Be Kind...Unwind!

We live in a busy, busy world!  The challenge with all this “busy” is that it starts to wear on our bodies.  One of the organs particularly sensitive to all this stress is the Adrenal gland.

You may have heard of Adrenal Fatigue already.  Some of the common symptoms include:
  • Excessive fatigue, especially in the morning (hard to get going…)
  • Inability to concentrate
  • Nervousness and irritability
  • Mental depression
  • Apprehensions
  • Excessive weakness
  • Lightheadedness, especially upon standing up quickly
  • Faintness and fainting
  • Insomnia
  • Frequent infections
  • Intolerance to stress

One of the phrases I often read that describes adrenal fatigue is “wired but tired.”  What concerns me is not only the number of patients I now see with varying degrees of adrenal fatigue but also the kids that I am now seeing with these symptoms!  I have an 8 year old patient that came in showing signs of adrenal fatigue.  Eight years old!  That patient is now starting to recover and doing well using targeting nutrition.  If the 8 years old’s mom had not recognized that something was out of balance, the downward spiral would have continued. 

The adrenals do not just affect our energy.  Notice in the list above how many seem to be related to our brain and mood.  Concentration, nervousness, irritability, mental depression, apprehension, intolerance to stress….  What this means is that it is not just effecting you…adrenal fatigue effects everyone around you!  If it is an issue with a child, it is affecting the entire family.

So, be kind to yourself as well as others around you and unwind a bit!  Here are some suggestions on how to encourage your body to relax.

  • Meditation or prayer.  Make it a point to do this daily.
  • Singing or humming…this actually stimulates the Vagus nerve which is part of the ‘rest, digest and heal’ portion of your nervous system.  Gargling also does the same thing, but I prefer to sing.  J
  • Getting enough sleep.  This means allowing your body 8-9 hours to sleep and rest.  If you think your body does fine on 7 hours of sleep but it really needs 8, you are not going to be your best if you only allow yourself 7 hours of sleep.  The adrenal glands seem to do their repair work between 10 pm and 12 am so it’s best to be asleep or at least in bed during that time so they can recharge fully.
  • Listen to something relaxing.  This needs to be relaxing to YOU!  I personally like to listen to nature sounds and not so much to music when I’m trying to relax.  There are even apps out there that allow you to tailor the sound the way you like it no matter where you are.  I’ll be using my app in the airport the next time I fly!
  • Essential oils can be your friend!  Lavender is a particular relaxing scent for most, but as above, find what works for you.  There are several blends out there that are mixes of several essential oils that often help with relaxing.
  • Try targeted nutrition.  Finding the right supplements, given in the right dosages, at the right time for your body can have amazing results at helping your body recover and heal.  The more stress that is removed from your body, the better it functions.  Nutrition Response Testing does an excellent job at doing this.
  • Chiropractic adjustments also remove physical stresses and can activate the ‘rest, digest and heal’ portion of your nervous system.
  • Consider a 15 minute rest time at your lunch break.  Lie down if you can, listen to something relaxing, concentrate on your breathing…  You don’t have to sleep but it’s ok if you do.  You will be more ready for the rest of your day!  Think of it like clearing your RAM from the morning and having everything cleared and ready to go for the afternoon.



So, how do you plan to relax and unwind so that you are kind to yourself and everyone around you?

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