By Karen Morris
How do you know if you are stressed?
We are so conditioned to think that stress is normal when actually, it isn’t.
Yes, it is common to have a physical response to new and challenging situations, and in those situations, a small amount of stress can actually be helpful (to ward off danger, to help overcome a challenge, to motivate you).
But what is NOT normal is when stress builds up in your body over time and if left untreated, creates illness and dis-ease.
We know that everyday life can be like a roller coaster and there are some common daily stressors that over time, can build up and start causing disruption in your body.
What are some common daily stressors?
- Personal relationship – lack of communication, feelings of unhappiness or feeling disconnected.
- Family stress – worry about children, parents etc.
- Bills – mortgage, bills piling up.
- Financial debt.
- Unhealthy foods, too much alcohol.
- Toxins – environmental, medication, cleaning products.
- Work pressures.
- Having an illness or injury.
- Friends and family – changes within dynamics.
- Moving house.
- Experiencing bullying or abuse.
- Poor social experiences.
Do any of those feel familiar to you?
And how would you know if the stress you experience is wreaking havoc in your body and mind?
Go through this checklist and see if any of this is you.
- You find it hard to fall asleep/stay asleep/wake up in the mornings.
- Feel fatigued during the day.
- You experience regular foggy mind and memory loss.
- You crave sugar and carbs.
- Notice a rapidly beating heart sometimes.
- You feel/do anxious things like bite your nails, tap your feet, itchy skin or anything else when you feel nervous.
- Feel irritable, impatient, and get angry easily.
- Unable to enjoy yourself and not usual sense of humour.
- Feel easily overwhelmed.
- Worried or tension in the body, such as the jaw or shoulders
- Feel depressed.
- Indigestion/heartburn.
- Weight gain/loss.
- Changes to your menstrual cycles.
- Inflammation.
- Trouble making decisions.
If you ticked YES to any of the above symptoms… guess what? You have stress.
And if you experience more than 2 on that list, then your cortisol levels are too high.
What is cortisol?
Cortisol is a steroid hormone, that your adrenal glands, the endocrine glands that sit on top of your kidneys, produce and release. Cortisol affects almost every organ and tissue in your body and mainly helps regulate your body’s response to stress.
Cortisol is mainly known as the “stress hormone”.
During times of stress, it impacts your:
- Nervous system
- Immune system
- Cardiovascular system
- Respiratory system
- Reproductive system
- Musculoskeletal system
- Integumentary system (skin, hair, nails, glands, and nerves)
Cortisol affects your body by regulating your body’s stress response – the fight, flight, freeze response.
It helps to regulate your metabolism (how your body uses fats, proteins and carbohydrates).
It suppresses inflammation in short spurts – however, if you have too much cortisol, this leads to inflammation and a weakened immune system.
Regulating blood sugar and counterbalancing the effect of insulin – however, too much cortisol can lead to high blood pressure and Type 2 Diabetes.
Helping control your sleep/wake cycle – in regular conditions, you would have lower cortisol levels at night, allowing for restful sleep. Too much cortisol affects your wakefulness and your body’s natural circadian rhythm.
Meaning, if you are hyperalert, your nervous system is always activated and cannot regulate itself.
This is not healthy and leads to diseases like Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Auto-immune Illnesses and Dementia.
And it’s scary to think that having too high cortisol levels long term can lead to Cognitive Impairment and Dementia.
That’s why it’s important to get control of your cortisol levels now.
When you have optimum cortisol levels, you will maintain normal levels of several bodily functions and stay healthy and strong.
So how do you get there?
Herbs Online Shop to the rescue, of course!
We have an amazing protocol that helps reduce your cortisol levels to where they should be so you can function well and be well.
Firstly, start with our Adrenal Tonic – it’s a beautiful blend of Siberian ginseng, Rehmannia, Passionflower and Withania and designed to support your adrenal health, provide you with energy, a better quality sleep, fewer cravings and a feeling of calmness.
As Adrenal Fatigue is a stress-related condition that results in symptoms like exhaustion, weakened immunity, sleep disturbances, insomnia, anxiety, foggy mind and food cravings, Adrenal Fatigue Tonic is for anyone suffering from any of those symptoms or a general sense of exhaustion.
Secondly, try our Nerve Tonic – it helps to restore your nervous system, is great for performance anxiety and restores balance and restfulness in the body. With a blend of Skullcap, Chamomile, Oats, Lemon balm and Zizyphus., it will have you feeling nourished, calm and supported.
Next up and an absolute must is Magnesium. We recommend Magnesium Citrate as it’s the most easily absorbable magnesium and essential for human health, including energy production, blood pressure regulation, nerve signal transmission, and muscle contraction.
Magnesium citrate may relieve and reduce the incidence of migraines, headaches, stress, anxiety, depression, constipation, and restless leg syndrome.
How is your sleep?
We all need a good night’s sleep and that’s why we highly recommend our Sleep Forte Herbal Drops. It’s a lovely blend of calming herbs like Ziziphus, Valerian, Skullcap and Kava and is designed to help you get to sleep faster and stay asleep. Many of our customers love the gentle, soothing effects of Sleep Forte and have found it makes such a huge difference in restoring healthy sleep patterns.
Have you tried meditation, breathing and relaxation exercises? Studies have shown that even just 10 minutes a day can make a vast improvement on your body and mind, leading to a more relaxed nervous system and lowering cortisol levels. If you need help getting started, give us a call, and we can direct you to some really great resources.
Make sure you are getting enough fresh air, exercise and healthy foods as well. It all contributes to your wellness!
If you’re not using a protocol like this one to lower your cortisol levels, then anything else you try and do (like lose weight, overcome insomnia and other health issues) just won’t work.
You have to tackle the Adrenal Glands, your Nervous System, your Sleep Patterns and your Lifestyle in order to function at your optimal best.
That’s why we invite you to start here and let us help you walk into a healthy and happy 2023.