The current economic crisis has caused many of us to feel a lot of fear and to become extremely stressed.  Many people are losing sleep and afraid of what the future will hold.  This level of stress is a great threat to our health and well being.  This newsletter addresses how to manage the emotionality of our times and gives you some concrete suggestions on fighting off our current greatest health threat, the white knuckle syndrome.

1. Do you like to know?  Are you someone who feels better knowing all the information?  This is an extremely important thing to know about yourself.  You may feel that you are more in charge of the situation when you have all the details.  If you like to know; read everything you can get your hands on, talk to as many people as possible and make your own decisions.  Keep in mind that you are the one that has to live with those decisions so they should feel right for you.
2. Do you prefer to not know?  If you are the type of person who likes to not know, then you should stop listening to the daily news.  Only follow the news enough to be informed of current events.  Do not watch the nightly news or listen to the radio or read the paper daily.  Try absorbing your news on a weekly basis.  Your feeling of relaxation is far too important to be threatened by circumstances that you have no control over anyway.  Stay in touch with yourself, your own needs and limit your exposure to others who are worrying.  Remember this is your health.  No one will care for it better than you do.
3. What you focus on expands.  Focus on the things you have, not what you don't have.  This is a very important concept; it is not some new age idea.  Our attention leads us to actions, whether the actions are consciously understood or subconsciously motivated.  What you place your attention on is what you will have.  So, pick what you want, not what you don't want. 
4. Focus on gratitude.  Humility is always our best friend in difficult times.  Again, what you focus on expands.  Reminding yourself of those things that you already have that are important to you can be very reassuring.  Gratitude is a different feeling from fear.  Feeling fear can make you feel weak and helpless.  Gratitude, on the other hand, can make you feel strong and whole.
5. Focus on love.  If there are people in your life that love you, and people in your life that you love, you are blessed.  Remember what is what is really important in life.  I heard an old country song about growing up in poverty but with love and how the singer had a happy childhood.  It's a good reminder that things are not what make our lives worth living.  Spend time with those you love.  Since physical is intimate, make as much physical connection as is appropriate for the relationship; a hug, a hand on the shoulder, a kiss on the cheek can make a big impact.
6. Turn toward your higher power.  Having a spiritual connection to a higher power greater than ourselves is always a help during these times.  When you feel connected to your higher power you do not feel so alone or so helpless.  Focusing on something outside of yourself is also a big help.  It takes you away from your worries without running away or being irresponsible.
7. Change your emotional state.  This must be done physically. What I mean is that if you are sitting around worrying-get up and move!!  Move any way that is right for you: take a walk, dance around your home, go to the gym, do some kind of physical activity.  You can not change your state if you keep still.  This is a small trick with big benefits.  For example, if you are at work and you are finding it hard to concentrate on your job because of the worries of the world than go for a brisk walk about the office building.  If you work at home and can put on lively music that you like, dance around in your living room until you feel better.  You may need to do this many times a day.  If you like exercising at the gym make sure you get to the gym.  Whatever it takes, just move!
8. Eat according to your metabolic type.  This removes the greatest amount of strain from your body at a cellular level.  I know I talk about this over and over but it is that important.  Our bodies run on biochemistry and each person has a unique biochemistry.  If you respect this and feed yourself what your particular body wants most, it will feel less stressed.  Junk food, sweets and high-fructose corn syrup are all metabolic stressors for your body.  Avoid them.
9. Improve your mood and calm yourself by eating healthy, serotonin-stimulating foods. Avoid high carbohydrate foods which will raise your serotonin and improve your mood temporarily but then let you drop into depression.  You can improve your mood more healthfully by eating according to your type and focusing on foods rich in serotonin.  Foods that are high in serotonin are turkey, game meats, eggs, dairy products and healthy fats (eg. omega 3 fatty acids).  Some supplements that might be helpful are 50mg of zinc daily; L-glutamine 1500mg in the morning, mid-morning and afternoon; chromium 200mg with each meal and at bedtime (this will help with food cravings and if needed can be taken on the tongue at the time of a craving).  If you are feeling yourself drift toward depression bring this up to Dr. Somner.
10. Actively seek stress reduction.  Your personality determines how you do this.  If you are someone who responds best to emotional expression then find ways to physically express your fear.  For example, you may want to open your eyes wide in an expression of fear and scream while in your car.  (Be careful not to frighten others.)  This may sound strange but can be very relieving and allow you to think more clearly.  If you are someone who responds best by calming yourself down, then spend time in total relaxation, quieting your mind and inhibiting your thoughts.  Use the Alexander technique principle of inhibition to quiet your mind, telling yourself "I am not thinking."  You can also follow that one up with "I am not tensing."  This will help your muscles to be relaxed and will help lower your anxiety.  Make this a daily routine.
11. There are many supplements that can help to decrease anxiety.  If your mind is not able to stop repeating itself, try L-theanine 200mg three times a day.  You might also try an amino acid combination for anxiety control or any number of calming herbal preparations.  Ask Dr. Somner what might be best for you.
12. If you are feeling overwhelmed you may be experiencing adrenal fatigue.  Sometimes a big stress or worry will tip the scale and your adrenals will fail to support you adequately.  Other times your stress may be very high and the cortisol levels will rise sharply.  Take the adrenal fatigue questionnaire on the website and see what category you fall in.  You can always ask Dr. Somner to make a recommendation on how to manage your results.