I remember this day so clearly about 2 years ago when I went to an appointment with my naturopath. I was rushing to get their on time and barely made it from another appointment and about 3/4 way through my appointment I knew it was taking longer than usual and I was feeling anxious knowing I was going to have to rush again. My boyfriend was waiting in the car and I felt so bad for being late. I had not eaten dinner yet and was so thirsty, I drank a kombucha much more quickly than one should drink it. When I got home I was exhausted and it just hit me, that I could not live like this anymore.
During that appointment, my naturopath had mentioned that I probably had overtaxed my adrenals. Even though I was aware of adrenal fatigue and knew what it meant, I was in denial that I was burning myself out. I was so tired every morning when I woke up, sometimes depressed. I had trouble falling asleep and just relaxing. At this time I was working full-time, working out most evenings and running my business as well as involved in collaborative projects. I was taking on more than I could handle and I could feel it. I would often wonder why I looked so tired and my face felt puffy. I was running on 2-3 coffees per day which made me feel more anxious than alert.
I would go through periods of go, go, go then crash and feel emotionally spent. I couldn't keep functioning this way, I wasn't mindful or feeling good.
So what's a busy girl to do?!
First, I did a liver cleanse and cut down on my caffeine consumption. While doing the liver cleanse I felt worse before better, but I needed it! I replaced my afternoon coffees with herbal or green teas. I started taking a B-Complex supplement everyday which felt like almost an immediate increase in energy in the mornings. I also started taking magnesium at night to relax both my mind and body. Apart from the supplements, I had to change my lifestyle.
I stopped committing to any "extra" activities during weeknights. A few months later, I took an extra day off from my day job to create more time for self care. The "stress" part of adrenal fatigue was the defining factor for me. I was in a constant state of adrenalin and anxiety. I needed to slow down in order to heal. I started practicing meditation for just 5 minutes at a time each day and then built myself up to 10 minutes. At first, it was very difficult for me to make it a priority. For someone who likes to feel "busy," 5 minutes of sitting still and breathing seemed like a foreign concept, but it had a huge effect on my mind and body. I think that was the first time in years that I knew what "calm" was supposed to feel like!
Another thing I started focusing on more was my social life. I had been so busy "networking" for my previous business and working that I was socially drained. I am a bit of an introvert so I didn't have anything left in me to see my friends. Once I started making the effort to spend time with my friends, I realized how therapeutic it was o just spend time with people you love. Sometimes we get so focused on being productive that we forget what is good for our soul and mental health.
I will finish this post by saying that I still struggle with taking on too much and I have to make a conscious effort for to not fall into old patterns. Reducing stress in our lives can be a difficult challenge in today's busy world and the expectations we hold for ourselves. There is a difference with being lazy and taking care of our emotional well-being. It takes time to find our flow and balance that gives us enough energy to get things done, but not burn out. We all deserve to feel a sense of calm on a daily basis and know how to ground ourselves to be well.
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