Adrenal fatigue. What is this mysterious thing that washes over a person’s life and wipes you clean of any remnant of who you used to be?
This may sound dramatic but for anyone who has ever gone through adrenal fatigue knows how debilitating this can be. And I mean the kind of debilitation that leaves you HUMBLED.
According to the world wide web adrenal fatigue is when your adrenals (which sits atop your kidneys) dis-regulates cortisol. This can either make you extremely lethargic due to low energy or extremely “wired but tired”. Typically our bodies are great at adjusting to a normal circadian rhythm. When the sun rises, so do we. When the sun begins to set, so do we as we wind down from the day.
What makes cortisol dis-regulation even worse is that in order to make more cortisol, your adrenals will often take from other hormones such as pregnenalone, dhea, testosterone, etc. often leaving you imbalanced even further from hormones you need in order to, well, be a normal human being!
So what the heck causes adrenal fatigue? One word: STRESS.
The body doesn’t know from emotional, mental, or physical stress. It receives a signal and starts to produce cortisol. Got a work deadline? Multiple deadlines? Produce cortisol. Working out too much and under-eating? Produce cortisol. Broke up with your significant other? Produce cortisol. Traveling too much and not giving your body enough rest? Produce cortisol.
It’s no wonder our bodies are so tired. It can’t seem to keep up! What’s likely made it even worse is this day and age where we are continuously bombarded by a never ending barrage of notifications from our phones. Why does everything seem to be so damn important?
My journey of recovering from adrenal fatigue was a long and arduous one. It was humbling and I am forever thankful for the lessons I learned along the way which I hope to share here. But first… the backstory….
I had always considered myself a self-caring and very healthy individual. From the outside people would often comment on how amazing it was that I prioritized fitness, home made meals, and clean living. I was well traveled, had a great job, and even a great group of friends I could call family.
But what may seem perfect and healthy on the outside doesn’t necessarily reflect reality once you start peeling the layers one by one.
For years, and I mean years, I was on a quest for perfection; and I mean that in every sense of the word. I was doing everything I can to lose an extra 8 pounds, to be on top of my career, and to be the best version of me by taking up as many hobbies as I could and squeezing in yet another international travel play whenever my schedule allowed it.
What I didn’t know was ravaging me to the bone was this constant voice in my head telling me I wasn’t enough. Well, guess what? I’ve come to learn this voice will NEVER tell you are enough. Ego doesn’t work that way, but I’ll get into that a bit more in another post…
So while I thought I was doing all these things to become a better version of me, the deeper why behind everything I was doing was being driven by fear.
I wasn’t loving myself for who I was, where I was. There was always a sense of lack, which I’ve come to realize is an illusion – a story we play in our minds that seems so true, but is far from it.
Remember, our brains will believe whatever we tell it.
If there’s anything to remember this day it’s this: you are everything you are searching for – the answer is within; the love is within. Do not turn away from the greatness you are. Open your heart to your deeper self and let the divine dance begin.
More to share on how I recovered from adrenal fatigue.
Love and Peace.
Susan
Susan is a Life Coach based in Seattle, WA. Her main focus is to coach people build a strong emotional container so that we can experience the fullness of life coming from a place of deep confidence. Susan also coaches clients looking to heal adrenal fatigue by using a mental meta-model aimed at breaking down old mental patterns and behaviors so that we can finally tap into our own personal power.