4 Things You Can Do To Manage Stress Now

Dec 26

Guest post by Tiffany Flaten of Rock Bottom Wellness

In order to manage our stress levels, we need to take care of our adrenal glands. These walnut-sized glands are big players in our body when it comes to feeling balanced and healthy. When your adrenals are low-functioning, it’s not uncommon to come down with a myriad of symptoms over time with chronic adrenal stress.

So, How Does This Happen?

The thing about stress is that our bodies can’t discern between good or bad stress. I often hear people describe their reactions to a new job as a good stress. “I love my job! It’s very stressful; but a good stress, you know?” We tend to think of things as black and white, all-or-nothing. Over time, this can wreak havoc on that little gland and throw us out of whack.

Basically, our adrenals deal with stress of any kind, whether you’re planning a wedding or planning a funeral. It doesn’t really care because our bodies are amazing and are constantly trying to keep us in balance. The example of the new job on top of the constant bombardment of our busy lives and being connected ALL the time doesn’t allow our adrenals to recover.

In this day and age, we are constantly running away from the proverbial sabre tooth tiger. This leads to some or many of these common symptoms of adrenal exhaustion.

Common Symptoms of Adrenal Exhaustion

1. Feel worse after exercise

2. Brain fog

3. Water retention

4. Salt cravings

5. Not rested upon waking/constant fatigue

6. Depression

7. Headaches/migraines

8. Sweet or alcohol cravings

9. Unstable blood sugar

10. Muscular weakness

What Can I Do To Combat Adrenal Stress?

1. Add some Himalayan Pink Salt.

Unrefined pink salt is nutritionally dense with trace minerals. These minerals are necessary for the function of your thyroid and adrenals and often are feeling the symptoms of adrenal exhaustion. You can add to savory dishes in place or regular table salt or even add a pinch to a smoothie.

2. Add some Licorice Extract.

I’m not talking about Twizzlers here. Real licorice in the form of a tea or a DGL Licorice supplement (please contact a professional for quality supplements). This herb supports normal cortisol surges needed for you to feel awake and productive while managing your adrenals. (If you have high blood pressure, I don’t recommend this for your adrenal support or only use under a professional’s care.)

3. Get your greens – and other colors!

Often, when we are struggling with adrenal exhaustion, it is really hard to get the whole-food nutrients in our diets we need. Leafy greens will provide you with the magnesium that is often deficient with this condition and other greens and citrus fruits will help with the Vitamin C that is depleted with adrenal stress. In general, consume more vegetables and fruits to ensure these micronutrients are sufficient enough to support your adrenals.

4. Exercise…but not too much.

If your normal exercise routine has you feeling exhausted versus energized, then it’s time to find a new one. I recommend to my clients that they find the time to look inward and relax for 5, 10, or even 15 minutes. Make a habit of getting some time in to do a few deep breathing exercises and a few stretches. Taking some time every day to just BE will go a long way to making you feel better. And, if you can get a walk in, that’d be even better. Just pay attention to your body. If something makes you feel more tired, don’t do it. That’s the bottom line.

To summarize, our bodies are trying really hard to keep us in a healthy balance. Because of our busy lives and poor food intake, we often get in it’s way and we get sicker. Taking care of your adrenals by eating whole, nutritious foods and getting enough rest and recovery time are some simple steps you can take to keep your adrenals healthy.