Fit: Stress Less in 2007

BEEN TOO SWAMPED with work to choose a New Year's resolution yet? Don't stress about it, because it's likely you have too much in your life already.

Washington teems with Type A's in every field who fling their entire beings into excelling at their jobs. But while all-nighters and marathon meetings might boost one's salary, they can also destroy one's sanity.

When Dr. Charlene Kannankeril wants to determine whether one of her clients is drowning in stress, she pops one question: "What did you do for yourself today?" If the answer is — as it often is — "nothing," the D.C.-based naturopathic physician knows she needs to prescribe time for exercising, relaxation and enjoyment.

One of her favorite times to reclaim is the dreaded commute. Instead of gripping the steering wheel and cursing other drivers or stewing from the discomfort of a Metro seat, Kannankeril suggests using those bookends of the workday constructively. "They need to use that time to decompress at the end of the day and be meditative at the beginning," she said.

Soothing tunes may do the trick. If not, in her office, she teaches progressive relaxation by having her patients close their eyes, take deep breaths, and think about each part of their bodies in turn. "A lot of people aren't used to meditative experience," she explained. "But this is something they feel comfortable doing even on the Metro."

It's also something they can do at their desks in the middle of a rough day. And even just taking a few minutes to stop answering the phone or working on that proposal can be a huge mood booster, agreed Larina Kase, a psychologist and author of "Anxious Nine to Five." "You need to get a break to recalibrate, so take a five-minute walk or shop online," she said.

Knowing there's a respite in your future can make finishing up a hellish project much easier, so Kase recommends scheduling breaks. The most critical of these is the lunch break, she explains, both for the chance to recenter and to eat healthily. Unfortunately, Kannankeril has seen an upswing in the number of her patients who choose to skip it — and instead gobble down sugary foods and chug liters of caffeinated beverages. "They peak and crash, and that destroys their energy, which affects their stress levels," she said.

If the cause of your stress is more the co-workers than the work itself, Kase advises stepping back and trying to determine whether your boss and colleagues are legitimately difficult or whether internal issues (such as low self-esteem) are getting to you, instead. In the former situation, you have to detach yourself so that your emotions aren't wrapped up in the responses of unstable figures. And in the latter, focus on bolstering your confidence. Kase recommends keeping a journal of your work accomplishments, and Kannankeril promotes sharing your thoughts with co-workers instead of letting frustrations fester.

Everyone has moments when they think they have it worse than Jack Bauer. Even Kannankeril admits to feeling stress sometimes. Her personal fix: clearing off her desk before she heads home. "It's saying this is where works ends, so I physically and mentally put it away," she said.

A little stress, though, won't kill you. "It can be a good thing because it shows you care and helps you stay motivated," Kase said. "You need some of that."