).
15 minutes 20 minutes
BREW SOME TEA STEP OUTSIDE
Green tea contains Taking a walk can
an amino acid increase your
derivative, theanine, that has levels of norepinephrine, a
been shown to impact alpha chemical that helps the brain
brain waves and promote a deal with stress, and doing
sense of relaxation, says light activity outdoors has
Wendy Bazilian, RD, author been shown to greatly boost
of The SuperFoodsRx Diet. a persons mood and energy,
Chamomile has also been found according to researchers at the
to ease symptoms of anxiety. University of Essex in England.
Even compounds in black tea If you cant stop ruminating,
may impact neurotransmitters consider listening to a podcast
in the brain: People who drank while youre out for a stroll.
(One of our favorites: NPRs
had lower levels of cortisol after Invisibilia, which features
a stressful event than a control short, engrossing tales
group did, according to a study about the forces that control
in Psychopharmacology. human behavior.)
DECEMBER 2015 HEALTH.COM 75
LIVE HEALTHY | Beat Burnout

Your GI tract esophageal cancer. So to change, explains Dr.

TENSION-
protests like whoa she decided to quit her job, Gershon. The presence or
BUSTING
Christa Reed, from Park and within two weeks, the absence of different bacteria
Ridge, Ill., had always had reflux was gone. can influence the strength TIPS THE
a stomach of steel. But Christas story is far of your entire immune PROS USE
about nine months into a from unusual. Stress can system, your weight, even Ive created little cues
TV news gig that required alter gut secretions and your mood. The good to remind myself to take
breaks. Now, whenever Im
her to be on-site by 3 slow or speed up digestion, news: A little R&R can stopped at a red light, or
a.m., she was diagnosed causing problems like help restore the balance of whenever I glance at the
with gastroesophageal reflux, nausea, constipation bugs in your belly. clock at work, I practice
diaphragmatic breathing.
reflux disease. Her doctor or diarrhea, says Michael Alice Domar, PhD
prescribed a modified diet Gershon, MD, professor of You cant stop
and more sleep. Six months pathology and cell biology scratching Some whole foods can
actually help you handle
later, the pain was worse. at Columbia University and In response to any sort stress better. Berries, red
Instead of carrying lip author of The Second Brain. of trauma or pathogen, bell peppers and kale are all
good sources of vitamin C,
gloss and gum in my purse, There may be farther- the skins nerve endings which helps regulate
I had Tums and Pepto reaching consequences release chemical signals cortisol. And avocados
Bismol, says Christa, who as well: When anxiety called neuropeptides that contain loads of potassium,
was then 27. My doctor disrupts digestive communicate Houston, which helps keep your
blood pressure healthy.
told me that if I didnt get processes, the guts we have a problem to the Wendy Bazilian, RD
more rest, Id end up with microbiome may begin brain. Weirdly, a looming
For the best sleep,
deadline or crammed you have to find a way to
social calendar can activate separate the day from the
the same messengers night. That might mean
taking a quick shower
resulting in inflammation
POSES FOR PEACE that makes you feel itchy.
before bed or starting a
new bedtime routine, like
Your brain and body are screaming for zsbut The skin is a dynamic writing in a journal or doing
some yoga.
stress is keeping you up at night. Help! This simple organ, and skin and Joyce Walsleben, PhD
yoga series from celebrity instructor Mandy Ingber stress have a complicated
can help relax your mind for better rest. interplay, says Dr. Huang.
Try this
floor. Cross right before you
1
EASY SEATED ankle over left curl up in Your dreams are
POSE WITH knee. Clasp your bed.
downright wacky 90 minutes after you
ALTERNATE- hands behind left If your sleep scenes play fall asleep, says Joyce
NOSTRIL hamstring and draw
BREATHING thigh toward your out like Dancing with Walsleben, PhD, associate
Sit on the floor, torso. Hold for up theStarsmeetsThe professor at the Sleep
legs crossed. Use to two minutes, Walking Dead fan fiction, Disorders Center at NYU
your right thumb breathing deeply.
Switch sides. you may need a lot more School of Medicine. But if
to close your right
nostril. Inhale shut-eye. People who are youre exhausted, the brain
3
through your left
LEGS-UP-THE-
sleep-deprived tend to can get there in as few as
nostril. At the top WALL POSE have more intense dreams, 10 minutes. Throughout
of the inhale, close
your left nostril Sit by a wall though experts arent the night, it will cycle
with your right with right hip and entirely sure why. quickly through the other
shoulder touching
ring finger and
it, knees bent. One possible two stages of sleep to make
release right nostril.
Exhale and inhale Roll onto your explanation: When youre up for the deficit in REM,
through your right back and extend not getting enough rest, which means more time
legs up the wall.
nostril. Close right
Stay here for 5 to
your brain prioritizes REM for creative nocturnal
nostril again and
exhale through left 10 minutes. This sleepthe most restorative imaginings to unfold.
WOMAN, RUBBERBALL/GETTY IMAGES

nostril. Repeat the mellow inversion stage, which also happens Plus, if youre stressed-
reverses blood
sequence 16 times.
flow, encourages
to be when dreams occur. out and sleeping fitfully,
2 lymphatic drainage Typically, REM sleep youre more likely to wake
RECLINING and brings renewed doesnt begin until about up middream, or just after
blood to your
PIGEON POSE one, and remember the
Lie on your back, heart, says Ingber.
details vividlyespecially
knees bent and
soles of feet on the if it involved, say, flamenco-
dancing zombies.

76
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