5 Tips for Managing Fall Stress

One local expert shares her top tips for combatting autumn anxiety.Tamis Robbins began her career as a corporate tax and finance attorney before entering the wellness space.

Every August, reality creeps in one daunting back-to-school commercial at a time. Come labor day weekend, the party is officially over, and school, sports, the holidays and more begin to crowd our calendars. “Fall represents ‘back to reality,’” shares author, speaker, wellness coach and expert Wendy Tamis Robbins (wendytamisrobbins.com). “We know that our time is no longer our own and that loss of control and increased pressure creates a wave of stress and anxiety that can last through the end of the year.” Often, people resort to unhealthy coping mechanisms like alcohol, hyper-controlling, perfectionism and people-pleasing. Instead, Tamis Robbins recommends bringing awareness to and managing your thoughts, also known as holistic mind/body work. “During the stress response, there are both thoughts and physical sensations that can play off each other’s distress signals, creating a vicious cycle of anxiety,” the North Shore local says. “When you expand your awareness, your circumstances and environment haven’t changed, but your thoughts about them have. Problems are replaced with possibilities, obstacles with opportunities.” Activities like meditation, yoga, stretching, breath work and acupuncture are all effective mind/body practices. Diet and exercise also play a critical role in managing stress and anxiety—neurotransmitters like GABA, dopamine and serotonin are formed in the gut microbiome. While we may reach for highly processed foods, gluten and sugar when the pressure is on, they can create anxiety through effects on the nervous system (the former) and blood sugar spikes (the latter). “Diet and exercise should be one of the first lines of defense against chronic stress and anxiety,” she notes. “Exercise reduces levels of the body’s stress hormones and stimulates the production of endorphins.” Before the new season jolts you out of “summer mode,” look to Tamis Robbins’ top five tips for a less stressful fall transition.

Prioritize Self Care
“Remember—taking care of yourself more doesn’t mean you take care of others less; it means you take care of them better.”

Cultivate Communication
“Give your kids a safe space to share. This will bring a sense of compassion, curiosity and control into a space typically reserved for fear, shame and silence.”

Control What You Can
“Let go of the illusion that you can control everything and take control of what you can—your thoughts and actions. Establish a routine to create structure, consistency and predictability in a world that feels otherwise out of control.”

Find Support Before You Need It
“Having a professional and/or peers to discuss your specific challenges and stressors isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s what thriving people do to get the support they need and deserve. It relieves the pressure of feeling like you are carrying the weight alone.”

Expect and Accept
“Expecting stress and even some anxiety can diminish your fear of it, and accepting it when it arrives will diminish its negative effects. If you accept it with compassion and curiosity, you can make it less destructive and more constructive through building your resilience.”