Jeff Csatari

But science has also discovered health benefits linked to whole-day, alternate-day, and time-restricted fasting, says Carolyn Williams, Ph.D., the registered dietitian that helped develop the new book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mens-Health-Guide-Intermittent-Fasting/dp/1950099407/" id="e1675e76-ec95-35be-a32d-31c8b3f094a9"> The Mens Health Guide to Intermittent Fasting. </a>

Scientists speculate that the benefits of short-term fasts may come from the structured break they provide to around-the-clock eating.

Even if you dont change the content of your diet, by controlling the time period in which your calories are consumed, you give your body a pause from a constant onslaught food, says Williams.

Maybe <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/health/a26052066/side-effects-of-intermittent-fasting/" id="3627410d-0408-3955-a730-2b441fee5ee1"> youre skeptical </a> . But Williams says that, at first, she was too.

She studied the research. She looked at the data. She even tried a time-restricted fast herself. I expected the fast to affect my blood sugar because Im prone to low blood sugar and I know how I get without eating, Williams says.

But Williams says she was surprised to find that she had no trouble going 16 hours without eating. Her method: She stopped eating after dinner and fasted from 7 p.m. to 11 a.m., following the popular 16:8 intermittent fasting pattern, which leaves an 8-hour-long window for eating.

I find Im really not hungry; in fact, sometimes I have to remind myself to eat lunch, Williams says.

While more research is needed to determine if fasting is effective for long-term dieting, theres no debate that it works in the short-term.

By refraining from eating for at least 12 hours (ideally 16), your body starts burning through glucose and can begin tapping fat for fuel, explains Williams. Studies show that you can expect to lose between 3 and 8 percent of your bodyweight in as few as three weeks.

Compared to calorie-restriction diets, intermittent fasting tends to trigger more belly fat loss, the research suggests. Anecdotally, Williams says she senses greater energy and improved clarity of thought.

Here are some other potential upsides of intermittent fasting, each supported by research.

<h1> Intermittent fasting may help maintain muscle . </h1>

Whenever you restrict calories and lose weight, some of that weight comes from a reduction in muscle mass. That goes for intermittent fasts as well as traditional calorie-restriction diets.

However, at least <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21410865" id="de921f69-8d6a-3781-a924-c04f378e620a"> one study </a> conducted by the Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition at the University of Illinois suggests that intermittent fasting may be more effective for retaining muscle mass.

The study compared overweight and obese adults who followed a calorie restriction diet with similar-weight subjects who restricted calories through intermittent fasting. After 12 weeks, the researchers found both diets to be equally effective in trimming body weight and fat mass, but less muscle was lost by the group that fasted.

<h1> Intermittent fasting may target belly fat. </h1>

Overweight people who could choose any 10-hour timeframe to eat as long as they refrained from eating the other 14 hours of the day saw a reduction in waist circumference and visceral abdominal fat after 12 weeks, according to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1550413119306114?via%3Dihub" id="49647622-b0b8-39d3-a845-8be87335c112"> a report </a> in the journal Cell Metabolism.

<h1> Intermittent fasting may reduce diabetes risk. </h1>

The study in Cell Metabolism referenced above also demonstrated the potential of intermittent fasting to reduce risk of metabolic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

All the participants in the study were diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, a cluster of health conditionsincluding high blood sugar, excess abdominal fat, high blood pressure, and abnormal cholesterol or triglycerides levelsthat occurring together boost the risk of type 2 diabetes, stroke, and heart disease.

After 12 weeks, every participant experienced improvement in all of the common markers of metabolic syndrome.

<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24993615" id="b632bc1f-737e-3500-a2d2-feeeee24a1b9"> A similar study </a> in the journal Translational Research found that alternate-day fasting, in which participants restricted calories by 75 percent on a fast day, followed by a feed day without calorie restriction, resulted in clinically significant reductions in blood sugar and insulin resistance.

<h1> Intermittent fasting may lower high blood pressure. </h1>

<a href="https://content.iospress.com/articles/nutrition-and-healthy-aging/nha170036" id="9b13ba1a-2533-3941-a819-aae37e9b9b6f"> A study </a> published in Nutrition and Healthy Aging demonstrated that participants who practiced 16:8 intermittent fasting without calorie counting significantly reduced their systolic blood pressure compared to a control group after 12 weeks.

High Angle View Of Various Fruits With Exercise Equipment On Table

<h1> Intermittent fasting could fight inflammation. </h1>

Inflammation is your bodys natural way of fighting off infection, illness, and injury. But theres another type of inflammation, a chronic inflammation that can silently trigger heart disease and diabetes.

Smoking, mental stress, and a regular diet of fatty, fried, or sugary foods are common causes. Several <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17291990/" id="c5b0a127-bf0a-39fe-a528-e586ad2e70eb"> studies </a> have shown that intermittent fasting may induce an anti-inflammatory effect that reduces risk of those metabolic diseasesand even improve pulmonary function in people with asthma.

Whats more, a reduction in inflammation due to short-term fasting appears to protect the brain from memory disorders and depression, according to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3695639/" id="6d3f2d97-8505-30e4-a82f-43f1be757471"> a study </a> in Obesity.

<h1> Intermittent fasting may reduce oxidative stress. </h1>

Even when you dont lose weight while on an intermittent fasting routine, your cells may benefit from extra protection, according to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5990470/" id="8b515a09-e6d3-37bc-a70b-9b6b8d856ef1"> a study </a> in Cell Metabolism.

The study assigned men with prediabetes to either a 6-hour early eating period, where they could eat only from 8 a.m. until dinner before 2 p.m., fasting the rest of the day, or a 12-hour feeding period.

At the end of five weeks, the researchers found that the men on the early time- restricted fast improved blood pressure and insulin sensitivity (as expected), but also improved resistance to oxidative stress, where unstable molecules called free radicals can damage proteins and DNA.

<h1> Intermittent fasting may help you live longer. </h1>

<a href="https://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/212538" id="b6b6fc22-15d2-383c-a2aa-f933ba825794"> Rodent studies </a> suggest that intermittent fasting, which is much easier to maintain than extreme calorie cutting, may boost lifespan, too. In one study comparing rats who were given unrestricted access to food to rats who were fed every other day, the rats who fasted lived 83 percent longer than those who gorged themselves.

For a quick primer on how to start a health-boosting fast yourself, plus dozens of delicious recipes for brunch, dinner, and even Keto-diet-friendly meals, check out <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mens-Health-Guide-Intermittent-Fasting/dp/1950099407/" id="c37407cd-e584-3e67-aa47-87ca30e0ae9c"> The Mens Health Guide to Intermittent Fasting </a> .

7 Fasting Benefits That Aren’t Weight Loss

Most people try fasting with one goal in mind: <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/a27632073/intermittent-fasting-diet-weight-loss/" id="fee723f6-e6b9-31be-a265-be506c5d6bd1"> losing weight </a> .

7 Intermittent Fasting Benefits That Aren’t Weight Loss

There were no all-night diners or frozen pizzas to tempt them. They had no choice but to ignore that gnawing emptiness in their stomachs until they happened upon a bush of ripe <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/a24116192/healthiest-fruits/" id="ba8291d8-e2f5-38c2-ad6b-07360783990e"> berries </a> or got lucky with a <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/a25563092/the-paleo-diet-beginners-guide/" id="34d66c75-c77d-3495-a37a-a842a26defa5"> spear </a> .

Intermittent fasting, that is, purposely abstaining from eating for a certain number of hours or days, is much harder for modern humans who have access to food 24/7. (Insomnia Cookies delivers until 3 a.m.) But regular extended breaks from eating can be so beneficial to our welfare (not to mention our waistlines) that its worth the struggle.

To understand just how, it helps to realize what happens in our bodies when we eat like normal Americans do, which is to say, all day and too much of the wrong stuff. We eat a lot of protein and carbohydratesthink meat and potatoes (and chips, cookies, pasta, bread, juice, beer, etc.).

When we digest those macronutrients, our bodies respond by releasing the hormone insulin. Insulins job is to regulate our blood sugar by breaking down the glucose for energy and ushering it into our cells for use.

But if we eat throughout the day and night, our bodies never get a break from the constant release of insulin. Over time, the insulin becomes ineffective at dealing with high blood sugar, so the body pumps out more and more and eventually develops insulin resistance, the precursor to diabetes.

Intermittent eatingreducing our calorie-consuming windowslows the release of insulin and allows the body to seek out fat for energy. Many studies suggest that intermittent fasting may be a healthier way to eat, be a more effective approach for weight loss, and even slightly boost your metabolism, says Carolyn Williams, Ph.D., R.D., in The Mens Health Guide to Intermittent Fasting.

Williams, who was skeptical of IF at first, became a fan shortly after trying the popular 16:8 IF plan, in which you fast for 16 hours (overnight) and consume all calories in only an 8-hour eating window. Williams found that IF kept her blood sugar levels more stable compared to when she ate many times during the day and night. She was surprised to find that IF was pretty painless; she never became ravenous.

How did she do it? Well, what you do eat during that feeding window turns out to be just as important as when you dont eat.

<h1> Seven Tricks to Avoiding the Intermittent Fasting "Hangries" </h1>

<ul><li> Avoid foods with fast-burning refined carbs and added sugars when you do eat to avoid kicking your body into an insulin rollercoaster ride. Sugary carbs quickly spike blood sugar, which drops just as fast, making you feel hungry even shortly after you just ate. </li><li> Eat your carbs from vegetables, fruits, grains and beans rich in fiber, which slows the absorption of sugars into the bloodstream. </li><li> Eat a varied diet of nutrient-dense foods like lean proteins, high-fiber carbohydrates like fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and healthy fats. Eating meals that contain all three macronutrients will keep you satisfied and energized throughout your fasting period. The ideal balance is 30% protein, 45% carbohydrates, and 25% healthy fat. </li><li> Consume two large meals and two to three snacks during your eating window. That will provide a steady supply of energy and nutrients to keep you from feeling famished. </li><li> Hydrate. We often misinterpret thirst for hunger. When you wake up, drink a large glass of cool water. Then continue to sip water throughout your fasting period. Water is a great appetite suppressant. </li><li> Add flavor to your zero-calorie beverage can help you get through fasting period. Drink unsweetened hot or iced tea, naturally flavored waters, seltzer or black coffee. If you cant handle black coffee, try adding unsweetened cocoa, cinnamon, or stevia. You can also add up to 40 calories of milk or cream to your coffee without breaking your fast. </li><li> Add a little fat to your morning coffee can help, too. Healthy fats can help you feel full without breaking your fast, says Williams. Try blending 1 to 2 tablespoons of a fat like butter, coconut oil or another a medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil in a cup of coffee. Another benefit of coffee on a fast: Caffeine is a stimulant that can boost resting metabolic rate to burn more fat and its also effective at blunting appetite, according to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23204152">a study</a> in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition. </li></ul>

For more tips and tricks to help work fasting into your life, grab a copy of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mens-Health-Guide-Intermittent-Fasting/dp/1950099407" id="f84ca025-6131-3068-ac8e-d24316074dab"> The Mens Health Guide to Intermittent Fasting </a> .

7 Ways to Turbocharge Your IF Eating Window

Fasting was easy for our ancient ancestors.

7 Ways to Turbocharge Your Intermittent Fasting Eating Window

Just in case you need a refresher, a ketogenic diet is a diet based on a very low- <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/a27086988/are-carbs-bad/" id="75dfc8f7-846e-3d6f-a650-2a5850ef4a1f"> carbohydrate </a> , high-fat eating plan. This approach to eating forces your body to break down fat stores into "ketones" (hence the name) for energy.

Scientists are still researching the short- and long-term effects of a ketogenic diet, but some studies are emerging to show a benefit.

In <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328896579_Weight_loss_improved_physical_performance_cognitive_function_eating_behavior_and_metabolic_profile_in_a_12-week_ketogenic_diet_in_obese_adults" id="d6088aca-7fb9-3644-a952-e7fd92a20732"> a recent study </a> reported in the journal Nutrition Research, obese men who followed a ketogenic diet for 12 weeks experienced decreased appetite, an average weight loss of 39 pounds, improved physical performance, better brain function, and lower insulin levels.

What's more, additional research is pointing toward the health benefits of intermittent fasting, including the more extreme ketogenic diet. But can you do both at once?

To move your body into ketosis, you have to limit carbohydrates to between 5 and 10 percent of total calories or about 20 to 50 grams of carbs per day, says nutritionist Carolyn Williams, PhD, RD, author of the cookbook Meals That Heal and a contributor to <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mens-Health-Guide-Intermittent-Fasting/dp/1950099407" id="f84ca025-6131-3068-ac8e-d24316074dab"> The Mens Health Guide to Intermittent Fasting </a> . While thats a very low carb diet, it doesnt mean you cant get the healthy nutrients you need from vegetables.

In fact, you can eat your fill of quality carbohydrates, and still reach that holy grail of fat-burning ketosis. The trick, says Williams, is choosing fruits and vegetables with less than 5 grams of net carbs per serving. (You calculate net carbs by subtracting grams of dietary fiber from grams of carbohydrates.)

That leaves you with a few fruits like berries and avocado, and good selection of vegetables thatll taste even better with a generous dose of keto-friendly fats like olive oil or butter.

Focus on these six low-carb fruits and vegetables in your quest for ketosis:

While most fruits are off limits on a keto diet, this fatty fruit is an exception. Avocado is one of the most popular keto diet foods because its loaded with healthy monounsaturated fat. Plus it has three grams of fiber per 1/4 fruit, which negates all but one of its carb grams.

Heres another keto-friendly fruit, an excellent source of the compound lycopene that is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, according to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3710301/" id="e63c2ff4-8d73-36ab-a796-ad09d6c4c47c"> a study </a> in the British Journal of Nutrition.

Leafy greens like spinach are very, very low in calories and carbs, which make them a great way to get helpful nutrients like potassium, iron, vitamins A and C, and fiber. A cup of raw spinach, for example, contains just under 7 calories and 1 gram of carbohydrate.

The meaty texture of mushrooms makes them very satisfying for people following a ketogenic diet. Grill a large Portobello cap and eat it with a fork and knife as you would a steak. It packs just 15 calories and just 1 grams of net carbs thanks to its dietary fiber content.

This is another satisfying low-sugar vegetable. Steam and mash it as a delicious substitute for starchy potatoes. A cup of cauliflower mash contains about 4 grams of net carbs. Bonus: <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3705355/" id="90ce20a9-7c94-39e8-aa79-5fa24e835d31"> Studies </a> show that high-fiber foods like cauliflower play a significant role in improving gut health.

The deep green color of these low-calorie, low-carb vegetables signifies theyre high in antioxidants, such as vitamin E, and vitamin C, as well as plant chemicals called flavonoids.

Asparagus contains three key flavonoidsquercetin, kaempferol, and isorhamnetinthat have been shown to offer anti-inflammatory properties and blood-pressure lowering effects in human studies, according to a recent review in the journal Nutrients.

All of these fruits and vegetables pair nicely with the fats and proteins that make up the bulk of a ketogenic meal plan. For 15 easy recipes thatll make your journey to reach ketosis even more delicious, check out The Mens Health Guide to Intermittent Fasting: Build Muscle and Torch Fat without Stressing About What You Eat, available here.

6 Carbs That Won't Throw You Out of Ketosis

Putting your body in a state of <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/a19530409/ketogenic-ketosis-diet-for-beginners/" id="be0d90ad-9314-362c-ab9b-eddf1c7453dc"> ketosis </a> the goal of the ketogenic diettakes some willpower.

6 Carbohydrates That Won't Throw You Out of Ketosis

Contrary to the popular belief that the morning meal is the most important of the day, <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/a29192545/intermittent-fasting-beginners-guide/" id="afd508e3-359a-3b12-ad25-facab0936c6b"> new research </a> suggests that deliberately skipping breakfast and prolonging the time between your last meal (yesterday) and first meal (today) could have <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/a20107126/benefits-of-fasting-could-make-you-healthier/" id="0372abfb-d667-3cf0-ac12-030f2b55845d"> a positive impact on your health </a> .

For one, skipping breakfast extends your nighttime fast and compresses the window of opportunity to overeat, says Carolyn Williams, a James Beard award-winning dietician, who served as a consulting expert for <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mens-Health-Guide-Intermittent-Fasting/dp/1950099407" id="f84ca025-6131-3068-ac8e-d24316074dab"> The Mens Health Guide to Intermittent Fasting </a> .

And dont worry about slowing your metabolism by fasting.

Skipping meals may even slightly boost your metabolism, Williams says.

Heres are five more reasons to consider bypassing breakfast tomorrow morning.

You might think that fasting would make you feel famished and trigger insatiable cravings for foods, especially carbs. But studies show thats not always the case. In fact, a study in the journal Obesity found that people who ate only during a 6-hour feeding window felt less hungry than people in a control group who were allowed to eat normally.

Simply changing when you eat can trigger weight loss. A 2018 study found that intermittent fasting can help promote weight loss even if you dont cut total daily calories from your diet. When we shorten our calorie-consumption window by skipping breakfast, we minimize the constant release of insulin and force the body to find alternate fuelslike body fatfor energy, says Williams.

<h1> You may help fight inflammation. </h1>

Smart Phone and Cup of Coffee on Top of Office Desk.

Simply eating food triggers inflammation in your body, and chronic, sustained inflammation may play a role in obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Skipping breakfast gives your body a needed break from a constant onslaught of food.

When you refrain from eating in the morning, you automatically avoid potentially inflammatory foods like bacon, the refined carbohydrates found in such baked goods as bagels, muffins, and pastries, and breakfast cereals, highly processed breakfast sandwiches, and sugar-laden coffees and fruit juices.

<h1> You may reduce your blood pressure. </h1>

Female entrepreneur Manager using her laptop , working in a cafe or office. Near mobile phone and coffee. Freelance workplace, Breakfast business lady. Search for information on the Internet.

Several human studies have shown that people who fast improve their cardiovascular health.

In <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6471315/" id="cb0dcbf0-99e5-3103-a911-eb07d0065836"> one study </a> , Germany researchers put 1422 people on an intermittent fasting diet for a year and found that those who fasted lowered both their diastolic and systolic blood pressure and reduce their resting heart rates.

Researchers believe the drop in BP may be caused by an increase in parasympathetic activity due to brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that regulates blood pressure.

Chicken eggs and two teaspoons arranged in form of clock face

Fasting advocates say going without food allows them to stay focused and do more work.

Researchers say that may be due to the cocktail of hormones, such as testosterone and cortisol, and other biochemicals that are released when your body transitions from fed to fasted.

When that happens your body generates energy by burning fat, while arousing it with adrenaline, which increases your alertness and focus, say biochemist Trevor Kashey, Ph.D., founder of Trevor Kashey Nutrition.

And now for a caveat (you knew it was coming, didnt you?)

All of these terrific health benefits will likely disappear fast once you go back to starting your day with a Dennys Grand Slam breakfast.

But why stop intermittent fasting? Following a skip-breakfast fast is pretty easy to maintain. After all, you are asleep for most of your fast.

You can learn how to do the popular 16:8 intermittent fast in The Mens Health Guide to Intermittent Fasting , available here. It explains the science of fasting, gives you simple instructions for getting started, and supplies 46 delicious recipes, including 16 Keto-friendly meals.

Sneaking out the door without a hearty breakfast may not be such a bad idea.

The Easiest Way to Start Fasting Is to Stop Eating Breakfast

But science has also discovered health benefits linked to whole-day, alternate-day, and time-restricted fasting, says Carolyn Williams, Ph.D., the registered dietitian that helped develop the new book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mens-Health-Guide-Intermittent-Fasting/dp/1950099407" id="f84ca025-6131-3068-ac8e-d24316074dab"> The Mens Health Guide to Intermittent Fasting </a> .

Scientists speculate that the benefits of short-term fasts may come from the structured break they provide to around-the-clock eating.

For a quick primer on how to start a health-boosting fast yourself, plus dozens of delicious recipes for brunch, dinner, and even Keto-diet-friendly meals, check out The Mens Health Guide to Intermittent Fasting here.

The Germans, who have an uncanny ability to capture in one word a feeling that would take a full sentence in English to explain, call this dread Torschlusspanik. Literally gate-shut panic. Its the medieval fear of not making it safely behind the castle gate before nightfall. In modern usage, it describes the fear of running out of timeto act, to accomplish, to meet deadlines real or perceived.

Torschlusspanik can be triggered by trivial stuff like an overly ambitious weekend chore list or, say, a surprise visit from the boss, who plants himself in your office to chat when you have less than an hour to prep for a critical meeting. Often, all it takes to get that feeling started is procrastination and the guilt that stems from that inaction. (You shouldnt have left such a complicated project for the last minute!) Or, on a grander scale, upward comparison, the dangerous practice of holding yourself up to someone you think is almost at the top of the mountain while youre still trying to figure out which ropes to use.

Whether your fear of time running out is short-term or more epic, there are ways to make itkaput:

<h1> When time is running out this hour </h1>

If youre faced with 60 minutes to finish a report, answer urgent emails, and fill out this weeks fantasy-baseball-team roster, tackling three tasks at once may seem wise. But studies prove the opposite: Multitasking lowers attention span, increases stress, and makes each task take longer. So keep it simple, says Jordan Etkin, Ph.D., a professor at Duke Universitys Fuqua School of Business whos researched multitasking. Here's how to handle it if you have 60 minutes or less:

Truncate your to-do list: High achievers are ruthless about prioritizing, she says: Take a step back, figure out whats most important, and work on that thing.

Re-frame that hour : Duke researchers discovered that when students cramming for an exam thought of one hour as 60 minutes, the hour seemed longer, they felt more productive, and they found the subject matter more interesting.

Take ten slow breaths : We know everyone and their six-year-old has told you to belly breathe when you feel stressed. Its not BS: Dozens of studies have shown how deep breathing activates the part of the nervous system that works like a brake on the stress train, helping you focus enough to get stuff done. In other words, when youre under the gun, these breaths help you be filled with fewer I cant pull this off worries and have more success at just pulling things off.

<h1> When time is running out today </h1>

Now you have 24 hours to play with. The trick to feeling like theres still sand in the top of the hourglass is to stop glorifying being busy. Our culture values action, so working through lunch makes us feel more productive and less guilty...while in fact ceaseless work makes us less efficient. Instead:

Do 50-minute intervals : Humans werent made to work in a linear way, says Andrew Deutscher, managing director of the Energy Project, a performance consulting firm. Were built to pulse like waves. So step away from work every 90 minutes; people who do so have a 28 percent higher level of focus than people who take one or no breaks.

Let nature help : Hunt for a natural scene. When a group of students viewed a rooftop meadow for 40 seconds, they had greater concentration and made fewer errors on an attention test than those who looked at an empty concrete rooftop.

Know what to ignore : President Dwight D. Eisenhower used what became known as the Eisenhower Box to get things covered before nightfall. Try it: Draw four boxes, two stacked over two. In each, write one of these things: urgent and important daily tasks; important but not urgent work; urgent but not important tasks; work thats neither urgent nor important. Use it to determine what to ignore, leave for later, delegate, or do immediately-you know, like launch the D-Day invasion of Normandy.

<h1> When time is running out this year/this life </h1>

Perhaps your head has run these lines: How is it April? How did I get to be this age without starting a family/hot VC firm/counterculture revolution (hell, I havent even broken 10,000 Twitter followers yet)? This is a deeper level of fear than the temporary panic of having too much to do. Its the anxiety of falling short of your own expectations coupled with the feeling that you dont have enough time left to meet them. When it hits, breathe and:

Ask bigger questions: The larger question you should ask isnt how to cram it all in. Its why you think you have to do all those things you set out for yourself, says Raj Raghunathan, Ph.D., of the University of Texas, Austin. Instead of tallying up a life by job titles and degrees earned, he says, rethink what a meaningful life is. It might not be whats on your LinkedIn page.

Go out more : People who meet with friends more than once a week are 27 percent more likely to be satisfied with life than those with no friends or who get together only a few times a year.

Dont overthink it : Regrets over things we could have done can instigate Torschlusspanik too. These tend to haunt us much longer than regrets over things we should have done (like go to your friends sons wedding), says Cornell psychologist Tom Gilovich, Ph.D. So stop wasting additional time fretting over the what ifs and wish I hads, and just plunge in. After all, the gate is closing. But theres time to make it in.

Somewhere between anxiety and dread is that feeling that creeps in on a Sunday evening. You still havent finished the spreadsheet that was due Friday EOD. OR cleaned up after the party on Saturday. Or bathed the bulldog. Or yourself. Oh, and its five minutes to midnight.

How to Get Stuff Done When You Don't Have Enough Time

The Germans, who have an uncanny ability to capture in one word a feeling that would take a full sentence in English to explain, call this dread Torschlusspanik. Literally gate-shut panic. Its the medieval fear of not making it safely behind the castle gate before nightfall. In modern usage, it describes the fear of running out of time . . . to act, to accomplish, to meet deadlines real or perceived.

Whether your fear of time running out is short-term or more epic, there are ways to make it...kaput:

If youre faced with 60 minutes to finish a report, answer urgent emails, and fill out this weeks fantasy- baseball-team roster, tackling three tasks at once may seem wise. But studies prove the opposite: Multitasking lowers attention span, increases stress, and makes each task take longer. So keep it simple, says Jordan Etkin, Ph.D., a professor at Duke Universitys Fuqua School of Business whos researched multitasking. When you have deadlines of 60 minutes or less:

<ul><li> Truncate your to-do list. High achievers are ruthless about prioritizing, she says: Take a step back, figure out whats most important, and work on that thing. </li><li> Reframe that hour. Duke researchers discovered that when students cramming for an exam thought of one hour as 60 minutes, the hour seemed longer, they felt more productive, and they found the subject matter more interesting. </li><li> Take ten slow breaths. We know everyone and their six-year-old has told you to belly breathe when you feel stressed. Its not BS: Dozens of studies have shown how deep breathing activates the part of the nervous system that works like a brake on the stress train, helping you focus enough to get stuff done. In other words, when youre under the gun, these breaths help you be filled with fewer I cant pull this off worries and have more success at just pulling things off. </li></ul>

Now you have 24 hours to play with. The trick to feeling like theres still sand in the top of the hourglass is to stop glorifying being busy. Our culture values action, so working through lunch makes us feel more productive and less guilty . . . while in fact ceaseless work makes us less efficient. Instead:

<ul><li> Do 90-minute intervals. Humans werent made to work in a linear way, says Andrew Deutscher, managing director of the Energy Project, a performance consulting firm. Were built to pulse like waves. So step away from work every 90 minutes; people who do so have a 28 percent higher level of focus than people who take one or no breaks. </li><li> Let nature help. Hunt for a natural scene. When a group of students viewed a rooftop meadow for 40 seconds, they had greater concentration and made fewer errors on an attention test than those who looked at an empty concrete rooftop. </li><li> Know what to ignore. President Dwight D. Eisenhower used what became known as the Eisenhower Box to get things covered before nightfall. Try it: Draw four boxes, two stacked over two. In each, write one of these things: urgent and important daily tasks; important but not urgent work; urgent but not important tasks; work thats neither urgent nor important. Use it to determine what to ignore, leave for later, delegate, or do immediately- you know, like launch the D-Day invasion of Normandy. </li></ul>

Perhaps your head has run these lines: How is it March? How did I get to be this age without starting a family/hot VC firm/counterculture revolution (hell, I havent even broken 10,000 Twitter followers yet)? This is a deeper level of fear than the temporary panic of having too much to do. Its the anxiety of falling short of your own expectations coupled with the feeling that you dont have enough time left to meet them. When it hits, breathe and:

<ul><li> Ask bigger questions. The larger question you should ask isnt how to cram it all in. Its why you think you have to do all those things you set out for yourself, says Raj Raghunathan, Ph.D., of the University of Texas, Austin. Instead of tallying up a life by job titles and degrees earned, he says, rethink what a meaningful life is. It might not be whats on your LinkedIn page. </li><li> Go out more. People who meet with friends more than once a week are 27 percent more likely to be satisfied with life than those with no friends or who get together only a few times a year. </li><li> Dont overthink it. Regrets over things we could have done can instigate Torschlusspanik too. These tend to haunt us much longer than regrets over things we should have done (like go to your friends sons wedding), says Cornell psychologist Tom Gilovich, Ph.D. So stop wasting additional time fretting over the what ifs and wish I hads, and just plunge in. After all, the gate is closing. But theres time to make it in. </li></ul>

Somewhere between anxiety and dread is that feeling that creeps in on a Sunday evening. You still havent finished the spreadsheet that was due Friday EOD. Or cleaned up after the party on Saturday. Or bathed the bulldog. Or yourself. Oh, and its five minutes to midnight.

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Jeff Csatari

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