The summer holidays should be a nice break right? A chance to unwind, restore and rejuvenate before another big year hits…? If this isn’t exactly how it’s been for you, if you’ve pulled yourself through an end of year come down, battled out a big Christmas, run around to a million activities and are now approaching the new year with a bit of a “you again” mentality- this is now the time to STOP, RE-SET, REJUVENATE.

It could be that you’re doing too much for others and haven’t practiced enough self-care. This takes its toll on the adrenal glands, the organs responsible for our stress response and keeping us going. Running off adrenaline and cortisol can result in adrenal fatigue or “burn out”.

ARE YOU SUFFERING FROM “BURN OUT” / ADRENAL FATIGUE?

Do you experience one or more of the following?

• Difficulty getting up in the morning, even after a long sleep
• Disturbed sleep; waking too early and/or throughout the night
• Energy and mood fluctuations; swinging from highs to lows
• Reliance on caffeine OR chocolate to “wake up” and feel motivated; feeling flat without it
• Feeling “wired yet tired” with poor concentration
• Fatigue in the morning and more energetic at night (however it can present with persistent fatigue, such as “flat lining”)
• Inability to cope with stress and easily overwhelmed
• Irritable and oversensitive to people, noise, criticism
• A history of “break downs” or retreating from social activities & work
• Weakened immune system; catch colds easily or have a low-grade lingering infection
• Allergies or intolerances to food and/or environmental irritants
• Sluggish digestion, sluggish liver (lowered tolerance to alcohol, fatty foods)
• Crave sugar, refined carbohydrates and stimulants. More sensitive to blood sugar fluctuations.
• Weight gain or find it hard to lose weight despite diet changes and exercise
• Alternations between anxiety and depression
• Frequent urination and urgency
• Dark circles under the eyes
• Low sex drive
• Poor muscle tone
• Poor circulation – cold hands and feet
• Dry skin

If you are experiencing 5 or more of these symptoms, it is likely that your adrenal glands and hormones are not functioning well.

Lauren’s top tips that you can start implementing right now!

• Go to bed at the same time each evening (9:30pm) and get out of bed at the same time (even if you can’t fall asleep or wake too early). This can help to re-set the rhythm of your hormones.
• Expose yourself to bright light first thing in the morning. Have a “no overhead lights, no phones” rule from 8pm.
• Eat warm nourishing foods. Stay away from cold raw foods.
• Eat meals at the same times each day. Eating regularly and not skipping meals is really important when treating adrenal fatigue. Fluctuating blood sugars contributes to adrenal stress.
• Don’t over- exercise. This places more pressure on your already exhausted body. Opt for gentle movement such as yin/hatha yoga, walks, tai chi. 
• Drink a nourishing herbal tea that includes the herbs Ashwagandha and Licorice.When treating adrenal fatigue it is imperative that you know the levels of your adrenal hormones and how advanced your condition is. Book in for a comprehensive adrenal assessment and adrenal hormone test with our naturopath, nutritionist & herbalist- Lauren Campbell.