Solcana blog

DE-STRESS SUCCESS!!!

By: Lauren Anderson

Oh hi. Funny that we’d bump into each other like this. It’s so good to see you. Namaste.

You probably didn’t recognize me because for the last 12 days I’ve just been blissed-out floating around this zen garden on my way to the mountain-top of self-actualization.

Don’t believe me? Well good. That tells me you are the smart and savvy reader I knew you to be. You’ve done well gumshoes, because I was lying to you.

And while I may not be balancing smooth stones in a shallow river, humming an Enya tune while wearing linen pants, I have to say, I am feeling rather de-stressed. Which is really something. Because this week is seriously one of the busiest, craziest of my life. But I’m keeping my head, and I’m breathing deep.

And despite the hectic schedule, 14 hour days, helping run a festival, putting out and managing the fires associated with that, closing a show, and opening a new one, I’m still finding my head above water. I know right?! Now THAT is stress management!

And I owe it all to the Solcana Wellness Center’s De-Stress Test.

What’s this you may ask? It’s another offering from Solcana’s Guru-trition in the form of a 12 day challenge. Focusing on 4 different categories that when balanced, can seriously decrease stress.

(BTW: Guru-trition is my loving nickname for Lucia, Solcana Wellness Center’s Certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner. Trust me, she’s legit. She’s got loads of degrees and paperwork and everything! But she has changed so much of my life for the better, Guru-trition just seems right, y’know?)

Here’s how it worked:

1. I signed up on the website.
2. I was paired with an account-a-billi-buddy who also signed up.
3. I was emailed a packet with all the information about the challenge.
4. Everyday of the challenge, I filled out a journal, and sent it to my buddy to approve.
5. My buddy reviewed my journal and give a point for each element of the requirements achieved.

I think it’s best if I walk you through each step, and tell you what I discovered along the way. Doesn’t that sound nice? So quick! Refresh that mint tea, snuggle in, and join me won’t you? Just relax your body and listen to the sound of my voice, er, the sound of my voice in your head…

PART ONE: FOOD AND WATER

What it was:

• The Food portion of the De-Stress Quest is basically a modified version of the one I did back in January. (See Weeks 8, 9, and 11 Blog Posts for a detailed play-by-play)
• Mainly, it consisted of removing some things from my diet that are hard for my body to process. Like certain oils, sugar, most dairy (except activated Kefir) and grains containing gluten (Oats were still good to go!). And some common allergens like peanuts and soy.
• As for water, you were supposed to get a minimum of 50 oz of water a day.
• Also limiting the amount of caffeine to less than 10 oz (because it can dehydrate you).

What I discovered:

• The goal is to get my body in the para-sympathetic state as much as possible. So when eating, my body doesn’t waste extra energy digesting things it has trouble recognizing! With simple, easily discernible foods, my body can process more efficiently, reducing stress. BOOM. Plus watching my sugars helps with extreme highs and huge crashes in blood sugar that contribute to stress.
• I had the food portion of the challenge on LOCK. I dominated! Hold the applause though, because I’ve had serious practice. I’ve essentially been eating like this since I finished my other challenge in January. I have relaxed some of the stricter elements, but I found I was thriving, so I just kept going. Had I not been in practice, this portion would’ve easily been the most difficult part for me.
• But… going back to a stricter eating was much easier, because I didn’t have to make wholesale changes. Just small ones. Which is a paradigm shift from my former self. I didn’t get the sugar flu, because I was already watching my sugar intake! I didn’t question which oils to use, because I was already using them! I was grateful for my previous education about nutrition. And so thankful I had taken the Essential You class.
• I was so impressed by all the beautiful food people shared on our FB page. Some of that stuff was like, NEXT LEVEL gorgeous, complicated, and intricate. That kind of cookery can be intimidating, but I just kept reminding myself that cooking like that is for people that enjoy cooking like that.
• For someone like me who still HATES to grocery shop, and only cooks because I have to, I found keeping it simple was the best bet for success. And I was! I nailed my food points every day of the challenge. And there were still plenty moments of Yum Time.

• Drinking water though… Man, that was hard. At first I was all, “50 oz? That’s it? I can do that!” And then I’d find it was 10 pm and I’d only drank 25 oz or so. So I’d have to slam 25 more before bed. Which my bladder just loved… Ahem.
• I was pretty low on my caffeine intake already. I usually average only one or two cups of coffee a day. But there were a few days where I was really missing that large Cold Press knowwhatimsayin?
• The longer the challenge went on, the better I got at drinking water all day long. I started to set up a system. A glass when I woke up, a glass before this, a glass after that. Also, did I mention I am in a full-on indecent relationship with LaCroix? Because I am. #sorrynotsorry

Here’s some other cool stuff I noticed by eating/drinking this way:

• My allergies are almost non-existent now. All of my friends have said this year is BAD for allergies, and I’m like, Really? I haven’t had any major problems. Which is nuts because I have had terrible allergies MY WHOLE LIFE. Like, “Everyone Gets To Go To Camp But You” level of dreadful allergies. But not anymore! Take that Zyrtec!
• Also, my recovery time at the gym is so much faster now. I used to be sore for days and days. Now, I’m only sore for a little bit the next day. And I even kinda like that feeling.
• My mood is stable as hell. When I’m dehydrated or experiencing a crash from sugar, I get so irritable so quickly. But drinking lots of water, and eating this way I find I process things so much better. I’m more likely to expect the best in people and their intentions. Which is great for a person like me, who has been known to have a temper. Who? Not Lil’ Ol’ MOI?!!

PART TWO: SLEEP

What it was:

• Get at least 8 hours of sleep a night.
• One hour prior to bed, shut off all screens. No phone, TV, computer. Anything w/ blue light.

What I discovered:

• Sleeping that much is hard! I knew I was not a big “sleeper”, but I didn’t realize what little sleep I was getting. I think I average 6, maybe 7 hours a night before? Man o’ man!
• After sleeping 8 hours three nights in a row, I found my body was naturally wanting to wake up at 7.5 hours. I would have to force myself back to bed, and when I would wake up a half hour later, I felt more tired. Go figure! I have no idea why that was, but that’s the case.
• No screens before bed is insane! I always play on my phone, and watch TV in bed. It was so weird. It started to feel like another hour of sleep, because that hour was so restful. My only music right now is off my computer, so I also had to spend that hour in the quiet.
• I found I used that hour to read a lot, and do a lot of complicated skin care regimes. It was nice to devote some serious time to self care, but there’s only so much teeth whitening and clay masks you can do. I found it very relaxing though. I also found I used the time to tidy up my house a bit, or prep my things for the coming day. Which ended up being very useful, and definitely helped with stress.
• Because of that hour with no screen time, when it WAS time for bed, I fell asleep instantly. I never really have trouble falling asleep though, so this wasn’t that much of a shock (probably because I usually fight off sleep like a gladiator.), but I would be interested to hear from people whose minds race at night… I wonder if this helped?
• My sleep was more restful. It felt deeper. I had more vivid dreams. I woke up with messier hair, which must be a good sign. You know you’re in the sleep zone when your bed hair is almost picture worthy.

• Getting 8 hours of sleep a night takes serious commitment and serious planning. I would have to calculate when I needed to be up, work my way backwards to a bed time, then tack on another hour for No Screen Time. I found I was missing out on some things, like un-interrupted writing time, and even getting to the gym before work, because I had to get my Zzzzz’s and I couldn’t get it all in.

• It’s easy to see why Sleep gets the shaft. On day 9, my day got away from me, and I was cast in a video shoot. I went to bed at 3 am, and woke up at 6. There goes my sleep point for the day…

• As the days went on however, I did find I was really really relaxed. Almost too relaxed. It was weird, and I wasn’t used to it. Keep in mind, I’m the woman who my yoga teacher told I was holding the poses “too hard”. So being this relaxed almost felt sleepy sometimes. Does that make sense? It’s hard to describe, but maybe that’s just what being well-rested feels like.

• Lots of sleep made my brain work like a fancy spy decoder. I was making patterns and connections left and right. I was recalling words with ease. I was more creative, more verbal, and more alert. Which is extremely useful if you get paid to be creative, verbal, and innovative– which I do.

PART THREE: MOVEMENT

What it was:

• Move your body for a minimum of one hour each day. This includes but not limited to: A CrossFit Class, biking, running, walking, dancing, cleaning, gardening, stretching, yoga etc.

What I discovered:

• An hour is a lot! Especially everyday. But I found that because I knew I had an hour to conquer each day, I was more active in general.
• It made me really grateful for the solid one hour classes at Solcana. It was nice just showing up and knowing I could knock it out and be done.
• But because I had trouble managing my sleep hours, I found it harder and harder to get to the gym. But it was my own fault. So I had to make up for it by moving my body in any way I could throughout the day to get my point.
• I would often find myself dancing around my room at night to get my full hour in. This became like a fun, relaxing ritual almost. It felt silly and expressive, and FUN. And what’s more de-stressing than a solid dose of fun?
• Thank god for friends who like to walk around the lakes.
• Also, my apartment has never been cleaner.

PART FOUR: MINDFULNESS

What it was:

• For 10 solid minutes a day, be present, fully in the moment. This could look like meditation in a traditional sense, or a relaxation exercise in your car, or even being extra present while washing your dishes. Letting things come into your mind, and then pass through without judgement. Admittedly the most “fluid” portion of the challenge. And open to interpretation.

What I discovered:

• As an improvisor, we’re highly trained on getting and staying present. That’s where the really good scene work lives. In the moment. I’m not like this all the time, but I found this part of the challenge very enjoyable. And I found my improv training very useful.
• I typically did my ten minutes during my hour of no screen time. Two for one!
• I also really enjoyed sitting in public without my phone, and just gently observing people and things as they came by. Recognizing them, and letting them walk by. It felt very restful. And it was a good experience to be out in the community, but not needing anything from it, and it not need ing anything from me.
• My favorite mindfulness practice was playing with my jewelry. This dates back to my childhood, and my beloved grandma. When I was young, my grandma had a bunch of colorful plastic beads hanging on the back of her door. I would go over to her house, she would let me play with them. I loved the colors and wrapping them around my neck, head, and hands. I loved the clinking and tinkling noise they made. I liked how each bead felt rolling in my fingers. She would take a strand and pull the necklace across my face, almost like I was going through a bead curtain. They were cool to the touch, and they made the greatest sounds. This is one of my favorite memories.My grandma has passed on now, but I inherited her beads. I have been known to drape them across the face of a friend or two when they are having a rough day, and I’m pleased to report, they still have the same happy effect.

To this day, nothing calms me or centers me more than arranging and playing with my (now quite vast) costume jewelry collection. My grandma’s beads are still the headliners.

PART FIVE: PARTNERING UP!

Big shout out to my buddy! My challenge partner’s name is Katherine, and she was my ace in the hole and my shining star! Not only did she knock it out of the park, and get all of her points on all of the days, but she kept me accountable as well. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Katherine in a few different capacities, and I am pleased to report she was as honest and giving and funny and loving during the challenge as she has been everywhere else.

To be honest, I did find the journaling a bit stressful. Having to log on and fill it out, and submit it was a chore that I wasn’t necessarily jazzed to do. But having my partner check in and keep me going made all the difference. And it was a good practice to get it all down onto something tangible (we used the WODify website if you’re wondering) so that I could go back and figure out my patterns, and where I find myself the most stressed out.

PART SIX: IN CONCLUSION

I fixed it! I no longer have any stress for the rest of my life! WHOOPEE!!!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

I kid I kid. Of course I will still have stress. But that doesn’t mean stress gets to have me…

For example, the Food and Mindfulness looks like they’re chugging along nicely for me, but the Sleep and Movement aspects could use a little more attention. At any rate, I think it’s important to point out how all these things seem to work together. When it comes to stress, it won’t do me much good to drink a gallon of water, if I’m only getting 3 hours of sleep a night. And it’s great to rock my body at the gym, but if I feed that same body a bunch of sugar afterwards I’m still gonna be a stress case.  Balance baby.  I get it.

Let’s face it, we live in a modern society where expectations outweigh capacity at every turn. But after doing the De-Stress Quest, I now have really good insight on how to manage it so it doesn’t take over my life, my well-being, or my health. And I have tools and “best practices” to help keep my stress in a feasible armistice treaty.

And if that’s not enough to make you feel blissed, blessed, and headed for the mountaintop,

then I only have four words left to say to you: Go Buy Linen Pants.

Namaste.