I go through phases where I don't feel very productive, or when I feel like my efforts are wasted because the end result is not what I was working so hard towards. What's the worst is when I am dead tired at the end of the day and think back about how I was rushing back & forth, feeling like I was working my ass off, and in reality...I was reacting to a situation that could've been avoided had I approached it from a different angle. I hate that. Those are the things that keep me up at night. As you've probably ascertained by now, I tend to overanalyze. If I don't fall asleep within minutes of going to bed...I will be awake for hours laying there. There are ways to deal with stress and sometimes they work, but I discovered that one needs to tweak the application of them to fit one's personal style. For example: meditation. I love the idea of meditating, but my mind soon wanders from it's peaceful zen garden into the above mentioned quagmire of work & life related stress and before I realize how far I've gone...my heart is pounding and I'm holding my breath. I've learned that the best way to avoid the wandering is to give my mind a task. The few times I take a moment to meditate, I recite "If" by Rudyard Kipling silently. If nothing else...the body sits still for a few minutes.

I suggest finding your "If" and distracting your mind for a bit. It's not escaping from your problems...it's refueling your body and formulating a battle plan for how to tackle them.