What is Adrenal Fatigue?

The adrenals are small almond shaped glands that sit above the kidney. These glands mobilize the body’s response through hormone regulation, when a person encounters a stressful situation. Too much physical, emotional, environmental, and psychological stress can deplete your adrenal glands causing a decrease in hormones, in particular cortisol. Over time the adrenal glands stop functioning due to the exposure to prolong stress, causing adrenal fatigue. Common symptoms of adrenal fatigue are changes in mood and appetite, sedentary lifestyle, decreased productivity, loss of focus and difficulties sleeping.  Many try to relieve these symptoms by relying on caffeine or other stimulates to gain boost in their energy.  If  you are under an extreme amount of stress and are having difficulties surviving the day, check in with your general physician to determine your medical options.

Here’s some quick tips on how to manage your stress level:

* Maintaining your emotional health by identifying negative sources of energy and remove them from your daily routine.

* Physical exercise 30 to 45 minutes of aerobic cardio exercise 3 days a week, to assist with the decrease of stress, depression, and anxiety.

* Monitor your food intake, by decreasing salty food and increasing your water intake to the recommended 8, 8 ounce glasses of water daily, or consult with your physician regarding healthy nutrition, weight loss and diet.

* Change your sleep routine, try to aim for 6 to 8 hours of sleep a night, preferably before 11pm.

* In more severe case of adrenal fatigue, medication or hormone replacement may be required. This will need to be determined by your physician.



Recommendations:

* Websites   
 
* Adrenal Fatigue: The long-term effects of stress on clinical psychology graduate students. Jazzmin Cohen, MA, MFTI and Alyse Scarmozzino, MA
https://www.div12.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/TCP_Summer2014_FINAL1.pdf

* 7 Natural Ways to Cure Adrenal Fatigue, Linda Scriven  http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-7504/7-natural-ways-to-cure-adrenal-fatigue.html

* http://www.adrenalfatigue.org/


* Books   
 
Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome by James Wilson

Feeling Fat, Fuzzy, or Frazzled?: A 3-Step Program to: Restore Thyroid, Adrenal, and Reproductive Balance, Beat Hormone Havoc, and Feel Better Fast! by Richard Shames and Karilee Shames

Overcoming Adrenal Fatigue: How to Restore Hormonal Balance and Feel Renewed, Energized, and Stress Free (New Harbinger Self-Help Workbook) by Kathryn Simpson                              

 
What is STRESS?

Stress is the body’s response to positive and negative events we experience in everyday life. Often when we feel anxious or unbalanced, stress will act as a protective shield to keep us focused and alert.  Unfortunately, we experience the negative side of stress more often than the positive adrenaline pumping side. Therefore, if you are feeling overwhelmed, having memory problems, chest pains, or changes in your eating habit, you may be experiencing negative stress. Keep in mind, there are many more symptoms of stress than I have mentioned here. For this reason, if you suspect you are under a high level of stress, contact your doctor immediately and schedule an appointment to discuss your symptoms and the effects of stress on your body.  In the meantime, work on gaining an understanding of what life situations activate your stress and cause it to reach an unhealthy level. Once you identify your triggers develop a plan to decrease your negative stress in order for you to maintain a happy and productive lifestyle.

Here’s some quick tips on how to manage your stress level:

·         Keep a stress journal to identify what is causing stress to manifest, as well as, feelings, emotions, where in your body stress resonates, and what you did to cope and handle the stressful situations.

·         Avoid any unnecessary and unhealthy stress; know your limits and how to say no. Take control of your environment by staying away from negative people and situations.

·         Express your feelings instead of keeping it inside be more assertive if you have to and remember its ok to know your limits and say no.  

·         Managing your time is important, never overextend yourself, remember only take on task that you can complete and handle.

·         Accept the things that are out of your control, some things are unavoidable, so try your best to accept cope and continue to live life. 

·         Remember to have fun, hang with friends and family, go for a walk, watch a funny movie, or engage in a positive fun hobby.

·         Don’t forget to exercise, eat, and get enough sleep, by reducing caffeine, sugar, and avoiding substances you increase your resistance to stress as well as your health.

I hope this information was helpful, please check out the recommendation section for books and websites on how to manage stress.


Recommendations:  

* Websites  
1. Readers Digest 37 Stress management Tips http://www.rd.com/health/37-stress-management-tips/  
2. About.Com Mindfulness Exercises - Everyday Mindfulness Exercises For Stress Relief http://stress.about.com/od/tensiontamers/a/exercises.htm  
3. Mental Health America Stress Screener http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/llw/stressquiz.html    


* Books  
The Stress Management Handbook: Strategies for Health and Inner Peace by Lori A. Leyden-Rubenstein  
The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook (New Harbinger Self-Help Workbook) by Matthew McKay Ph.D.  
Stress Reduction for Busy People: Finding Peace in an Anxious World by Dawn Groves  
Stress Management for Dummies by Allen Elkin  
Don't Sweat the Small Stuff--and it's all small stuff (Don't Sweat the Small Stuff Series) by Richard Carlson      


*All information listed in this section was gathered through Google and Amazon.