Embracing Mindfulness
How often do you take the time to sit down, close your eyes and focus on your breath? If you are thinking, “I don’t even have enough time to sit down, let alone rest my eyes for a minute”; you may be on the verge of adrenal exhaustion.
Stress is one of the biggest influences on hormonal imbalances in the body such as fatigue. Stress is a psychological and physiological response that occurs in the body when we are pushed outside of our comfort zone, our routine, or if there is an imbalance in our equilibrium.
Modern day stressors such as work hours, timely demands, technology, environmental pollutions, chemical toxins, EMF’s and travel are often overlooked when reflecting on factors of stressors in our life, but they play a huge role.
Our adrenal glands, which are located on top of our kidneys, are the control center for managing our stress. They produce adrenaline, which deals with our Fight or Flight response and cortisol which deals with long term stress. Both hormones are essential to keeping the body functioning and making decisions, but there can always be too much of a good thing happening in the body.
Signs that you may be are suffering with adrenal exhaustion:
- Feeling exhausted and tired on a regular basis
- Struggling to get up in the morning even if you get 7-8 hours of sleep
- Feeling rundown, overwhelmed or heavy
- Frequent illness
- Cravings for salty or sweet snacks
- Dependent on caffeine to keep you going throughout the day
- Emotional breakdowns
- Feeling run down after exercise rather than energized
If you are a busy parent, teacher, business owner, working more than one job, an athlete or have a high demanding job, sometimes it can be impossible to even think about taking time to yourself, but for your emotional and mental health, it is essential.
Here are some realistic and sustainable lifestyle changes that you can implement into your daily routine to better support your body.
MINDFUL MOVEMENT
It has been proven that exercise can reduce stress and improve endurance, but if you are suffering with adrenal fatigue, heavy and intense exercise can tax the adrenals even more. Whether you regularly workout, run or do no exercise at all, I highly recommend making the time for mindful movement such as,
- Mediation
- Earthing
- Journaling
- Slow Walking
- Yoga
- Laughter
THERAPEUTIC HERBS
Lemon balm, chamomile and passionflower are all great herbal teas that can support the mind and adrenals to adapt to your stress load and allow you to relax and recover.
Passionflower is specifically beneficial for improving sleep quality by reducing insomnia, increasing levels of GABA and calming an anxious mind. By improving your sleep quality, it is possible to improve your mental health, clarity and reduce inflammation.
You can incorporate Passionflower into your daily routine by intentionally sipping a warm cup of Peaceful Calm tea in the evening before bed, or supplement with Passionflower tincture throughout the day to ease stress and anxiety.
PROPER NOURISHMENT
Eating a balanced diet is essential for supporting your body throughout your daily routine, especially during periods of stress. Instead of reaching for carbs, sugar and caffeine to fuel you, balance every meal with protein, fat and fibre.
* Caffeine can interfere with your sleep cycles and hormone production of your adrenals. I recommend limiting yourself to a maximum of 2 regular 8 oz cups of caffeine daily. Refrain for caffeine 6 hours before bedtime.*
Being mindful of your own nutrition and lifestyle habits are key to optimizing your overall health and wellness. Let’s embrace mindfulness together!
REGISTERED HOLISTIC NUTRITIONIST
Inspiring a balanced lifestyle through holistic nutrition, yoga + meditation
