Exhaustion also know as Adrenal Fatigue
Over time, under persistent, chronic stress without reprieve, you will enter the fatigue or exhaustion stage of stress where your mental, physical and emotional resources suffer and your body will experience ‘adrenal fatigue’. In this stage cortisol declines as DHEA levels continue to decline.
You likely feel stressed, tired, and exhausted all the of time. You may feel that you don’t really wake up until after 10am, have an afternoon low between 3-4pm and get a second wind in the evening and stay up late into the night.
Other symptoms of adrenal fatigue include: insomnia, lack of energy for no reason, low blood pressure, anxiety or panic attacks, low mood, difficulty concentrating, salt cravings, stiffness in the neck and upper back causing occasional headaches, muscle weakness, increased time needed to recover from illness or injury, feeling overwhelmed, and lack of sex drive.
If you have the above symptoms you may be experiencing adrenal fatigue. To recover there are several lifestyle behaviors that you can practice which will help to put you on the road to recovery.
They are:
1. Pace yourself
2. Eat whole, fresh food
3. Eat every two hours
4. Eat protein with every meal
5. Avoid sugar, caffeine, and junk food
6. Get to bed by 10:00pm
7. Sleep until 10am, when possible
8. Spend time with people concerned for your well-being
9. Find things that make you laugh
10.Do things you enjoy