You’ve tried everything. You’re drinking more water, sleeping better, and even exercising – but you still feel exhausted all day long. What’s going on? It may be time to start digging deeper into the root cause of your fatigue. In this post, we’ll discuss one of the common reasons that could be causing your feelings of fatigue and exhaustion, so that you can get back to feeling like yourself again!
We all know what it feels like to be tired, but when you have a constant lack of energy and ongoing fatigue, it can have a lasting impact on your ability to function normally.
People frequently contact me because they are exhausted all the time, and the first things we examine are sleep, diet, and lifestyle. But after speaking with them, I’ve found that there is often more to it than simply not getting enough sleep.
The reason you might feel tired all of the time could be because of adrenal fatigue – which isn’t really what most people think about when they hear ‘adrenals’. Our adrenal glands are located on top of our kidneys and are responsible for producing many of the hormones that we need to get through our day.
If you’re exhausted all of the time, stressed out, or feeling like your body is running on empty – it could be due to adrenal burnout (feeling of fatigue, usually due to cortisol deficiency from long-term stress). Maybe you’ve had an ongoing battle with weight loss (or weight gain), feel wired yet tired, and deal with ongoing stress.
While you may not be sure exactly what it is, if this sounds like something that fits your symptoms – read on to learn how adrenal fatigue could be at the root of why you’re always tired!
Adrenal health is a centerpiece to good health. Along with digestive health, it is a predictor of how healthy and vital someone will be. This will depend on how they manage their stress because of the impact that has on the adrenal system.
Some of the signs and symptoms that you might be experiencing adrenal fatigue include:
- Chronic fatigue or exhaustion, throughout the day, which doesn’t seem to go away no matter how much you sleep, eat healthy, exercise, etc.
- Difficulty concentrating due to lack of mental clarity and memory function problems, Brain fog
- Menopausal night sweats or hot flashes.
- Muscle aches and pains, even without doing physical activity.
- Infertility
- Problems with sleep – can’t fall asleep, can’t stay asleep, not refreshed when waking (any of these, not necessarily all of them).
- Get sick often
- Easy bruising/slow to heal
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Mood swings
- Any chronic condition that could be connected to the endocrine system/reproductive system or the immune system.
- Weight gain – difficult to lose weight.
- Feeling wired, yet tired – you can’t relax and you feel like your body is running on empty
If this all sounds familiar to how you’ve been feeling lately, then adrenal fatigue could be the root cause of all those pesky symptoms.
When we’re constantly stressed, whether it’s from work deadlines, relationship problems, or financial issues – our adrenal glands respond with the production of cortisol and adrenaline to help us cope as effectively as possible at that moment.
The problem is when this happens on a chronic basis; eventually, your body gets sick and tired of pumping out these hormones all the time, and your adrenal glands start to get burned out. When this happens, you might end up with a condition called Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome (AFS).
Cortisol is a major player in the process of helping our body cope with all kinds of physical, mental, and emotional stressors on a daily basis – so you can understand why it’s important to keep these levels balanced.
Another thing that can happen when we have adrenal fatigue is that cortisol levels plummet, which can cause feelings of anxiety. This happens because if your body senses it doesn’t have enough cortisol to help you deal with stress (from work deadlines, relationship problems, etc.), then the adrenaline will be released instead – resulting in an increased heart rate & blood pressure and the fight or flight response taking over.
This is why some people with adrenal fatigue can feel so anxious all the time – their bodies are producing too much adrenaline because they think they need to be prepared for something bad!
While it can be caused by chronic stress or a traumatic event, there are several lifestyle factors that can lead to adrenal fatigue as well – including poor diet, lack of exercise, and sleep deprivation.
Adrenal burnout can really affect the whole system, including energy production, immune system, skin health, muscle and joints, bone health, autoimmune issues, insomnia and sleep issues, and reproductive hormone issues.
If you’re having any of the issues listed above, I recommend testing your adrenal system. This may be the underlying cause of many problems encountered on a daily basis.
And in the meantime, the first thing you can do to help your adrenal system is to reduce all forms of major stress. This means not taking things too personally, staying away from toxic people (as much as possible), getting enough sleep, exercising and making time for fun in life – don’t forget the weekends!
Another important lifestyle change that will benefit those with Adrenal Fatigue includes dietary changes such as reducing or eliminating processed foods, sugar and caffeine.
Supplements and herbs, especially adaptogens, are another way you can support your adrenals – I recommend taking magnesium, vitamin C & B supplements to help keep cortisol balanced along with other vitamins/minerals needed for the production of neurotransmitters. Something to remember: not all vitamins and supplements are created equal. Feel free to reach out if you need some suggestions for reputable clean brands.
If this information above sounds familiar, don’t ignore the signs your body is giving you! You might be surprised by how much better life can feel when you have optimal adrenal function and a healthy lifestyle!
Have a Beautiful Day!
