Adrenal fatigue is caused by the adrenal glands being overworked due to long-term mental, emotional or physical stress. This causes a demand for constant production of hormones, which the adrenal glands are incapable of keeping up.
The adrenal glands produce multiple hormones that are essential for your body to function, one of which is cortisol. Cortisol is a stress hormone that assists with various functions, including regulating your metabolism and blood sugar, reducing inflammation and formulating memories. When stress is introduced, however, cortisol is released to help the body respond to the threat. Once the threat is resolved the hormones return to their regular levels, however when experiencing constant stress, this response doesn’t stop, causing numerous problems to occur in your body.
When cortisol levels are high for a prolonged period it interferes with your body’s natural ability to heal wounds, prevent infection and protect from foreign bodies. Cortisol at high levels suppresses the immune response, causing an increased risk of developing diseases and auto-immune disorders.
High cortisol for long periods can also create a natural resistance to insulin, leading to diabetes. It can also cause mental health issues such as mood swings, depression and anxiety.
Anxiety and stress often come hand-in-hand. Stress is your body’s natural reaction to something that might cause concern or worry you. Anxiety can then be a reaction to that stress.
Here are some changes you can make to help with adrenal fatigue, high cortisol levels and anxiety. We suggest you introduce these changes gradually.
We also recommend using our Adrenal Support Remedy to help support your adrenal functions. Find out more here.
Self-care
- Pace yourself, and stop when you’ve reached your limit.
- Attract positivity in all aspects of your life.
- Get sunlight at the same time every morning to create a good circadian rhythm
- Attempt to get 7-9 hours of sleep.
- Get out of bed at the same time every morning, and go to bed at the same time every night, no later than 10 pm.
- Unplug after dinner; spend time with your family and relax.
Food
- Don’t skip breakfast. Eat within 1 hour of waking up.
- Eat healthy meals and snacks that contain protein.
- Keep a consistent meal schedule.
- Men should drink about 3.7 litres of water and women should drink about 2.7 litres a day.
- Consume equivalent to 1/2 tsp of salt per day.
Avoid alcohol, smoking, caffeine, processed foods and sugar.
These are a few methods to reduce stress:
- Get a massage
- Practice meditation and/or mindfulness
- Practice breathing exercises
- Taking up a hobby
- Be active e.g. yoga, pilates, walking (Running hard, or overtraining can increase cortisol levels and cause chronic stress if you don’t rest your body correctly)
For more lifestyle changes to feel healthier and better see our Getting Started page.