This article was first published on Nov 08, 2024 on Katie Couric Media.

During times of high stress, we need self-care practices that go beyond the surface level.

In a world that often drains our energy, staying grounded as a woman takes real commitment. Many of us, especially in the aftermath of a very stressful election, are dealing with a physiological “letdown,” a sense of exhaustion and burnout after so much emotional buildup. This response has tangible effects on our health, but there are ways we can fortify ourselves to navigate uncertainty with greater ease, helping us stay grounded, present, and resilient.

In a recent pre-election article, I shared that — from my perspective as a Canadian physician looking from the outside in — I’ve often thought of the U.S. as the “Excited States” of America. But I realize that’s an exhausting position to be in, and I don’t wish that for you.

During times of high stress, we need self-care practices that go beyond the surface level. True self-care is about creating boundaries that prevent overextending ourselves in response to societal expectations — especially those placed on women to self-sacrifice, care-take, and prioritize others. As mothers, daughters, and partners, women in our culture are conditioned to these behaviors. But in phases of high output, these ingrained habits can backfire, and we aren’t able to keep up this “other-oriented” caretaking. It’s time to re-write the script.

Evidence of wear and tear on our nervous system, such as fatigue, depression, or burnout, arises when excessive or unrelenting stressors prevent our bodies from returning to “allostasis,” which means maintaining stability through change. It requires that we employ adaptive responses to environmental stressors. Adaptive responses should serve our well-being, so we need to learn how to turn off a response when it is no longer needed or serving.

Chronic stress also takes a toll on immunity, making us more vulnerable to illness. As a physician, I both experience and witness the fact that how we metabolize stress has more impact than the stressor itself. So how can we better manage and process stress? How can we move through anxious and uncertain times with more ease?

First, we don’t benefit from spiritually bypassing or suppressing our emotions. We want to acknowledge and release them where it’s safe and appropriate. That may mean carving out space and finding support (via trusted loved ones or a therapist, maybe) for this expression. Building true resilience might also involve grounding practices such as regular movement and mindful breathing. (And I’ll offer more options below.)

In this transition period, we should remember lessons from turbulent times like the COVID-19 pandemic, which taught us that pacing ourselves for the long haul — not sprinting — supports our well-being. And there’s an important caution here, too: In periods of overwhelm, it’s tempting to check out and numb ourselves. But rather than check out right now, we need to check in. This means developing our interoception — an awareness of our subtle sensory, body-based feelings: the greater the awareness, the greater our potential to feel control in our lives.

So no, you likely won’t be restored from one after-work happy hour or weekend Netflix binge. Deep self-care isn’t about momentary relief; it’s about fortifying our capacity to meet challenges head-on. That’s why I recommend a long-term self-care approach based on daily grounding practices.

In Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle, sisters Amelia and Emily Nagoski, Ph.D., emphasize the need to “complete the stress cycle” to effectively release accumulated stress from the body. The stress cycle is the physiological process the body undergoes in response to threats, naturally resetting after the threat passes — like how a deer returns to calm after escaping a predator. Unlike animals, however, we often face chronic, complex stressors without a clear resolution, leaving us in a continuous state of tension.

Sure, we’ll inevitably climb up “stress stairs” during the day, but we can also take intentional moments to walk down some as well — and we must! Here are some ways you can complete the stress cycle:

• Hug, laugh, love (and boost your oxytocin in the process)
• Walk with a friend, or have a phone chat with them in your earbuds
• Exercise: Move your body with some activity you enjoy that raises your heart rate, and engages your muscles
  Play music and dance (your living room is fine)
• Walk on grass or sand in bare feet
• Stretch while listening to a podcast/audible book (especially if you want some company or love to learn a bit while you relax)
• Take a yoga class online at home
• Visit a sauna or take a cold plunge
• Dip yourself in an Epsom salt bath

If we can discharge stress, move into rest mode, and hold boundaries from a place of deep self-care, we’ll be better equipped to deal with the reality we face. We don’t want to waste energy by struggling against it, numbing it, or avoiding it. Building resilience in transitional times is about small, consistent acts of care for our mind, body, and spirit. And I believe they’re an achievable way to build a more authentically healthy and Whole States of America.

Heidi Lescanec, ND, is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor with a background in cultural anthropology on a mission to find “The Pink Zones,” a term she coined to describe the conditions and places where women thrive as they age. If you want to find and foster more Pink Zones, join her here: thepinkzones.com and @drheidilescanec.