Thyroid types know about stress all too well. We get stressed out very easy – whether it’s too much distraction such as irritating noise from the environment, or pushing ourselves with a variety of mental activities while failing to eat or get proper rest. The first signs of stress are often apparent to everyone but ourselves – irritability, fussiness, and mild anxiety.. Warning signs of long term stress include weight loss, muscle loss, acne and rashes, and chronic nervousness. Other symptoms include hyper-sensitivity to pain and shortness of breath. Past a certain point, mind-over-matter simply doesn’t work anymore! Here are ten easy ways to compensate for weaknesses while building on your strengths as an thyroid type:

1. Start meditating, and remember to breathe when under stress or working hard. This will help calm nerves, restore oxygen to muscles, and help restore your busy mind.
2. Reduce noise, which is a major stressor and very hard on thyroid types since noise interrupts concentration and promotes adrenalin. Relaxing music also helps.
3. Be patient. Remember other types do not think with the same speed or detail.
4. Allow yourself a variety of mental activities, not just one. Although thyroid types can easily focus on one mental activity for a long time, they produce better results when they allow themselves to enjoy "fun" projects as well as work related ones.
5. Reduce or eliminate caffeine and other stimulants. Thyroid types already tend to be high-strung and jittery. This will make you calmer and more pleasant to be around.
6. Remember to eat, preferably numerous smaller meals. Thyroid types get so caught up in mental activity that they neglect eating. And lack of food quickly causes headaches (or migraines) and irritability. More small meals also promotes even energy over the day. Eat the special foods and supplements for your type.
7. Support your digestive system and weak pancreas. Reduce fat intake and/or take enzymes to better digest fats. This will improve digestion and reduce skin blemishes.
8. Support your recessive or over-stimulated adrenal glands. Use supplements such as adrenal cortex glandulars, DHEA or pregnenolone. This will compensate for low cortisol levels over time, build stamina, and help you relax and recover from stress.
9. Start non-aerobic exercise. Thyroid types need to build endurance, not lose weight. Swimming cools a high metabolism. Repetition with light weights builds stamina.
10. Take a brief nap around 4 PM, when adrenal function is weakest. A break allows much quicker recovery so you enjoy the rest of the afternoon and evening. And go to bed before midnight when possible. Late nights over-stimulate your already active thyroid!

In addition to supporting our dominant gland, it’s important to support recessive gland function as well. Many but not all thyroid types have weak adrenal and pancreas function. Signs of over-taxed adrenals include chronic physical exhaustion, shaking even under mild to moderate stress, and muscle weakness. Hyper-sensitivity to stress quickly activates the adrenal glands for a fight or flight response, but the adrenals don’t kick in as they should after 20 minutes to calm you down with cortisone - leading to a chronic stress response. Signs of poor-functioning pancreas include extreme weight loss, hypoglycemia, food allergy responses, insufficient enzymes for digesting food, and other digestive problems. In both cases, glandulars and gland-specific nutrients can help in addition to the tips above. Also consider seeing your health care provider if symptoms like these persist even when stress is significantly reduced.