There is of great importance to talk about stress and how to cope with it so it does not overwhelm us and drains our energy, to the point we become sick. 

I myself was running directly to the arms of the burnout as my stress response system couldn’t handle it anymore and it started manifesting in my body – thyroid issues, hormone imbalances, fatigue, insomnia, etc. 

Sorry guys, I know it does not sound fair and we acknowledge the fact that burnout is a massive problem of the 21st century for both, men and women, but unfortunately, women are more exposed to stress due to many interconnected factors, one of them juggling with different roles in our lives and the affect of hormones and their changes on our life cycles. 

And exactly this happened to me. I gave birth in a foreign country where we basically just moved to, had no family or friends for support, I experienced a great personal loss of a loved family member, my hormones were over the top after the birth, and my partner was working whole days to provide for us, we tried to build a business together and so many more things that were just adding up to the pile. I got caught in a loop that I didn’t know exactly how to get out of.  

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?

Fatigued, tired, burnout, overwhelmed, stressed out, etc. are common words to describe the state when our body is running on low or even empty fuel. 

We usually feel agitated, unable to sleep, binge eating, snappy and get into a lot more conflicts than we wish to. 

Experiencing burnout can also manifest as anxiety, depression, and low motivation for anything in life. Our head is also not working as it should and we can experience memory or concentration issues. 

Physically people can experience exhaustion, digestive issues, headaches, insomnia, weight gain, hormone imbalances, inflammation, low libido, being sick often, etc. 

HOW CAN WE SUPPORT OURSELVES?

‘Fixing’ yourself is not an overnight thing and it takes time and a holistic approach. I always put nature first as we are so deeply connected to it and it provides so much to us. One of the approaches that I used (and still using) to help myself can be found in the power of the plants and herbs, more specifically we call them adaptogens.  

Adaptogens are used in traditional herbalism of Ayurvedic and Chinese traditions for thousands of years, as they have the power to improve different imbalances, like immunity, fertility, general well-being, and more. 

They are active ingredients in certain plants and mushrooms that can help your body in dealing with stress, anxiety, fatigue, etc. As the name already suggests adaptogens are herbs or mushrooms that help us as support on our healing journey and adapt to dis-balances, like the ones just mentioned, bringing our body back to homeostasis. It is important to remember that they are one part of the support and not the only solution. We need to bring in changes on different levels – mind, body, and soul.  

They work in a very smart way in the body, targeting specific stressors and regulating the HPA axis (hypothalamus – pituitary – adrenals). As we are speaking about stress, fatigue, and burnout we can explain this on the main hormone involved here – cortisol. When we are stressed the levels of cortisol usually jump high. Adaptogen will respond by lowering cortisol levels. If your levels of cortisol are already depleted because of chronic stress, adaptogens will increase those levels. To put it differently, adaptogens can tweak our hormone production and physiological response to stressors so that your immune system, mind, and energy levels – your whole body, can function as they should. 

We have different adaptogens to choose from as each has a slightly different function. Which one to take depends on the dis-balance you are experiencing. They are putting them in different categories, from those that have a calming, soothing, nourishing effect to those with stimulating and arousing effects. Some adaptogens are more suitable for long-term stress, some for acute stress and anxiety, and others for immune health. 

COMMON ADAPTOGENS

• American ginseng (Panax quinquefolium): good for immune system support, helps reduce inflammation, and relieves pain. It combats stress and boosts your nervous system. 
• Ashwaganda (Withania somnifera): this is a nightshade plant with a positive effect on the endocrine, nervous, immune, and cardiovascular systems. It has a very calming effect on your brain and offers protection to your cells as an antioxidant. 
• Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng): helps in relieving mental and physical fatigue and has a more energizing and stimulating effect. Ginseng can improve your energy levels during those stressful activities when you need some extra support for high-demand times. 
• Eleuthera (Eleutherococcus senticosus): it is similar to ginseng as it relieves stress and fatigue. But it also helps in boosting the immune system. 
• Rhodiola (Rhodiola rose): it alleviates fatigue, anxiety, and depression, and can help improve performance in a stressful situations and even memory. 
• Reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucid): is an adaptogen to support immune health, especially if you are getting sick a lot, it nourishes and supports adrenal glands, and calms the nervous system. 

HOW TO TAKE ADAPTOGENS

Adaptogens come in different forms and can be taken in several ways:

• Taking them in a form of powders that you can add to your food, beverages, and smoothies. 
• Using them in a liquid form as a tincture (a plant extract) and mixing them with water. 
• Sipping a cup of tea made from adaptogens. 
• Taking them in the form of capsules (just be sure you are taking good quality ones). 

The form of the adaptogen you are consuming will influence its dosage and strength of it. 

Some may experience some side effects, like allergic reactions, abdominal pain, constipation, nausea, and diarrhea. 

Also, think about the type of adaptogen you want to take. As mentioned above, some have calming and soothing effects and some can increase your energy levels and that can influence your sleep, for example. 

Also be careful if you are taking certain medicines or have medical conditions like hypertension, diabetes, insomnia, depression, etc. 

Do check the label before you start taking them or consult either a properly trained herbalist or a healthcare provider.  

HOW LONG CAN I TAKE ADAPTOGENS

Adaptogens are non-toxic and suitable even for long-term use. Some studies show that the best is short-term use as your body could build resistance to them. 

But for me most important is, and I have mentioned that earlier, to not use them as a crutch. They are not meant to be misused, to keep you going harder and longer, without any other profound changes in lifestyle. 

They are not a substitute for proper rest and sleep, time in nature and fresh air, spending time with your loved ones, or taking time for yourself to de-stress. 

Our main goal is to find the root cause of your dis-balance, to heal and come back into balance, and adaptogens are a lovely way to help us on this path. 

If I shortly share my experience with adaptogens that aided me with fatigue, I would point out first that if you are dealing with chronic stress and fatigue or burnout it is important to go easy on your body. Your body does not need an additional energy booster to perform even better. What your body needs are rest and repair! 

Your nervous system is so wired, so much in that fight or flight mode, that it needs to calm down first before it can be able to heal. Changing your lifestyle and mindset, and implementing different self-care techniques, is the most important thing you can do and adaptogens can help you while in this process. 

I got a lot of relief from ashwaganda that soothed my mind and my body and helped me with my sleep. I also added schizandra (that I didn’t cover today in the article as there are so many adaptogens) with its calming effect and it also improved my mental focus. 

I have to add that results are not always seen immediately. For me, I could feel them after approximately 2 weeks of taking adaptogens in the form of supplements. For some, it can take longer and some are so sensitive that they can feel them immediately – it depends on what state your body and mind are in. It is good to start slowly and build up the amount with time. 

In our house, you can find different supplements and adaptogens, from plants to mushrooms like reishi, chaga, etc. I really believe in the healing power of nature. Nature gives us the healthiest food, the healthiest medicine, and with that the healthiest support in healing. What we need to keep in mind is that there is no quick and easy fix. No one can heal anything overnight, especially as it has roots in our unhealthy lifestyle and sometimes even unhealthier thinking, and mindset. It took years for the condition, and dis-balance to show up so it will take some time to bring your body back to harmony. 

If you have embarked on a healing journey and you are stuck and don’t know how to continue drop me a message and book a free 20-min discovery call where we can see what are the ways I could help you move forward. You can also read more about my services on my webpage risingbright.me and subscribe to my newsletter to regularly get more health-related news and updates. 

Happy healing and lots of love,

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