Dipping into Stress Bod (otherwise known as Adrenal Fatigue)

#longreadbutworthit

Like most things in our current lives, if you can’t actually see it or tangibly feel it, it doesn’t exist.

Did you know that stress is one of the most highly underrated conditions in today’s world. Often it is neglected until it becomes unmanageable, leaving you feeling out of control of your own life, exhausted and fatigued, anxious or depressed and not present within your family and your work environment.

We all think we know what stress is…

• Shaky hands and the need to pee 5 times before presenting in front of a large crowd.
• A pounding heart when you wake up startled by the sound of breaking glass.
• A temper tantrum when you’re handed another assignment at work when your workload is killing you already…

You’re right, that is stress, but that is obvious stress.

What about that more subtle kind of stress that lurks within our bodies, the ongoing stress that is so subtle we don’t even know it’s there?  The din of non-stop construction noise next door, the ongoing uncertainty of a world-wide pandemic, unresolved childhood trauma, never-ending parenting pressure, work, finances, guilt, expectations, and so on…

These kinds of stressors have been ongoing for so long they become part of our “normal”. What they do is kill our vitality causing us to feel depleted, listless, tired, brain foggy, bloated and sore.  This kind of stress has become so common, it’s now labelled as Adrenal Fatigue.  The name can be misleading though, because it has very little to do with our adrenal glands alone but, more to do with the (lack of) communication between the Hypothalamus (in the brain), Pituitary Gland (in the brain) and the Adrenal Glands.  When there is too much stress this intricate communication system can malfunction and this is what has been termed STRESS BOD (otherwise known as Adrenal Fatigue). We then begin to feel tired all the time, and even though we’re getting enough sleep the fatigue begins to set in and we feel listless with no energy. We start to reach for all sorts of things that we (wrongfully) believe will give us the quick fix we need to help us cope… coffee, chocolates, processed carbohydrates (that yummy croissant), crisps, high fat foods, energy drinks (eeeeeeeekkkk!!!), the list is endless.

When we ignore the message our body is giving us, to rest and recoup, and decide to keep on at it, powering through intense workout sessions, burning the midnight oil or taking on too many tasks, we eventually begin to get sick or injure ourselves.  It becomes impossible to carry on this way.

AND NOW FOR THE GOOD NEWS!!

If you’ve been beating yourself up for skipping exercise, gulping down bucket loads of Forno’s croissants, mindlessly scrolling through social media when you should be working or making ridiculous excuses for not being the first one at the party, then there are four words you really need to hear…

Give Yourself a Break!!

You are not being lazy or anti-social, you are perfectly normal, especially under the circumstances we all find ourselves in right now in this uncertain moment in time!!  Studies show that there has been a substantial increase in mental distress in the past year, we all know this to be true… so be kind to yourself!  You are not stuck!

Even Mother Earth, at this moment, is tired!!

HOW CAN REFLEXOLOGY HELP STRESS BOD? 

It’s so very simple;

• Reflexology has an immediate effect on your nervous and endocrine system.  It switches off your fight/flight response and switches on your rest and recoup response (your parasympathetic nervous system).  You will feel this happen as I progress through the treatment.
• Reflexology flushes out excess stress hormones that are floating around in your system thus reducing inflammation and allowing your body to calm.
• Reflexology has an immediate effect on your blood circulation allowing areas of your body that are lacking oxygen to receive an enormous boost of fresh, well oxygenated blood and vital nutrients.  Remember when you were little and your friend thought it was very funny to hold your head under water while in the swimming pool? Remember struggling a little bit finally managing to get your head above water and taking that huge breath of fresh air? Only then did you begin to relax.  Well, that’s how your body feels after a reflexology treatment.
• As you begin to relax during your Reflexology treatment, your muscles begin to relax reducing tension and giving you space to let go. This is very helpful for tired, tense and painful muscles throughout the body.
• During a Reflexology treatment all Meridians are stimulated creating a free flow of vital energy through your body, feeding your organs this vital energy which allows them to do what they need to do, detox and function better.

By supporting your STRESS BOD through Reflexology treatments the quality of your sleep will improve, you will feel less fatigued, you will begin to feel revitalised and have more energy,  you will become more present in the moment, your digestion will improve, you will begin to feel like exercising again and, most importantly, your anxiety, depression and feeling of hopelessness will begin to lift.

For other ways to help you reduce stress during these very trying times please refer to my blog post of 13 April 2020
Emotional Wellbeing – 10 Proven Ways to Reduce Anxiety

Please feel free to share this information with anyone you feel may benefit from it.

Thank you and much love to you all.

Yours in Health and Wellness

Michelle Walton

#togetherstonger #reachout