[Manny09]

Any tips on how to do improve sleep quality and lower stress?

In the past poor sleep corrected itself for me, I'd have a few nights of bad sleep, and then the next few after that I'd sleep like a rock. But the last few months, I have had perpetually bad sleep. I'm also at least mildly stressed all the time.

I am fresh out of college, and working an entry level job in a space I want to work in with cool people, but I have good reason to think I'm getting fired soon. That's going to be a big setback for me, it means I'll have to take a crap job, and be on the job search again, for who knows how long. A lot of people I know searched for a year before finding a relevant job (one in their field). And I'm going to feel embarrassed if I have to work a crappy minimum wage job after a bachelors degree. I feel like I let a lot of people down.

I commute 3+ hours total everyday to get to and return home from work, and when I get home I'm exhausted and want to do nothing. Every morning I have to get up by 5:30 AM to get to work on time. I haven't eaten healthy in a while, and I have gone to the gym once in the last 3 weeks. As recently as August I was at the gym 4-5 days a week, and while I never really ate that well, I at least got enough protein and didn't completely rely on junk food.

I don't read or learn recreationally anymore. Just the stuff I am learning for my job, and nothing else. I think this leads to my mood being shitty all the time.

All I really do is worry, and occasionally distract myself from the worry with internet/social media, etc. Thinking about how stressed I am and how much I need to sleep better only makes it harder to sleep. Last Sunday I was sitting in front of the TV and couldn't get myself to watch football because I just wanted to sit there.

I know a lot of people are going to laugh at how pathetic my problems are (and trust me I know they are). But my life has changed a lot in a few months and I'm having trouble adapting to working full time and having no energy for anything else.

Any ideas? Meditation? Supplement recommendations? Anything is appreciated.

[The Lizard of Oz]

This is definitely a solvable problem, and you only have to do a few simple things but you should be consistent about doing them.

1. Establish a time you go to bed and a time you wake up, and always adhere to them. Try to allow only minimal if any variation on weekends, meaning don't sleep in too late on weekends. Something that kills a lot of sleeping schedules is waking up much later on weekends than you do on weekdays.

2. Make you sure your bedroom is cool when you go to bed. To fall asleep, your body temperature needs to fall. Don't go to sleep in a warm bedroom if you can help it.

3. This is related to #2, don't eat late. When you eat late, your body temp rises and it's harder to fall asleep. Ideally, eat nothing at all starting at least 4 hours or so before bedtime. If you're commuting back from work and you get home late, rather than eat when you get home, have some small supper at work before you leave. Much better.

4. Add exercise. If you don't have time to exercise during the week, do it Saturdays and Sundays. Work out with weights, carefully but hard (carefully is the key -- if you have a lot of stress you're primed for injury, so do a lot of reps with light weights and perfect form rather than go heavy). Swim, row, do whatever you like. You can get a lot of benefit out of exercising even once a week if you do it with some real intensity.

5. If you're not taking D-3, you should take 2000 IU a day. This is a great one. Also if you're experiencing high levels of stress, get this B complex and take 2 a day with your breakfast.

6. Don't abuse caffeine. 1 cup of coffee a day or at most 2, and never late in the day or on an empty stomach.

Finally, and most importantly, let go of your stress and worry. It's useless to think about what others think about you and whether or not you're letting them down. You're just out of college, how can you be living up to anyone's expectations or otherwise? You have a thousand more chances ahead of you. Just do your best and shrug off the rest.

If you do these simple things, I guarantee you'll be sleeping like a baby in no time at all.

[BLarsen]

The two things that stick out to me are nutrition and sleep. In my experience if you aren't sleeping properly then your nutrition has to be on point, and vice versa. You can't have poor sleep quality and a shitty diet. If you're like me you'll find it easier to modify your diet.

Also, Fuck the gym. I haven't been in 3 years. Do bodyweight calisthenics and you can do your routine anywhere at anytime with no excuses about "needing to go to gym."

Green tea, Apple cider vinegar, zinc, saturated fats, calisthenics, meditation.

Don't buy junk food, don't keep it in your house. If it's not there you won't be tempted.

[dasher]

Try taking Melatonin 30 minutes before you want to sleep. Start out on a 1-1.5mg tablet and see how it goes for a week.

Something like this is good: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GFPCN4/ Getting a higher strength one in tablet form is more cost efficient and lets you split the tab in half for a lower dosage.

[PoosyWrecker]

On days where I'm stuck in an air conditioned office all day, the next morning my mind and body won't feel rejuvenated unless I slept with fresh air circulating.

Quote:

An amateur who is training and working on a job, at the same time, must make sure that he gets eight or nine hours' sleep every night. Otherwise he may go "stale." He may become listless-"dopey"-on his job, and off-form in his sparring. He burns up much energy every day, on the job and on the road and in the gym. He must get more than eight hours of sleep in twenty-four to restore his energy. And he should sleep with his windows open. He can't get oxygen- he can't recharge his batteries-by sleeping in a closed room.
- Jack Dempsey, Championship Fighting

[LowerCaseG]

You are not sleeping because you are anxious/stressed. You are having a difficult time lowering your heart rate to a sleeping rate. The single best thing you can do to reduce anxiety is vigorous exercise. This is what someone working in mental health would tell you. It really doesn't matter what kind it is. You can always go the medication route, but the anti anxiety drugs are very habit forming. However, responsible use can be extremely helpful, and a mild habit is still better than being consistently sleep deprived. If you have an addictive personality, I would approach medication with extreme caution.

This is in addition to some obvious lifestyle improvements, of which, many have been listed. My 2 cents on that is consider listening to books on CD on your commute since it is so long. If you live in a major metro area you can probably get them free at your public library. Get a couple at a time because it's a crapshoot which are good and which are not. Try the DUNE science fiction series.

Other suggestions:
Go get a massage, go for 90 minutes instead of 60.
Pack a lunch.

[Zampano]

I have had a tremendous struggle with anxiety and stress, so I can definitely relate to what you're saying, Manny. My anxiety isn't even triggered by real stress (except approach anxiety) but was more just a general foggy anxiety that kept my heart rate up and robbed me of sleep.

Things that have worked AMAZINGLY for me:

1. l-theanine. taking it morning and night.
2. classical music, I set up a Mozart Pandora radio station. I really don't like classical music but it takes very little time to start helping me relax.
3. lots of red and green tea.

Honestly, exercise has never helped. Sometimes I work out, sometimes I don't and I have never seen any cause/effect relationship between exercising and mental anxiety. If it works for other people, awesome. But those are the three things that have helped me get my anxiety under control.

[PompeyChris]

Hey Manny.

I agree with all said above about nutrition and exercise but there is a possibility that it is completely psychological. In which case meditation should help you clear your mind of the worries. To me it sounds like you cannot sleep because you think you will get fired. May I ask why? Is it something that can be fixed through working harder/being more proactive??

Even if the company is cutting staff for a reason out of your control I would go and talk to whoever your boss is and ask them to confirm where you stand. That way you can search for a job earlier and get this sorted faster.

C

[obrero]

(09-26-2013 08:20 PM)Manny09 Wrote:  

I am fresh out of college, and working an entry level job in a space I want to work in with cool people, but I have good reason to think I'm getting fired soon.

If you're in the U.S. getting fired because of company downsizing is one of the best things that can happen to you. Depending upon the state you're in, collect unemployment from 1-2 years. Travel and set up a source of income while you're receiving a steady paycheck for doing fuck-all.

Just my 2 cents. I realize it may not be everyone's cup of tea.

[Giovonny]

Move closer to work. Or, get a job closer to home.

That commute is murder, literally, it is killing you.

[OGNorCal707]

(09-26-2013 08:20 PM)Manny09 Wrote:  

Any tips on how to do improve sleep quality and lower stress?

I commute 3+ hours total everyday to get to and return home from work, and when I get home I'm exhausted and want to do nothing. Every morning I have to get up by 5:30 AM to get to work on time. I haven't eaten healthy in a while, and I have gone to the gym once in the last 3 weeks. As recently as August I was at the gym 4-5 days a week, and while I never really ate that well, I at least got enough protein and didn't completely rely on junk food.

I don't read or learn recreationally anymore. Just the stuff I am learning for my job, and nothing else. I think this leads to my mood being shitty all the time.

Dude you sound like you already know the answers to your own problems. You're saying that you're not sleeping well, stressed out, commuting for hours to work, not eating healthy, and not working out.

Well what's the solution? Fix all those problems, work out, eat healthy, read good books, develop some cool hobbies, quit commuting 3+ hours to get to work.

Maybe you'll say easier said than done, but really a lot of these things aren't that hard to do, you just have to want to do them, and have the self discipline to stick with them.

I never understand why people eat shit food, I get it if you're on a budget, but healthy food not only is better for you, but tastes better, and makes you look and feel better. It's odd to me someone would be so lazy as to eat fast food that is making them sick, fat, etc., when they could spend just a little more time, money, and energy to get good food.

Like Gio said, the best place to start is either quitting that job, or relocating, 3+ hours commute a day is ridiculous, especially if you are driving, anything more than 1 hour 20 minutes is way too much. If you aren't driving to work, then you need to learn how to kill birds my friend, if you take the bus, metro, etc., then spend that time reading good books, learning a new language by listening to Pimsleur audio progams, etc.

Start to budget your money better so you can eat healthy food, it doesn't have to necessarily have to be organic, just go for fresh stuff, and a well balanced diet, cut out the junk food, blantantly unhealthy stuff like greasy pepperoni pizza, etc.

Get your ass back in the gym, at least twice a week, but ideally 3-4 days if you can.

Start reading good books on topics that interest you.

Stop stressing out about shit that's out of your control, just go with the flow and be thankful you have your health, your family, a roof over your head, etc. There are bands of starving orphans living together in bombed out buildings in Syria, thank God you aren't one of them, and know that you ultimately are doing well in life, even if that means you get fired or got to work a shitty job for a year or two. If you just graduated college, you should be a young buck, you have plenty of time, sometimes it takes time for things to come together.

[Manny09]

(09-26-2013 09:04 PM)The Lizard of Oz Wrote:  

This is definitely a solvable problem, and you only have to do a few simple things but you should be consistent about doing them.

1. Establish a time you go to bed and a time you wake up, and always adhere to them. Try to allow only minimal if any variation on weekends, meaning don't sleep in too late on weekends. Something that kills a lot of sleeping schedules is waking up much later on weekends than you do on weekdays.

2. Make you sure your bedroom is cool when you go to bed. To fall asleep, your body temperature needs to fall. Don't go to sleep in a warm bedroom if you can help it.

3. This is related to #2, don't eat late. When you eat late, your body temp rises and it's harder to fall asleep. Ideally, eat nothing at all starting at least 4 hours or so before bedtime. If you're commuting back from work and you get home late, rather than eat when you get home, have some small supper at work before you leave. Much better.

4. Add exercise. If you don't have time to exercise during the week, do it Saturdays and Sundays. Work out with weights, carefully but hard (carefully is the key -- if you have a lot of stress you're primed for injury, so do a lot of reps with light weights and perfect form rather than go heavy). Swim, row, do whatever you like. You can get a lot of benefit out of exercising even once a week if you do it with some real intensity.

5. If you're not taking D-3, you should take 2000 IU a day. This is a great one. Also if you're experiencing high levels of stress, get this B complex and take 2 a day with your breakfast.

6. Don't abuse caffeine. 1 cup of coffee a day or at most 2, and never late in the day or on an empty stomach.

Finally, and most importantly, let go of your stress and worry. It's useless to think about what others think about you and whether or not you're letting them down. You're just out of college, how can you be living up to anyone's expectations or otherwise? You have a thousand more chances ahead of you. Just do your best and shrug off the rest.

If you do these simple things, I guarantee you'll be sleeping like a baby in no time at all.

Lizard of Oz,

Thanks for all of the tips. You're right about the coffee, in the last month I've gone from never drinking coffee to having 4 or so cups a day. I actually was taking 5000 iu of Vitamin D for a while and noticed positive results, but I've fallen of my normal supplementation since this job. I need to get back on track there. Same thing with the gym, gotta make use of the weekends.

I don't think I'm doing too poorly for someone fresh out of college, I just wish I could be of more help for my folks than I am right now. But I guess have to just do what I can for now. Yesterday I went out for drinks with the people in my training group and work and talked with them a bit about my situation and I felt a bit better about it.

Thanks again.

[Manny09]

BLarsen,dasher, and Zampano,

Thanks for the recommendations, I'm going to try getting some ZMA which should cover the zinc, and I will replace the coffee with green tea. I don't know a lot about melotonin but I will look into it.

Man, I've tried a few times to get into meditation but gave up. But I think it might help a lot in clearing my mind before bed, so I am giving it another shot. The same goes for classical music, or really any music without words.

(09-26-2013 09:16 PM)BLarsen Wrote:  

The two things that stick out to me are nutrition and sleep. In my experience if you aren't sleeping properly then your nutrition has to be on point, and vice versa. You can't have poor sleep quality and a shitty diet. If you're like me you'll find it easier to modify your diet.

Also, Fuck the gym. I haven't been in 3 years. Do bodyweight calisthenics and you can do your routine anywhere at anytime with no excuses about "needing to go to gym."

Green tea, Apple cider vinegar, zinc, saturated fats, calisthenics, meditation.

Don't buy junk food, don't keep it in your house. If it's not there you won't be tempted.

(09-26-2013 09:27 PM)dasher Wrote:  

Try taking Melatonin 30 minutes before you want to sleep. Start out on a 1-1.5mg tablet and see how it goes for a week.

Something like this is good: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GFPCN4/ Getting a higher strength one in tablet form is more cost efficient and lets you split the tab in half for a lower dosage.

(09-27-2013 01:15 AM)Zampano Wrote:  

I have had a tremendous struggle with anxiety and stress, so I can definitely relate to what you're saying, Manny. My anxiety isn't even triggered by real stress (except approach anxiety) but was more just a general foggy anxiety that kept my heart rate up and robbed me of sleep.

Things that have worked AMAZINGLY for me:

1. l-theanine. taking it morning and night.
2. classical music, I set up a Mozart Pandora radio station. I really don't like classical music but it takes very little time to start helping me relax.
3. lots of red and green tea.

Honestly, exercise has never helped. Sometimes I work out, sometimes I don't and I have never seen any cause/effect relationship between exercising and mental anxiety. If it works for other people, awesome. But those are the three things that have helped me get my anxiety under control.

[Manny09]

(09-27-2013 01:30 AM)PompeyChris Wrote:  

Hey Manny.

I agree with all said above about nutrition and exercise but there is a possibility that it is completely psychological. In which case meditation should help you clear your mind of the worries. To me it sounds like you cannot sleep because you think you will get fired. May I ask why? Is it something that can be fixed through working harder/being more proactive??

Even if the company is cutting staff for a reason out of your control I would go and talk to whoever your boss is and ask them to confirm where you stand. That way you can search for a job earlier and get this sorted faster.

C

I exaggerated the dates I worked at a previous job and they are asking for proof of the dates I worked. I might be toast there, not a lot I can do. I'm doing fine as far as work performance goes, but they take their background checks seriously (it's a bank).

I'm definitely going to give meditation a serious effort.

Thanks Chris.

[Manny09]

(09-27-2013 04:48 PM)obrero Wrote:  

(09-26-2013 08:20 PM)Manny09 Wrote:  

I am fresh out of college, and working an entry level job in a space I want to work in with cool people, but I have good reason to think I'm getting fired soon.

If you're in the U.S. getting fired because of company downsizing is one of the best things that can happen to you. Depending upon the state you're in, collect unemployment from 1-2 years. Travel and set up a source of income while you're receiving a steady paycheck for doing fuck-all.

Just my 2 cents. I realize it may not be everyone's cup of tea.

Can't collect unemployment because I haven't worked there long enough. Appreciate the help anyway.

[Manny09]

(09-26-2013 10:05 PM)PoosyWrecker Wrote:  

On days where I'm stuck in an air conditioned office all day, the next morning my mind and body won't feel rejuvenated unless I slept with fresh air circulating.

Quote:

An amateur who is training and working on a job, at the same time, must make sure that he gets eight or nine hours' sleep every night. Otherwise he may go "stale." He may become listless-"dopey"-on his job, and off-form in his sparring. He burns up much energy every day, on the job and on the road and in the gym. He must get more than eight hours of sleep in twenty-four to restore his energy. And he should sleep with his windows open. He can't get oxygen- he can't recharge his batteries-by sleeping in a closed room.
- Jack Dempsey, Championship Fighting

As cold as it is right now, I am going to sleep with the windows open more. Like Lizard of OZ alluded to, I think it's easier to sleep when it's cold than when it's warm.

Thanks. I'm going to try to find more excuses to be outside in the evenings during Mon-Thurs as well.

[Manny09]

(09-26-2013 10:31 PM)LowerCaseG Wrote:  

You are not sleeping because you are anxious/stressed. You are having a difficult time lowering your heart rate to a sleeping rate. The single best thing you can do to reduce anxiety is vigorous exercise. This is what someone working in mental health would tell you. It really doesn't matter what kind it is. You can always go the medication route, but the anti anxiety drugs are very habit forming. However, responsible use can be extremely helpful, and a mild habit is still better than being consistently sleep deprived. If you have an addictive personality, I would approach medication with extreme caution.

This is in addition to some obvious lifestyle improvements, of which, many have been listed. My 2 cents on that is consider listening to books on CD on your commute since it is so long. If you live in a major metro area you can probably get them free at your public library. Get a couple at a time because it's a crapshoot which are good and which are not. Try the DUNE science fiction series.

Other suggestions:
Go get a massage, go for 90 minutes instead of 60.
Pack a lunch.

Definitely getting back to my gym habit. I'm a big podcast guy, so I've got that part covered. I'm going to start cooking a lot of food on Sundays so I can pack lunches ahead for the week.

Thanks for the advice.

[Manny09]

(09-27-2013 04:55 PM)Giovonny Wrote:  

Move closer to work. Or, get a job closer to home.

That commute is murder, literally, it is killing you.

Can't do it for now, I've gotta pay of student loans and save up for my own place. And I want to help my parents out with their bills since I'm living with them.

But as soon as I can, I'm moving closer to work. The commute is just awful.

Thanks Gio.

[Manny09]

(09-27-2013 05:25 PM)OGNorCal707 Wrote:  

(09-26-2013 08:20 PM)Manny09 Wrote:  

Any tips on how to do improve sleep quality and lower stress?

I commute 3+ hours total everyday to get to and return home from work, and when I get home I'm exhausted and want to do nothing. Every morning I have to get up by 5:30 AM to get to work on time. I haven't eaten healthy in a while, and I have gone to the gym once in the last 3 weeks. As recently as August I was at the gym 4-5 days a week, and while I never really ate that well, I at least got enough protein and didn't completely rely on junk food.

I don't read or learn recreationally anymore. Just the stuff I am learning for my job, and nothing else. I think this leads to my mood being shitty all the time.

Dude you sound like you already know the answers to your own problems. You're saying that you're not sleeping well, stressed out, commuting for hours to work, not eating healthy, and not working out.

Well what's the solution? Fix all those problems, work out, eat healthy, read good books, develop some cool hobbies, quit commuting 3+ hours to get to work.

Maybe you'll say easier said than done, but really a lot of these things aren't that hard to do, you just have to want to do them, and have the self discipline to stick with them.

I never understand why people eat shit food, I get it if you're on a budget, but healthy food not only is better for you, but tastes better, and makes you look and feel better. It's odd to me someone would be so lazy as to eat fast food that is making them sick, fat, etc., when they could spend just a little more time, money, and energy to get good food.

Like Gio said, the best place to start is either quitting that job, or relocating, 3+ hours commute a day is ridiculous, especially if you are driving, anything more than 1 hour 20 minutes is way too much. If you aren't driving to work, then you need to learn how to kill birds my friend, if you take the bus, metro, etc., then spend that time reading good books, learning a new language by listening to Pimsleur audio progams, etc.

Start to budget your money better so you can eat healthy food, it doesn't have to necessarily have to be organic, just go for fresh stuff, and a well balanced diet, cut out the junk food, blantantly unhealthy stuff like greasy pepperoni pizza, etc.

Get your ass back in the gym, at least twice a week, but ideally 3-4 days if you can.

Start reading good books on topics that interest you.

Stop stressing out about shit that's out of your control, just go with the flow and be thankful you have your health, your family, a roof over your head, etc. There are bands of starving orphans living together in bombed out buildings in Syria, thank God you aren't one of them, and know that you ultimately are doing well in life, even if that means you get fired or got to work a shitty job for a year or two. If you just graduated college, you should be a young buck, you have plenty of time, sometimes it takes time for things to come together.

This was an awesome kick in the ass.

haha the way I've been eating the last few weeks, I'm going to SAVE money by eating healthy. And that's including the supplements. I've probably eaten out for half of my meals for the last month. I got a few ideas from MikeCF's post in the Costco thread too, and my sister can help me prepare food for the week tomorrow.

I feel a lot better after talking to the people who got hired with me that I've been training with yesterday after work. A few of them are having issues with the background checks too, but different than mine. I'm ashamed to say it, but a big part of the embarrassment was knowing if I got cut I'd have to pack my shit in front of them and explain why I was leaving, so I sort of got that out of the way. Now I think the best thing to do is to start searching for a new job right now, so I will hit the ground running if I'm cut.

Can't do anything about the length of the commute, but I will listen to podcasts, or maybe even practice meditating there. The good thing about being so far away is that I always get a seat.

I appreciate the advice and the encouragement man.

[Ensam]

(09-28-2013 05:07 PM)Manny09 Wrote:  

Can't do it for now, I've gotta pay of student loans and save up for my own place. And I want to help my parents out with their bills since I'm living with them.

But as soon as I can, I'm moving closer to work. The commute is just awful.

Thanks Gio.

How much is your commute costing you? My 40 minute round trip commute costs be about $350/month not taking into account my time. It might actually be less expensive to get a cheap apartment close to work.

[The Lizard of Oz]

(09-28-2013 04:43 PM)Manny09 Wrote:  

(09-26-2013 09:04 PM)The Lizard of Oz Wrote:  

This is definitely a solvable problem, and you only have to do a few simple things but you should be consistent about doing them.

1. Establish a time you go to bed and a time you wake up, and always adhere to them. Try to allow only minimal if any variation on weekends, meaning don't sleep in too late on weekends. Something that kills a lot of sleeping schedules is waking up much later on weekends than you do on weekdays.

2. Make you sure your bedroom is cool when you go to bed. To fall asleep, your body temperature needs to fall. Don't go to sleep in a warm bedroom if you can help it.

3. This is related to #2, don't eat late. When you eat late, your body temp rises and it's harder to fall asleep. Ideally, eat nothing at all starting at least 4 hours or so before bedtime. If you're commuting back from work and you get home late, rather than eat when you get home, have some small supper at work before you leave. Much better.

4. Add exercise. If you don't have time to exercise during the week, do it Saturdays and Sundays. Work out with weights, carefully but hard (carefully is the key -- if you have a lot of stress you're primed for injury, so do a lot of reps with light weights and perfect form rather than go heavy). Swim, row, do whatever you like. You can get a lot of benefit out of exercising even once a week if you do it with some real intensity.

5. If you're not taking D-3, you should take 2000 IU a day. This is a great one. Also if you're experiencing high levels of stress, get this B complex and take 2 a day with your breakfast.

6. Don't abuse caffeine. 1 cup of coffee a day or at most 2, and never late in the day or on an empty stomach.

Finally, and most importantly, let go of your stress and worry. It's useless to think about what others think about you and whether or not you're letting them down. You're just out of college, how can you be living up to anyone's expectations or otherwise? You have a thousand more chances ahead of you. Just do your best and shrug off the rest.

If you do these simple things, I guarantee you'll be sleeping like a baby in no time at all.

Lizard of Oz,

Thanks for all of the tips. You're right about the coffee, in the last month I've gone from never drinking coffee to having 4 or so cups a day. I actually was taking 5000 iu of Vitamin D for a while and noticed positive results, but I've fallen of my normal supplementation since this job. I need to get back on track there. Same thing with the gym, gotta make use of the weekends.

I don't think I'm doing too poorly for someone fresh out of college, I just wish I could be of more help for my folks than I am right now. But I guess have to just do what I can for now. Yesterday I went out for drinks with the people in my training group and work and talked with them a bit about my situation and I felt a bit better about it.

Thanks again.

Yes, 4 cups of coffee a day is too much even under normal circumstances and it's terrible if you're under significant stress. People don't realize what a powerful drug caffeine is and also how much of a depressive effect it can have for some people.

You would probably do well to avoid caffeine completely as long as you're feeling anxious, and in any case don't go over one cup a day, on a full stomach (and relatively early in the day).

For D-3, 2000 IU a day is all you need, there is no reason to go higher. The one I linked to in my post (the Source Naturals one) is excellent.

Definitely hit the gym but be careful when you do, stress makes you injury prone so make sure your form is good and err on the side of lighter weights.

[bike0369]

I think all of the above answers are pretty good, and at risk of repeating some of it, I would say:

1. Cut the commute. I have had such a change in my life over past 10 years, that now I refuse to stay over 30 mins away from work. In any country/city. The only time my commute exceeded this, I did save a bit of money, but way more stress.
2. Gym is not that important. I often do body weight exercises - push ups, squats, pull ups, right before the shower in morning/evening. Haven't been to the gym in past four years except to get a couple of now useless certifications. I am 35+ now, and still get comments on that I look like 28-30.
3. Cut coffee, junk food. Add banana, yoghurt and vitamin supplement. Also add at least one massage session a week- makes a HUGE difference. I got in to this habit in London over past four years, and though expensive, it is totally worth it.
4. Finally, on the mental part- just calm down and don't say you're stressed. Whenever you feel stressed, repeat to yourself that it is temporary, that you are in charge and you'll get rid of it.

HTH.

[BLarsen]

@lizard of oz, TECHNICALLY speaking 2000 IU may not be enough depending on health conditions. I take 15,000 IU daily just to start in the normal range. I'm dark-skinned, work in an office and have an auto-immune disorder though.

[Manny09]

Lizard of Oz,
Thing is, I've had pretty good results with 4000iu and got even better results with 5000iu daily. So I thing for myself I'm not really overdoing it on the vitamin D.

Excited to be hitting the gym again.

Thanks for following up.

bike0369
Yeah, as soon as I can I'm going to do something about the commute. I think the commute home kills me as much as the actual work day does. For now though I'm just going to have to read, or listen to podcasts/audiobooks like others suggested.

Regarding the gym, it's a pretty big hobby for me, so while not necessary to being healthy, I really like how I feel when I go regularly.

Thanks for the advice. Coffee's out, as is a lot of the junk food. I packed my food for the next two days, if I hadn't planned poorly I could have made this weeks lunches, but I'll do more tomorrow.

[CJ_W]

yeah Caffeine really is a killer, I had two jobs in College for a couple of years, and pretty much got 5-6 hours of sleep because of work and school, I would drink those monster energy drinks. . .it fucked me up so bad that I pretty much made myself allergic to caffeine now. Coffee/Cafeeine is a big factor in making you feel stressed and messing up your sleep, like seriously the properties of cafeeine interfere with sleep 10000% Personally it should be a banned substance.

Also, don't worry about losing your job, you are just out of college, ignore what other people think, you have your whole life ahead of you. just by having a job youre better off than a lot of people your age.