YAM magazine January/February 2017

of winding down. Have a bath; read a book; practice deep breathing to signal your nervous system to begin calming itself. “If having a good sleep is an issue, seek holistic care from a naturopathic doctor or acupuncture or whatever helps you,” she says. “It’s important not to accept it as that’s just the way things are.”

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5. Watch what you tell yourself.

“If you say ‘I’m tired’ over and over,” says Schauch, “that’s all your body knows.”

Schauch, who typically goes by Dr. Marita, challenges her patients to use words carefully, because they are powerful. The truth of this cannot be underestimated. Toltec spiritualist don Miguel Ruiz leads off his landmark book The Four Agreements with a directive to be impeccable with your word: the word shapes your thought and speech, and in so doing, the events you create in your life.

6. Slow down.

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Challenge the idea that overscheduling is a good thing, says Pullman. She points to the swaths of evidence that overscheduling is destructive for kids, and asks how it could possibly be any different for adults. “People need to practice saying no, which is really hard,” she says. “You feel like you will be disappointing someone or letting someone down. But you really need to get better at listening to your own gut, and knowing what is too much for you.”

7. Let go.

Loosen your grip on the control lever. Let other people help you. Put down those things that aren’t essential. Put them down.

“Sometimes you have to let things go,” says Victoria’s poet laureate Yvonne Blomer, who juggles her literary duties with caring for her son, who has autism. “I would rather really consider before I say yes than have to back out, so it is making me more careful about what I agree to.” (Blomer elegantly illustrated the “letting things go” tip when, during our interview, her six-month-old Brittany spaniel wandered into the room with suddenly and inexplicably blue feet, having upended some bubble bath. Instead of freaking out about the furniture … she stopped and took a photo.) Sherman agrees, noting that letting go becomes easier if you are accepting of who you are — because along with that comes an acceptance of your natural limitations.

TIP

GET A CHECKUP

Getting enough sleep and exercise but still exhausted? Time for a checkup to rule out medical causes such as thyroid disorders or anemia.

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YAM MAGAZINE JAN/FEB 2017