1.) Don’t take any breaks during the day. There’s just too much to do.
2.) Tell yourself stories about problems or irritations, preferably all day long. Use detail to keep your emotions following the mental stories, so you end up angry if it’s an angry story, or sad if it’s a sad story. Extra points for continuing the stress stories at night.
3.) Be sure to keep your stressors and problems to yourself. That helps build up the stress in your body and emotions, often to a nice pressure-cooker level.
4.) Keep your breath shallow and uneven. That will keep you from feeling your feelings, and help promote the “fight or flight” response in your body.
5.) Eat while you are working or are on the run as much as you can. Pay as little attention as possible to what you are eating, how it tastes, and how it feels in your body during and after eating it.
6.) If you are living with a partner, family or friends, eat alone while other people are around.
7.) Keep telling yourself you can do it all. Or that you have to do it all.
8.) Don’t take a day of rest during the week. You’ll rest when it all gets done.
9.) Don’t ask for help or support from anyone.
10.) Be sure to avoid asking yourself the following questions: How do I feel right now? What do I need? What would nourish me?
11.) Pay no attention to your body’s signals, even if they get loud, like frequent headaches, stomach aches, colitis, acid reflux, etc. Find a pill to take and just keep going.
12.) Avoid music, nature, exercise, laughing children, prayer, puppies, and gratitude.
