The Antidote to Physical Exhaustion

Caffeine in coffee, soda pop and chocolate makes many people feel panicky when theyare already stressed.The stressed body secrets adrenaline and the stress hormones cortisol and epinephrine;your heart beats faster, your eye’s pupils dilate and your muscles contract.

Physical Preparation:

Warm up and relax your body and face.If you're wearing high heels, take them off. Now, stand on one leg and shake theother. When you put your foot back on the ground, it's going to feel lighter than the other one. Now, switch legs and shake. You want your energy to go through the floor and out of your head. This sounds quite cosmic; it isn't. It's a practical technique used by actors.Shake your hands...fast. Hold them above your head, bending at the wrist and elbowand then bring your hands back down. This will make your hand movements morenatural.Warm up your face muscles by chewing in a highly exaggerated way. Do shoulder and neck rolls. Imagine that you're eye level with a clock. As you look at 12, pull as muchof your face up to 12 as you can; now move it to 3, then down to 6 and finally over to 9.All of these exercises serve to warm you up and relax you. Those exaggeratedmovements make Recognize these symptoms early and counteract them by disputing thethinking that is causing them and using stress reduction physical and mental techniques.It is normal to be excited before speaking up so when that happens, just see it and ignoreit. Call it “excitement” instead of “anxiety” to avoid further stress.Do not expect to ever be rid of these symptoms.While planning your speech, see if going to bed ½ hour earlier the week before has a positive effect on you coping with stress. Catching up on rest over the weekend is not thesame as getting adequate sleep each night. It is hard to cope when you are running onempty. Add more vegetables, fruits, Snacking all day long isn’t helpful. Stick to threemeals a day, with an apple or pre-measured cheese and crackers between meals tostabilize your blood sugar. Even little changes will have a positive effect. Sugary snacksand caffeine drinks give a short term burst of energy but come with a quick deep drop.Don’t be lured by alcohol to soothe your stress -practice stress management techniquesinstead. When you are so drained of energy, why would it be a great idea to take a walk?Strangely, exercise counteracts fatigue. Movement, even for a few minutes a day,increases your energy.When you are mentally drained, physical energy re-energizes your thinking. Walk aroundthe block, take a walk with your child, and work your arms and legs while on the phone.