Adrenal fatigue, or adrenal burnout, is unfortunately a common condition, especially amongst people who live with high levels of stress.
That’s many of us… right now!
- With some 2.6 billion people around the world in some kind of lockdown, we are conducting arguably the largest psychological experiment ever.
- This will result in a secondary epidemic of burnouts and stress-related absenteeism in the latter half of 2020.
- Taking action now can mitigate the toxic effects of COVID-19 lockdowns.
Source: Dr Elke Van Hoof Professor, Health Psychology and Primary Care Psychology at Vrije Universiteit Brussel.
But what you do, to support your mental health, adrenals and cortisol levels right now, can make a real difference long term.
Here are a few pointers from Public Health England.
- Stay connected – sharing time with those you love, trust and enjoy talking too can really boost your sense of wellbeing.
Help and support others – it could make a big difference to them and can help you feel better too. - Talk about your concerns – with family, friends or support online. Many of us feel concerned about the current situation and that’s ok.
- Look after your physical wellbeing – it has a big impact on how you feel and falling into unhealthy habits can make you feel worse.
- Make quality sleep a priority – anxiety can make it harder to get a good night’s sleep and may impact on how you feel mentally and physically.
- Manage difficult feelings – by focusing on the things you can control such as your daily habits, your routine and the people you connect with.
- Manage your info intake – if too much access to news and media is making you anxious, try to limit the time you spend watching, reading, or listening to it.
- Get the facts – gather high-quality information from credible sources you can rely on.
- Accept your new daily routine – life is changing for us all for a while but it won’t be forever, if you can, find the small positives where possible.
- Do things you enjoy – focusing on doing your favourite things can give you some relief from anxious thoughts and feelings and can boost your mood.
- Try setting some goals – because achieving them can give you a sense of control and purpose. They don’t have to be huge, start small and keep going.
- Keep your mind active – read, write, play games, do crossword puzzles or jigsaws. Find something that works for you.
- Take time to relax and focus on the present – this can help you to work through difficult emotions and accept how things are right now.
- If you can, once a day get outside – spending time in green spaces can positively benefit both your mental and physical wellbeing.
For more information on adrenals, cortisol and hormones: how they work, how they are interlinked and what impact they have on you, take a look at our Adrenal function and adrenal fatigue Health Guide.