STRESS AND ADRENAL BURNOUT RECOVERY

Adrenal burnout is a result of prolonged stress. Constant fatigue, insomnia, low blood pressure, back and joint pain, decreased immunity and anxiety are all symptoms of adrenal burnout – something that happens when the adrenal glands go into overdrive, eventually becoming underactive before suffering a full burnout.

Located just above the kidneys, the adrenal glands produce stress response hormones adrenalin and cortisol. Once they burn out, the impact can be debilitating.

Some of these symptoms include:

• Constant fatigue that is not relieved by rest
• Insomnia
• Low blood pressure and/or blood sugar levels
• Back and joint pain
• Decreased immunity – susceptibility to colds, flu, infections
• Emotional symptoms such as apathy, despair, anxiety and irritability
• Excessive behaviour such as working at a furious pace, intense exercise, loud music (your body’s attempt to stimulate adrenals)
• Other glandular imbalances, such as hypothyroidism and lowered immunity, can be secondary

Lifestyle is often a primary cause with heavy workloads, lack of sleep, and the demands of a fast-paced, high-stress lifestyle taking its toll on the adrenals. When this happens, it takes a lot more than a good night’s sleep and a day in the spa to recuperate.

To begin your journey to lifelong wellbeing, we recognise at Kamalaya Koh Samui Wellness Sanctuary & Holistic Spa that it takes a holistic and tailored approach to recovery.

Our stress & burnout program assesses your lifestyle and key stressors as well as your life and wellbeing goals, all within the tranquil surroundings of our peace-enhancing wellness sanctuary. We then recommend the practical tools and techniques to better manage the effects of stress in your life and create tailored strategies that help you to feel more in control of situations, feel calm, think clearly and cope better in times of stress. With daily practice, you can manage potentially stressful situations in a proactive as well as reactive manner.

Beyond your bespoke stress management program, we recommend the following measures are taken to reduce the likelihood of adrenal burnout when you are feeling stressed:

Get optimum sleep
Research has shown that our adrenal glands recover best when we go to bed between 9 and 10 pm. Prepare for sleep by starting to wind down 30 minutes to one hour before bedtime. If you have a severe sleeping issue, you may wish to consult with a holistic health practitioner.

Meditation
Mediation is an effective tool to calm your mind, alter your brain waves and achieve a sense of deeper relaxation and serenity.

Mindfulness – the art of slowing down
Mindfulness is an acknowledged mental training for successful stress reduction, allowing your mind to become aware of the external environment in the present moment rather than focusing on internal stresses and worries. By practising mindfulness while walking, talking, eating and breathing it is possible to be more conscious of the present moment, which can help to calm and quiet the mind.

Exercise
Small to moderate amounts of exercise can be beneficial to increase energy, mood and vitality. This may include 40 – 60 mins, three to five times a week of walking, swimming, yoga, Qi Gong or similar activities. If you are severely exhausted, exercise may be counterproductive and not recommended.

Eating and drinking
It is best to eat warm freshly prepared and nutritious food. Minimise your intake of raw foods and cold beverages because cooked foods and warm beverages have a greater ability to nourish the body and are easier on the digestive systems. It is also essential that your protein intake is sufficient to support the repair process. Try some of our recipes here.

Avoid:

• Coffee
• Alcohol
• Sugar
• Herbal stimulants including yerba mate, ma huang, etc.
• All recreational drugs

• Refined carbohydrates eg. white rice, white bread, white flour pasta
• Deep-fried and oily foods

Browse our thoughtfully curated wellness menu for a full range of holistic therapies, most of which boast stress-reducing features.