The way we live our lives with technology taking over our day and quality of sleep- it is more difficult to separate your work life from your personal life. I have noticed more and more people responding to work related emails “after hours” when they are paid by salary. Are we expected to read and respond to emails “after hours” or do “work hours” not exist anymore? People are constantly available and accessible via text and email but it is a personal choice to respond or not to a work related email. Once you do respond to a text or email immediately when you are not at your workplace and during your “personal” time then we just switched the “work hours” to blend with our “personal life hours”.
We should be able to control when we are working and when we are disconnected or unplugged from work. Somewhere over the past few years the unsaid rule or perhaps new a habit or addiction was created…and the bar was set higher. Do we earn more credibility or respect or seem to “work harder” if were are available for work related messages 24-7? Why can’t we stop working when we leave the office and set boundries in our schedule or availability?
Do we need to delete our email and text messages on our phone? Perhaps return to the flip phone to avoid distractions and to help separate work from our personal lives?
We have many sources of stress in our lives, including constant connection to our text messages, emails, phone calls and social media. We also have many “energy robbers” as Dr. Wilson explains in his book and www.adrenalfatigue.org. Energy Robbers are those individuals who drain you and are toxic to you as well as environments, activities and projects. One of the eight elements of my “The WHOLESTIC Method” program is HAPPINESS. In order to reduce stress and sources of stress (“energy robbers”), we need to find experiences or people who make us LAUGH, SMILE and bring JOY into our life. Also we need to schedule time to unplug, disconnect and reset- perhaps away from people or away from the city. Maybe you just need to lie in a quiet room for ten minutes with the lights off, be still and BREATHE mindfully. 
For me, I like to take a long weekend with my husband somewhere out of town and recharge – which includes staying off my phone, emails and social media for a few days. I love to stay in a hotel room and disconnect when writing my next book or business planning as I have less distractions and ability to get into my “zone”. Personally, I do best in my business productivity when less distractions and forces me to FOCUS (always a challenge!). 
If taking a long weekend out of town every month or quarter is not possible for you then start with taking one day off a week to unplug and stay off line. It is amazing how relaxing it can be to reset and recharge but also amazing how addicted we have become to checking our messages and social media every few minutes of the day!
In my The WHOLESTIC Method 30-day total transformation program, we begin by focusing on nutrition as eating processed dead food with high carbs/sugars can be toxic and a source of stress as well as hanging out with someone that is an energy robber! I find my clients, as well as myself, work best on a lower carbohydrate food plan with healthy natural fats and grass fed proteins along with lots of colorful organic low-glycemic vegetables. Everyone is bio-individual so there is not one size fits all and everyone’s macronutrient ratio may alter slightly but the main goal is to balance the blood sugar and to avoid insulin surges. 
Refined sugars are added into every food item- including foods labeled “organic”, “natural” and “non-gmo” so check the label for ingredients. Avoid bad fats as hydrogenated fats that are hidden in peanut butter, baked goods and other packaged foods. Also avoid the refined carbohydrates and white flour that are in the processed foods as well – they will spike up your blood sugar and cause the hormone insulin to be released leading you to the blood sugar roller coaster, over eating and storing fat.
When you are eating a meal make sure you are off your phone, focused and present to help shift into the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) as per my past blogs on the digestion process and stress. Most my clients I coach need to slow down when eating a meal, focus and chew their food instead of rushing and not digesting food completely. 
What to do if you are testing with HIGH CORTISOL? Dr. Wilson of Adrenal Fatigue organization suggests when your stress response system is in overdrive then we need to reduce cortisol, insulin, blood sugar and belly fat levels by:
- eat less and only when hungry
- regular meals with fresh vegetables
- avoid substances that stimulate cortisol as
- caffeine
- insulin (sugar and refined carbs)
- exercise program that mixes up aerobic exercise, strength training, Pilates, yoga, tai chi and mobility drills
- avoid over-exercising and endurance: limit duration of workouts to 30-45 minutes
- supplements/nutrients to help the HPA Axis function and blood sugar metabolism
- nutrients are needed that used up from stress and adrenal hormone production
- antioxidants and additional vitamin C
Do we eat and exercise differently if we have LOW CORTISOL now that the adrenals (HPA Axis) is depleted or exhausted? Now we need to normalize cortisol, blood sugar and the sodium/potassium balance.
- walking, swimming, dancing type of exercise that is less vigorous
- strength training (anaerobic) with Pilates, yoga, tai chi and mobility exercise at comfortable intensity
- if you feel tired after a workout session or the next day then cut back on your duration or intensity.
- keep workouts fun and enjoyable – not competing or draining.
- focus on adding supplements to support adrenal structure and function
- nutrients to enhance cortisol activity and replenish the nutrients use up by stress and adrenal hormone production
- additional antioxidant vitamin C (non-acid form)
- help sensitize the HPA Axis function
Learn more about my favorite adrenal quartet and rebuilder from www.adrenalfatigue.org.
Learn more about my personal story living life as a race and how to start living life as a journey in my book plus my manual on The WHOLESTIC Method to start the total transformation of the WHOLE you from the inside out.
Ask me about coaching to get started! Contact me for questions!
Coach Debbie Potts
