STRESSING OVER STRESS

STRESSING OVER s t ress

GAINING PERSPECTIVE AND OVERCOMING CHALLENGES

BY SHANTI ARGUE

LIFE IS DEMANDING–WITH DEADLINES, BILLS, WORK AND FAMILY. From small things, like traffic, to life-altering illnesses, it is important to remember that everyone experiences stress. The management of stress is a critical life skill. Stress can actually be a good thing. “Some level of stress is necessary to prompt a response,” says Amanda Ward, licensed psychologist at Olmsted Medical Center (OMC). “For example, when studying for a test, stress can provide the motivation to do well.” “When I get concerned,” Ward continues, “is when it’s past the person’s coping skills. Then the person is in distress.”

HOW STRESS CAN MESS WITH YOU Erica Runkle, nurse practitioner at OMC, notes that stress is a physical process. “A lot of times, there’s this misconception that stress is all in your head. Just get over it—it's not a ‘real’ problem. But the mind is part of the body, and there’s no way to tease apart the two.”

Runkle explains that your nervous system has two main modes: fight or flight, and rest and digest. “When the fight or flight response is triggered, your body will release either adrenaline, a quick boost of energy, or cortisol, a lower, longer-acting hormone. So as stress kicks in, you have different physiological symptoms.”

These hormones are chemical messengers that help your body to prioritize its actions in an intense situation. Your breathing and heart rate increase. Blood, oxygen and glucose rush to your muscles so you can defend yourself. In the meantime, other less critical functions can be altered or even suspended. Digestion, reproduction and other cellular functions are put on the back burner because this response is supposed to be temporary. You can digest that meal later, but right now you need to escape from that tiger!

Our bodies are not designed to live in a state of constant tension. That’s why extreme stress can cause visible symptoms like hair loss and acne. Other health problems from prolonged distress include: headaches, fatigue, muscle tension, trouble sleeping, digestive issues, weight gain, anxiety, depression and heart disease. “You can’t be bathed in stress hormones at all times and not see some kind of long-standing result,” warns Ward.

WHAT TO DO? Runkle says, “Some people learn healthy habits from their family environment and have coping mechanisms integrated from the beginning.” For them, managing stress might seem intuitive. Others need to educate themselves and learn coping strategies. A crisis might require a new game plan entirely.

Ward says when she tells her patients that they need to dedicate even small amounts of time to managing stress, they sometimes push back. But the busier you are, the more important it is to spend your time wisely. Dedicating even half an hour a week to organizing your time and making decisions can have a huge return.

THE LITTLE STUFF Most often, women are just trying to do too much. We have so many options—and we want them all. But, Ward says, “Everything has a choice point.” You might not like the cost and benefits of the choice point, but there’s still a trade-off.

In those cases, Runkle says it’s critical to simplify. If you’re juggling too many things, it’s a matter of determining: "Which ones do I need to do right now, and which can I set aside?" You might not be able to be the best at everything, attend everything, say yes to everything and still have time to sleep and exercise. We just have to choose. And for Ward, that sometimes means helping patients learn how to say “no” graciously without feeling guilt.

THE BIG STUFF Inevitably, we face circumstances that are beyond our control—a tornado, economic downturn, loss of a loved one—that present a load of negative stress. Even in those cases, it’s beneficial to focus on what is in your control and what choices you have.

“Sometimes people are just locked in,” says Runkle. When she asks them to find options and they say they don’t have any, she says, “You could stay in bed all day.” When they say they’re not going to do that, Runkle reminds them that they get to choose, and gradually they realize that even in small ways there are alternatives. Hollie Heil, nurse at OMC, works with patients on taking small steps toward achievable goals. She says, “Sometimes, just getting through the day, or even part of the day, is a goal in and of itself.”

PERSPECTIVE One interesting aspect of stress is how our feelings become moderators. Heil says that with

positive stress you see an increase in resilience. “When you’re feeling good about it, you can push through. Circumstances can really impact your experience of stress as well.”

For example, moving involves packing, planning and disruption. If you are excited about the move, it can be energizing. However, if the move is due to eviction, divorce or a job, the same tasks may feel overwhelming. Ward points out that distress can come from your own personal judgments. She cites the example of a new mom, up with a crying baby. The mom might think, “This goes with the territory. It’s temporary.” Conversely, the mom might think, “What am I doing wrong? I’m not a good mother!”

Heil emphasizes that those environmental factors can also amplify our responses to smaller stressors. So maybe a crying baby might not normally bother you, but if you have recently lost your job it might feel like too much.

BACK TO BASICS When you’re feeling distressed and overwhelmed, it’s especially important to maintain healthy habits such as physical activity, sleep and proper nutrition.

Regular exercise is one of the best ways to regulate stress. Physical activity generates feel-good endorphins, which make you feel happier in general and help you sleep better. Ward says patients who are struggling to cope are often surprised by how much better they feel just by going to bed earlier. The consequences of too little sleep—feeling tired and irritable and having trouble concentrating—all make it harder to deal with whatever else arises.

Erica Behrens, licensed psychologist at OMC, says if one of those areas is lacking, that can often be a warning sign that we are dealing with too much. Ironically, when patients come to her for help, Behrens hears, “Well, I was exercising, but then this happened, and I haven’t had time.” So people are sacrificing the things that are actually most likely to help them.

Hydration and good nutrition are equally important; dehydration actually increases cortisol. When your body is lacking what it needs to survive, that creates physical stress, making it harder to deal with other burdens.

SWITCHING OFF There are also measures you can take to counteract stress by regularly and deliberately switching your nervous system from fight or flight to rest and digest: • Being outside—nature has been shown to

reduce blood pressure and stress hormones and to promote feelings of well-being. • Deep breathing—slow, deep breaths signal to your brain that it is time to calm down and relax, interrupting the cascade of stress hormones. • Self-care—such as a warm bath or massage. • Spiritual practice—including prayer or meditation. • Listening to music—really listening, not just having it on in the background, especially slow, quiet, classical music. • Hobbies—such as knitting, painting or crafts. Managing stress comes more naturally to some than others, but it gets better with practice. Prioritize and make choices. Take good care of yourself physically. Finally, find your own personal antidotes for stress and regularly incorporate them into your routine. ◆

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Living As I Desire, Entertaining Everyone Positively

NEVER LISTEN TO THE NAYSAYERS

BY ROSEI SKIPPER PHOTOGRAPHY BY AB-PHOTOGRAPHY.COM

JAS TASTIK’S BIGGEST PIECE OF ADVICE FOR ASPIRING CREATIVES? “Just keep going. Never listen to the people who tell you no. And a thousand people will.”

Growing up in Rochester, aspiring to be a hip-hop artist, DJ or actress wasn’t exactly normal. But for Tastik (who’s known professionally as artist LaidEe P), music and performing have been her passions for as long as she can remember. Her first time on stage was at age 8, and by 14 she’d put together a small home recording studio and was releasing her own albums and mixtapes. Every Rochesterfest, local fair and Juneteenth you’d see her pounding the pavement, selling home-burned CDs out of her backpack for whatever people would pay. “Some people graced me with $20, others only had $2—whatever was in their pocket!” Within five years, she’d released five studio albums and three mixtape albums locally.

Tastik’s transition to DJing happened almost by accident, when her John Marshall dance team was hosting a mixer and didn’t have a budget for entertainment. A school staff member who happened to be a DJ offered to lend his equipment, and Tastik ran the music with a friend. “I had so much fun, and everyone at the dance had a blast. I realized that I could actually do it as a job.”

THE RIGHT PLACE, AT THE RIGHT TIME For the next couple of years, Tastik continued plugging away at both her music and DJing. But she was frustrated that things weren’t moving faster. Wanting to make a change, she headed to Florida to advance her career. But it wasn’t until a fateful solo trip to Atlanta that things took off. With a bit of tenacity and a lot of luck, she connected with Ronald Lopes, brother of Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes of TLC fame. “Call it god, or the universe or whatever you want, but my career exploded after that.” Tastik spent an evening in the recording studio with Lopes and TLC, which was “literally a dream come true.” Tastik had idolized the performers since childhood and still considers them her greatest musical influence. Eventually she landed a role in “Crazy Sexy Cool: The TLC Movie.”

During filming, she was invited to stay with family member Reigndrop Lopes, which proved to be a valuable connection in the industry. She tagged along to meetups, primers and other red-carpet events, got gigs playing in festivals and appeared in movies.

“Lopes would introduce me as ‘her DJ,’ and at first, that irked me. I’d say, ‘I’m not just a DJ though!’ She would always correct me, ‘You’re not, but all you need is one talent outright and tell them the rest after they’re interested!’” Tastik didn’t accept that advice right away but in retrospect says that Lopes was 100% correct. “I became known that way. People I’d never met would walk up to me at events saying, ‘Hey, favorite DJ!’ That’s when I realized it was time to take professional DJing to the next level and things popped off.”

DIFFERENCE IS A MIXED BAG After over 15 years working in the maledominated field, Tastik has many thoughts on her experience of being a woman of color in the industry. On one hand, being a female DJ was unique when she started out, and people took notice. Lopes encouraged her to embrace that uniqueness, and Tastik is proud of the success she has achieved, despite facing discrimination. These days, she doesn’t shy away from embracing the qualities that make her stand out.

Of course, being a female performer of color has had its challenges over the years, which Tastik describes as “slow to change.” For starters, female DJs face entirely different standards than their male counterparts when it comes to their appearance. “A guy can DJ in jeans and a t-shirt and everyone thinks it’s cool, but if I showed up looking like that, people would wonder what’s wrong with me!” In addition to fighting the stereotype of the “female DJ in a bikini, pressing play on a computer,” being a female performer costs more. “I’m expected to get my hair done, nails, full makeup, lots of bling—it’s expensive.” While Tastik enjoys putting on a great show, it’s not lost on her that women

I grew up on everything. I love music, period!

incur considerable expenses that male performers don’t even consider.

Tastik also notes that as a woman of color, people tend to assume that the only music in her repertoire is hip-hop. While she loves that genre, she prides herself on having a large repertoire, including honky tonk country, which was a favorite when she was growing up. In the 90s she became obsessed with new jack swing (think a fusion of rhythms, R&B and production techniques found in hip-hop and dance-pop). And while she has always loved rap, she tries to explore every genre. Tastik emphasizes that variety and flexibility are key to her professional success. She says, “I grew up on everything. I love music, period!

My shows are never a specific genre unless requested by the host.”

She notes that she’s found it difficult to break into the southeast Minnesota DJing scene— something she hasn’t experienced in Atlanta, where she spends about half her time. “People here are more likely to hire someone they’re comfortable with—someone who looks and sounds like them.” While other DJs are able to get hired simply by listing their prices on a website, Tastik finds herself working hard to convince potential clients that she’s a legitimate option. “In Atlanta, I work with well-known artists and entrepreneurs with no problem. The ‘Oh-my-gawd! It’s a girl’ and ‘Whoa—she’s brown!’ thing doesn’t happen.”

Tastik describes her performance style as “loud, extremely comfortable and a little bit crazy.” While most DJs prefer to sit back and press play, Tastik likes to travel the room, encouraging the crowd to let loose and have some fun. “I’ll walk up to Grandpa and tell him to shake his booty with me!” Given her background in performance, dance, acting and even stunt work, it’s no surprise that Tastik takes an active role while entertaining the crowd.

EYES ON THE PRIZE Asked for her thoughts on the Rochester music scene, Tastik sounds both frustrated and hopeful. “Honestly, many problems haven’t changed. It’s the same ‘Where can we perform, how can we get people to come, should we have a door price?’ Venues are hard to find. People don’t respond until the day of or say they’ll come but never show.” On the other hand, she sees plenty of room for optimism, particularly noting some of the DIY performance spaces in town, such as Canvas & Chardonnay, which recently hosted a packed

There is SO much talent in Rochester we just need more opportunities to showcase it!

hip-hop show featuring local performers, including Tastik. “There is SO much talent in Rochester—we just need more opportunities to showcase it!” She hopes that the upcoming generation will continue to build on the successes that have already happened. Asked what keeps her going despite setbacks, Tastik says, “I always try to remind myself that I’ve gone through hard times before, so I can do it again. I look at the photos I have of myself with Grammy-winning artists or Oscar-winning actors and remember that, while I haven’t been in the leading role yet, or been the leading act at EDC (a music festival), I’ve been involved in these things deep enough to where I won’t ever look back.” She hopes that her hometown will continue to support her and other artists to whatever heights of success they may reach. ◆