Fall Back Into a Schedule While Managing Stress

By Susan Piti, LPC, NASM, AFAA

Functional Fitness

. http://www.functionalfitness-nova.com/

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Fall Back Into a Schedule While Managing Stress

Summer is coming to a close. That means vacations ending, shorter hours of daylight, increased work schedules, and parenting responsibilities. It's imperative that stress and anxiety during this time are well managed. Some find it difficult to juggle all the new tasks once the school year begins. Old habits return. Perhaps not so positive actions occur to mitigate stress. How can we navigate a positive transition?

First, begin by compartmentalizing stressors. Only focus on those immediately in front of you, until you have a working solution. Then proceed to the next. Minimize returning to last year's concerns regarding schedules. Take a specific time daily to just focus on those worries.

Use guided imagery such as the Simply Being App (on most smartphones) to take a break and relieve stress. Exercise is especially vital to manage anxiety while trying to manage your time and those of work and your children. American Council on Exercise (ACE) suggests spending 30 minutes daily to get out and do some form of exercise, be it walking, biking, hiking, or weight training. Join a gym, take exercise classes, or hire a personal trainer. These will keep you on target, accountable and motivated. You will notice a difference in your energy level and will be able to better manage all your new duties that autumn brings into your life.

Regular exercise raises neurotransmitters including serotonin (regulates balance and mood), norepinephrine (stimulates alertness, memory and learning), and dopamine (promotes balance for reasoning and muscle movement). And of course it's all about those endorphins, which reduce pain.

Endorphins kick in as little as 10 minutes for some, but can take 20 minutes for others. We all need help managing our new schedules for the fall, but remember, most of us have the power to do so right in ourselves. Use exercise as your antidepressant. Three hours a week is equivalent to a therapeutic dosage of an antidepressant. Think about it, isn't it more fun to get outside or join an activity to manage your stress than to spend time in the doctor's office? Make the choice to take care of yourself.