How to Deal with Stress If You're a HyperDrive Stress Type

The best way to deal with stress is to: a) get a massage, b) go shopping with your mother-in-law, c) do Yoga, d) eat a bowl of oatmeal. The correct answer: it depends. According to So Stressed: A Plan for Managing Women's Stress to Restore Health, Joy and Peace of Mind written by Dr. Stephanie McClellan and Dr. Beth Hamilton, your personality type determines the best way for you to deal with stress. The two California gynecologists have broken stress down into four types, each of which has its own coping strategies.

In part one of a four-part series, you'll learn about the stress type called HyperDrive and the best ways to handle stress if your life resembles an episode of Reno 911.

Stress Type 1: HyperDrive

If you're one of those people for whom life feels like a constant ambulance ride, sirens flashing and alarms blaring 24/7, chances are your stress type is HyperDrive. Every little mishap feels like an emergency, from losing your keys to running out of milk. No wonder you're always anxious and short-tempered. Chances are you also have trouble sleeping and suffer from frequent headaches and sinus infections. As a result of the recurring release of the stress hormone cortisol, you're also more likely to have serious chronic illness or health conditions than other stress types, including heart disease, type-2 diabetes, yeast infections, alcoholism and infertility, according to Dr. Stephanie McClellan and Dr. Beth Hamilton, authors of So Stressed, the book that describes the four stress types.

How to Deal with Stress if You're a HyperDrive Stress Type

Before you take a Valium to calm down, try exercise. For your ancestors, the fight or flight response made sense--running away from wild animals or people with spears could save their lives, and the extra jolt of cortisol gave them the physical energy to bolt. But if you're like many modern day HyperDrives and spend more time on the couch watching other people run around than running on the track or tennis court yourself, the constant release of stress chemicals such as cortisol and adrenaline will make you feel edgy. Take a cue from your ancestors and start running or engaging in other vigorous physical activities to help burn off your excess stress energy. (Be sure to run past the neighborhood Starbucks, however, since coffee also makes your body produce cortisol--or opt for a soothing cup of green or herbal tea instead.)

Eating certain foods are another way to calm down if you're a HyperDrive (unfortunately, chocolate chip cookies and potato chips are not among them). Low glycemic foods can slow down the release of sugar into your system. The South Beach Diet website has a great list of low glycemic foods, including low-fat yogurt, peanuts and broccoli. Complex carbohydrate foods, such as whole grain bread and pasta, legumes, and fruits and vegetables, will trigger the release of serotonin and help you relax, as will foods rich with tryptophan, such as turkey, nuts, eggs and fish.

Yoga, meditation and self-hypnosis are also good practices that will quiet your mind and make you feel more physically relaxed. Keep in mind that not every stressor needs a response. If you're not sure, recall the serenity prayer, God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference, and determine in which category your stressor fits. The more calm your mind are body are, the more creative your solutions will be for dealing with situations under which you do have some control.

Daily affirmations such as "I can see stressful situations as challenges," "Challenges bring opportunities," "I can choose a positive frame of mind," "I can handle whatever comes," "This too shall pass" and "I can stay calm under pressure," suggested by Elizabeth Scott, M.S. in an article listing positive affirmations for stress relief can help you rewire your neural pathways so that you no longer view stressors as negative triggers, but rather as rich opportunities to draw upon your inner resources and gain personal power.

You can also reframe stressors, turning metaphorical lemons into lemonade. Don't boo hoo when you catch the flu; savor the chance to play hookie from work, catch up on your zzzzz's, and read or watch TV. Transform a burnt dinner from a calamity to an adventure by going out to eat or popping some popcorn and calling it dinner. And forget about crying over spilt milk. After you finish wiping down the counter and mopping the floor, relax at the kitchen table with a soothing cup of tea and appreciate your sparkling clean kitchen.

Sources:
Professional experience as a hypnotherapist and energy psychology practitioner
http://www.southbeach-diet-plan.com/lowglycemicfoodlist.htm
http://www.aolhealth.com/healthy-living/longevity/stress-type?feed=1
K. "How new book could help you keep stress levels down." Western Morning News, The Plymouth (UK). Northcliffe Electronic Publishing. 2010. Retrieved February 18, 2010 from HighBeam Research: http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-21270897.html
http://stress.about.com/od/optimismspirituality/a/freeaffirmation.htm
http://www.southbeach-diet-plan.com/lowglycemicfoodlist.htm