Stress and Your Adrenals

PHYSICAL RESPONSES TO STRESS 
Most of us know what stress feels like: overwhelm, frustration...and maybe even a quick temper.  

But what does stress physically feel like?  How does stress manifest in our bodies? 

There are essentially two different mechanisms of the nervous system: parasympathetic and sympathetic.  

The parasympathetic nervous system is also known as the "rest and digest" state, which means that if you're chronically stressed your digestive system is going to struggle. 

When digestion struggles, there can be malabsorption issues which lead to fatigue, blood sugar handling issues, muscle weakness, lack of sleep and you guessed it - more stress. 

STRESS AND THE ADRENALS 

“The particular kind of rest you need when you have adrenal fatigue comes not so much from lying down, but from standing up for yourself, and from removing or minimizing the harmful stresses in your life.”
― James L. Wilson, Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome


A big part of healing has to do with drawing lines in the sand, establishing strong boundaries, saying "no" more often and putting yourself first. 

Stress comes in a lot of different forms, and each one of these scenarios is intimately managed by the adrenals: 

• Food sensitivities 
• Allergies 
• Blood sugar imbalances 
• Digestion 
• Hormonal imbalances 
• Emotional upset 
• Exhaustion 
• No "me" time 
• Chronic pain 
• Immune responses ​

Here are my top 5 ways to manage stress and heal my adrenals: 

• Meditate daily
• Reduce sugar and focus on fresh produce, fat and protein. 
• Practice restorative yoga and walk in nature. 
• Practice good sleep hygiene. Go to bed and get up at the same time. 
• Focus on the things I can control, not on the things I can't.  

Most importantly, don't beat yourself up when you find that you discover you've fallen off of the "self-care" wagon.  Take a deep breath and jump in.  You'll be glad you did.