Topics to be covered
STRESS AND FATIGUE
Stress is the reaction of the body to any stimulus or interference that disturbs mental or physical health or normal functioning. Stress is caused by illness, pain, emotional upset, or by external circumstances such as losing a job, or the death of a spouse or family member. Stress can come from any situation or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, or anxious. What is stressful to one person is not necessarily stressful to another.
Other Names of Stress
Anxiety; Feeling uptight; Stress; Tension; Jitters; Apprehension
Considerations
In today's society, stress affects everyone. Stress is a normal part of life. In small quantities, stress is good -- it can motivate you and help you be more productive. However, too much stress, or a strong response to stress, is harmful. It can set you up for general poor health as well as specific physical or psychological illnesses like infection, heart disease, or depression. Persistent and unrelenting stress often leads to anxiety and unhealthy behaviors like overeating and abuse of alcohol or drugs.
Stress can be positive or negative but our body cannot differentiate between positive and negative stress. Even happy events, such as a wedding or awards presentation, can be very stressful to the body. The body does not seem to differentiate between whether a stress is emotional, financial, nutritional, biochemical or environmental. All stresses take their toll.
Emotional states like grief or depression and health conditions like an overactive thyroid, low blood sugar, or heart attack can also cause stress.
One of the greatest general stresses you can place on the body is nutritional deficiency. This forces the body into a balancing act where it must constantly redirect energy. This leaves the "human machine" running in a limited capacity-waiting for a breakdown.
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SYMPTOMS AND CONDITIONS CAUSED BY STRESS
A certain amount of stress in our lives is considered normal; however, prolonged bouts of stress can lead to fatigue, exhaustion, minor illness, immune suppression, and finally chronic degenerative conditions in the body. Chronic stress negatively affects the immune system. I have found that a very high percentage of my patients who have allergies also have adrenal gland stress and/or exhaustion. Many people attribute their stress-related symptoms to "nerves." In fact, stress affects the parts of the body that are related to stress: the nervous system (especially through the digestive and intestinal systems) and the adrenal and thyroid glands (hormone-producing glands). 1.
Initial symptoms of stress-related disorders may be back pain, headaches, and neck aches. Other health conditions precipitated by stress include cardiovascular conditions, colitis, depression, diarrhea, digestive disorders, dizziness, gastric and intestinal ulcers, hair loss, high blood pressure, impotence or lack of sexual interest, insomnia, irritability, loss of appetite, anxiety and nervous disorders, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, premenstrual syndrome and menstrual disorders, skin conditions, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) syndromes (jaw pain and clicking), and weight loss or gain (anxiety eating). 2.
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STRESS SOLUTIONS: HEALTHY DIET AND LIFESTYLE
People who have healthy lifestyles and diets generally have more energy to cope with stressful situations. A healthy diet involves making time to plan, prepare, and eat healthy meals in an environment that is not stressful, and by eating a diet rich in a variety of foods, including fruits, grains, and vegetables. For optimal health, (for people who do not have a medically restricted diet) fresh fruits and fresh and cooked vegetables should make up 50% to 75% of your diet.
Eating "fast food" on the run is very stressful to the body in many ways. In addition to providing nutritionally deficient meals, eating high-calorie, high-fat, high-salt, high-sugar, and highly processed or overcooked foods often leads to weight gain, which places additional stress on the body. I recommend that you try to avoid or reduce all foods that place stress on the body or require excessive energy from the body to digest and assimilate, such as artificial colors and sweeteners, preservatives, carbonated colas and sodas, fried foods, red meats, white flour foods, and most packaged, processed snack foods. A rule of thumb I offer my patients is to, "Eat more foods that look like they came off a tree, from a plant, or out of the ground, buy organic whenever possible, and try fruits and vegetables that are colorful (green, yellow, red, orange, or purple) as these are the foods naturally high in enzymes, fiber, minerals, and vitamins. The more a food is cooked, packaged, processed and refined, the more it will be lacking in enzymes and nutrients and containing higher levels of chemicals and industrial toxins."
Healthy lifestyles involve taking the time to engage in certain healthy hobbies and activities, such as aerobic exercise, weight training, yoga, dancing, running, swimming, walking, rebounding on a mini-trampoline, and bicycling, while avoiding detrimental habits such as smoking and drinking alcohol or caffeinated beverages. Whenever possible, get outdoors, be around plants and flowers, play with animals, take some deep breaths, and stretch. Getting enough rest and relaxation is crucial to the body for ongoing repair and regeneration of tissues and for the building of an energy reserve needed to cope with future stressors. Being physically fit actually makes you less vulnerable to stress.
It is also important to consume enough purified or filtered water. I recommend that my patients consume eight 8-oz glasses of water per day, if possible.
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HOW DO THE ADRENAL GLANDS "HANDLE" STRESS?
The adrenal glands function in the body to help handle stress. They act as our body's "shock-absorbers." When the body encounters stress or has low blood sugar, the adrenal glands release the hormone adrenaline into the blood. This hormone immediately increases blood pressure, stimulates the heart, and relaxes the muscles in the lungs. Adrenaline is ideally supposed to be released in situations where "fight or flight" decisions are being made. In modern society, however, high stress levels cause adrenaline to constantly circulate in the body. This can contribute to nervousness, anxiousness, and insomnia. Exercise, dance, walking, and high-energy work help diminish the levels of adrenaline in the blood. Increased levels of these hormones and their metabolites, and other stress-related chemicals left circulating in the blood awaiting removal, can leave a person feeling anxious, irritable, tense, and nervous.
HOW DO THE ADRENAL GLANDS BECOME FATIGUED?
The multiple stresses of modern day life combined with the standard American diet, along with the consumption or use of sugar, caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, and prescription or recreational drugs can over stimulate and place stress on the adrenal glands. When the intensity and frequency of stress overcomes the level at which a person can cope with such stressors, something is bound to break down. At this point, people become more vulnerable and susceptible to colds, flu, and infections. People exhibit adrenal gland stress or exhaustion in a variety of ways, some of which can even seem conflicting. Some people exhibit anxiety, nervousness, hyperactivity, or insomnia, while others experience only fatigue or low energy. Some unfortunate individuals experience both. Other signs include overreacting to noises or sudden stimuli, or a craving for salt. 5. One of the most obvious signs of adrenal fatigue is when a person wakes up tired even after a good night's sleep. Because adrenal fatigue and exhaustion have a negative effect on the immune system, these are often the individuals who catch every cold and flu that goes around or are sick during every flu season.
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Adrenal fatigue
Thee effects of stress and high cortisol levels
The most common symptoms of adrenal fatigue are fatigue, insomnia, weight gain, and depression. Does that sound like you? If so, your underlying problem may be adrenal fatigue.
Every woman who comes to our clinic with these symptoms gets an adrenal fatigue test, which consists of a series of tests of cortisol levels. And the results — in over thousands of cases — are remarkably consistent: only 1% have cortisol levels indicating healthy adrenal function, while 99% suffer impaired function, ranging from significant adrenal stress to complete adrenal exhaustion.
The effects of adrenal dysfunction can be profound: fatigue and weakness, suppression of the immune system, muscle and bone loss, moodiness or depression, hormonal imbalance, skin problems, autoimmune disorders, and dozens of other symptoms.
The good news is that adrenal fatigue can almost always be relieved. Let’s look at the relationships between stress, high cortisol levels and adrenal fatigue, and then we’ll look at how you can give your adrenals more support.
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The original, life-saving role of the adrenal glands
To understand how adrenal fatigue develops, it is important to understand the original, evolutionary function of the adrenal glands. The adrenals are walnut-sized glands located on top of each kidney, and are important control centers for many of the body’s hormones. The outer layer of the gland, called the adrenal cortex, produces hormones including cortisol, DHEA, estrogen and testosterone. The centers of the glands produce adrenaline, the hormone named after them.
The basic task of your adrenal glands is to rush all your body’s resources into "fight or flight" mode by increasing production of adrenaline and other hormones. When healthy, your adrenals can instantly increase your heart rate and blood pressure, release your energy stores for immediate use, slow your digestion and other secondary functions, and sharpen your senses.
Let’s emphasize two points about this healthy stress response. First, it takes priority over all other metabolic functions. Second, it wasn’t designed to last very long.
Stress and the adrenal glands
Unlike our ancestors, we live with constant stress. Instead of occasional, acute demands followed by rest, we’re constantly over-worked, under-nourished, exposed to environmental toxins, worrying about others — with no let-up.
Every challenge to the mind and body creates a demand on the adrenal glands. And the list of challenges is endless: lack of sleep, a demanding boss, the threat of losing your job, financial pressures, personality conflicts, yo-yo dieting, relationship turmoil, death or illness of a loved one, skipping meals, reliance on stimulants like caffeine and carbs, digestive problems, over-exercise, illness or infection, unresolved emotional issues from our past or present and more. The result is adrenal glands that are constantly on high alert.
The destructive effect of high cortisol levels
What is cortisol? In its normal function, cortisol helps us meet these challenges by converting proteins into energy, releasing glycogen and counteracting inflammation. For a short time, that’s okay. But at sustained high levels, cortisol gradually tears your body down.
Sustained high cortisol levels destroy healthy muscle and bone, slow down healing and normal cell regeneration, co-opt biochemicals needed to make other vital hormones, impair digestion, metabolism and mental function, interfere with healthy endocrine function; and weaken your immune system.
Adrenal fatigue may be a factor in many related conditions, including fibromyalgia, hypothyroidism, chronic fatigue syndrome, arthritis, premature menopause and others. It may also produce a host of other unpleasant symptoms, from acne to hair loss. (Please click here to see a list of adrenal fatigue symptoms and related conditions.)
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Signs and symptoms of adrenal fatigue
Stressors like a demanding job, raising a family, relationship issues, lack of sleep, financial pressures, improper nutrition, dieting, and unresolved emotional distress cause the adrenal glands to produce cortisol. However, when we ask our adrenal glands to chronically sustain high cortisol levels, they eventually become fatigued. The resulting adrenal dysfunction not only affects cortisol production, but also impairs the adrenals’ ability to produce and balance hormones like DHEA, estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.
Symptoms of adrenal fatigue
The following symptoms are your body’s way of telling you that it is not receiving the support it needs to maintain healthy adrenal function.
- Fatigue
- Feeling tired despite sufficient hours of sleep
- Insomnia
- Weight gain
- Depression
- Hair loss
- Acne
- Reliance on stimulants like caffeine
- Cravings for carbohydrates or sugars
- Cravings for salt
- Poor immune function
- Intolerance to cold
Related conditions
Adrenal fatigue is a likely factor in several medical conditions such as the following:
- Hypotension
- Fibromyalgia
- Hypothyroidism
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Arthritis
- Premature menopause
The good news is, with proper support you can heal adrenal fatigue and reverse the damaging effects of chronic stress. To learn more, read our article on adrenal fatigue and cortisol.
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The loss of DHEA production
When the adrenals are chronically overworked and straining to maintain high cortisol levels, they lose the capacity to produce DHEA in sufficient amounts. DHEA (the full name is dehydroepiandrosterone) is a precursor hormone to estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, and is necessary to moderate the balance of hormones in your body. Insufficient DHEA contributes to fatigue, bone loss, loss of muscle mass, depression, aching joints, decreased sex drive, and impaired immune function. (For more information, read our article on DHEA.)
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COMBAT STRASS WITH ADAPTOGENIC HERBS
Adaptogens help the body remain vital and healthy by affecting the brain, muscles, liver, kidneys, and nerves, energizing them and allowing them to function properly even in stressful environments or conditions. Adaptogens work by bringing the body into balance regardless of whether a person is nervous and anxious or fatigued and has low levels of energy. Adaptogens have the special ability to bring either or both conditions to a balanced middle ground. 6. They impart grounded energy to someone who is fatigued-not nervous "caffeine-type" energy, and help ground people who are nervous and high-strung.
Adaptogens appear to work by stimulating both physical and mental activity; by protecting and improving the function of the endocrine glands and the liver; by sparing the use of glycogen (the glucose stored in the liver and muscles) and increasing the use of fatty acids for energy.
As with all nutrients, there are suggested time and dose ranges for adaptogenic herbs. Regarding ginseng; it is recommended that people take it for two to three weeks, then take one to two weeks off, and do not take ginseng continuously. Consumers with bleeding conditions, schizophrenia, cardiac disorders (especially high or low blood pressure), diabetes, and pregnant or lactating women should consult with a qualified health care professional before taking ginseng products.
Siberian and Panax ginseng are adaptogenic herbs, which moderate the stress response, specifically, reducing the activation of the adrenal cortex in response to stress.9. They also work to prevent stress-induced damage to the thymus gland and lymph glands located throughout the body, which are all components of the immune system. Siberian ginseng supplements provide an increased feeling of well being, heightened ability to handle stress, increased mental alertness and work output, and increased physical endurance.
From my clinical experience I have found American Ginseng root to be beneficial, especially when the adrenal glands are exhausted and endocrine functioning is insufficient.
Schizandra helps to bring balance and equilibrium to the body even in the presence of stress or pathology. It also improves overall response and strengthens the central and peripheral nervous systems.
Ashwagandha root is considered rejuvenative and a vitalizer in Ayurvedic (traditional Indian) medicine. It has adaptogenic effects as do members of the ginseng family, thus it is considered to be "Indian Ginseng."
Adaptogenic herbs have been used for hundreds of years by people of many cultures. Many are available in whole root or bulk powder form at health food stores or other nutritional product outlets. I have found that it is difficult to maintain dosage with bulk herbs and there is low compliance in people grinding and capsuling their own remedies, or boiling these herbs for teas.
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ANTIOXIDANTS AND OTHER VITAMINS HELPFUL IN STRSS CONDITIONS
We believe that everyone should take antioxidant nutrients. One of the greatest general stresses placed on the body is oxidative stress. Free-radicals caused by oxidative stress are now considered contributing factors to many degenerative health conditions.
Oxidative, free-radical reactions cause cell membrane damage, DNA damage, and interfere with numerous cellular chemistries. Health conditions associated with free radical damage include liver damage, arthritis, cancer, cardiovascular disease, cataracts, diabetic conditions, gastrointestinal disorders, immune system dysfunction, inflammation, neurological degeneration, and red blood cell damage.
Sources of free-radicals (oxidizing agents) include cigarette smoke, cooked or rancid fats and oils, heavy exercise, heavy metal poisoning (including aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, nickel), human-made chemical poisons (herbicides, pesticides), natural toxins (Candida albicans), radiation (of any form), stress (of any form), and sunlight.
Antioxidants such as vitamins A, C, and E, the minerals selenium and zinc, the nutrients alpha-lipoic acid, coenzyme Q10, and herbs such as gingko biloba, green tea, bilberry, pine bark and grape seed extracts all can assist the body in the defense against free-radical oxidative damage to the body's cells and tissues. The " Physician's Rx- Daily Multiple Support System" which contains many of these antioxidant nutrients, is a comprehensive, synergistic combination of vitamins, antioxidant nutrients, minerals and electrolytes, enzymes, pre & probiotics, and "immu*boost" herbal extracts known to support the function of specific tissues, organs, glands and systems related to the expression of health and vitality and to support optimum structure and function in the body.
I often recommend Coenzyme Q10 and L-Carnitine in combination for people who are fatigued and exhausted, as these two nutrients are essential for proper cellular energy production.
Vitamins that I recommend for conditions of stress and fatigue include B vitamins, folic acid, and biotin. The family of B Vitamins (B1, or Thiamine; B2, or Riboflavin; B3, or Niacin; B5 or Pantothenic Acid; B6, or Pyridoxine; and B12, or Cyanocobalamin) are crucial for helping the body cope with stress and essential for numerous functions including food metabolism and energy production, the formation of red blood cells, protecting cells against free-radicals, blood sugar regulation, supporting the adrenal glands in production of hormones (B5 is known as the anti-stress vitamin) helping to regulate electrolyte mineral balance, and maintaining the health of the nervous system. Folic Acid is essential for red and white blood cell formation. Biotin participates in metabolism of food and release of energy. It also assists in the making of amino acids, nucleic acids, fatty acids, and use of the other B vitamins.
To people dealing with stress and fatigue I often recommend the "Concentrated Liquid Ionic Mineral Support " formula. In addition to acting as "building blocks" for our bones, teeth, muscles nerves, connective tissues and body fluids, minerals and trace elements serve as co-factors to enzymes and activators of vitamins, which perform the biochemical and electro-chemical reactions that are required for our bodies to function optimally. I recommend this specific form of "liquid ionic" minerals because they are easy to take, are very easily absorbed by the body and are effective in supporting optimum trace mineral/electrolyte levels in the body.
The "Concentrated Liquid Ionic Mineral Support" formula supports the body's natural processes directly related to:
- Every biochemical activity of the body
- Proper cellular metabolism
- Activation and utilization of amino acids, carbohydrates, enzymes, fats, oils, phytochemicals, proteins, sugars, vitamins.
- Delivery of nutrients into, and removal of wastes from every cell, tissue, fluid, gland and organ.
- Protection against Toxic Heavy Metals
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Stress Management at Work Do It Yourself Guide
Stress management at work is today highly influenced by the changes in the world around us. It's quite complicated, but briefly the most important causes of stress are the high costs of living, the job pressure, the evolution of the global economy and the family problems. We are more and more subjected to high expectations of performance, and this is one of the reasons why stress management at work is something we should all try.
Specifically in the workplace, the stress can be an important detriment to the health of individuals and their families as well. We will try in the following to provide you with few well-researched tips, especially formulated to use be used for stress management at work.
I. You can start by trying some practical tips right at your office. Stress causes a series of physical symptoms, and headaches, muscular tension or digestion problems are just few of them. Even if you are at the workplace, you can relieve some of those symptoms by taking few minutes off.
- All you have to do is turn the phone off and the computer too.
- You can put one "Don't disturb" sign on the door and try to clear your head for a couple of minutes. Forget about the deadlines and the pile of files waiting to be solved.
- Close your eyes and imagine you are on your favorite vacation destination, maybe a sandy beach or some green hills;
- Concentrate on your breathing and let all your negative thoughts flow away;
- You can even use some safety stress relief balls, those are great for distracting your mind from the daily problems;
- Have a hot cup of green tea and enjoy the flavor; this would be a wonderful way to close your break.
II. Stress management at work must also refer to a change of attitude.
Start by thinking about the stress in your life from another angle. For example, instead of letting stress eating you out day by day while being at the workplace try share it with others. This can be done in an enjoyable manner, so everyone will end up laughing. Usually, people try to embellish their stressful situations and this can prove to be fun.
- Another way to do some stress management at work would be to see the good part of every problem. If you have a tight deadline, just think about the praises you will get when you will finish the task, or the big bonus your boss will give you. Just try to find that in you and then reward yourself with a great treat.
Coping with workplace stress is never easy, as you can almost feel the tension around you and most of all you seem to be like a sponge for everybody else's stress. This is why today you should start do some stress management at work and apply new methods of relaxing yourself in order to clear off the workplace stress.
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5 Hot Tips for Stress Relief for Managers
Stress relief for managers is very important. The managerial position is one that by its very nature will create a multitude of stress and anxiety inducing situations for an individual to experience. It is therefore vitally important that anyone in this position of responsibility and leadership knows how to look after their stress in order to maintain their physical and mental well being in the work place.
* Failure to do so could have disastrous results for the individual.
* A lack of effectiveness in the job may lead to the failure of a project, the suffering of your subordinates as result of your stress induced wrath, failure to achieve pay rises in line with your ability, or in the extreme case, the loss of your job.
By following these five hot tips for stress relief for managers during the course of your average day of work you are likely to reduce the probability of any of these events occurring and you will ensure a healthier lifestyle which is more enjoyable to yourself. Who knows, you may even begin to enjoy going to work!
1. Humour
What's the opposite of being depressed? Being happy. So, make yourself laugh! Take a break for five minutes, find something funny to read on the internet or look at the latest email attachment being sent around the office. The effect of laughter in stress relief for managers is massively positive and will encourage you to work much more efficiently and in a more productive manner. With all those negative thoughts forgotten the quality of your work is likely to be also improved compared to your output when you were stressed.
2. Go for a Walk
The office environment has a lot of work related connotations. The computer is where you work, your desk is where you write things, and the filing cabinet houses your documents. Many people find these surroundings oppressive and may feel suffocated and claustrophobic in these conditions. So what's a good solution for this? Taking a walk is a commonly employed tactic in stress relief for managers. The change in environment will have massive benefits. It will refresh your mind and get the blood flowing to your extremities. An individual will find himself or herself energised and prepared to work again with this stress relief for managers.
3. Drink Water
Your body needs water to function properly. Lack of water causes your brain to shrink, can initiate headaches and can make you more irritable. This will make a stressful situation worse than it already is and it enhances it potentially to an unbearable level of anxiety. In order to avoid this you should make water easily accessible to you at your desk that you can drink throughout the day on a regular basis.
4. Take a Nap
Power napping is not just a fashionable craze; it really does work when it comes to stress relief for managers. A thirty minute nap after eating in the afternoon will energise you and make you feel considerably perkier throughout the afternoon. This additional energy makes an individual less susceptible to the effects of stress and provides excellent stress relief for managers.
5. Cap Your Hours
As a manager it is very easy to work beyond the hours you are contractually obliged. Don't! By doing so, an individual will become obsessive about their work. Wind down time is important. By working late, or pulling an all-nighter you will decrease your productivity the following day; you gain no advantage!
Fatigue
Fatigue is physical and/or mental exhaustion that can be triggered by stress, medication, overwork, or mental and physical illness or disease.
Everyone experiences fatigue occasionally. It is the body's way of signaling its need for rest and sleep. But when fatigue becomes a persistent feeling of tiredness or exhaustion that goes beyond normal sleepiness, it is usually a sign that something more serious is amiss.
Physically, fatigue is characterized by a profound lack of energy, feelings of muscle weakness, and slowed movements or central nervous system reactions. Fatigue can also trigger serious mental exhaustion. Persistent fatigue can cause a lack of mental clarity (or feeling of mental "fuzziness"), difficulty concentrating, and in some cases, memory loss.
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Anxiety
Anxiety is a feeling of apprehension or fear. The source of this uneasiness is not always known or recognized, which can add to the distress you feel.
Anxiety is often accompanied by physical symptoms, including:
Sometimes other symptoms accompany anxiety:
Anxiety disorders are a group of psychiatric conditions that involve excessive anxiety. They include generalized anxiety disorder, specific phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and social phobia.
Common Causes
Certain drugs, both recreational and medicinal, can lead to symptoms of anxiety due to either side effects or withdrawal from the drug. Such drugs include caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, cold remedies, decongestants, bronchodilators for asthma, tricyclic antidepressants, cocaine, amphetamines, diet pills, ADHD medications, and thyroid medications.
A poor diet -- for example, low levels of vitamin B12 -- can also contribute to stress or anxiety. Performance anxiety is related to specific situations, like taking a test or making a presentation in public. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) develops after a traumatic event like war, physical or sexual assault, or a natural disaster. People with generalized anxiety disorder experience almost constant worry or anxiety about many things on more than half of all days for 6 months. Panic disorder or panic attacks involve sudden and unexplained fear, rapid breathing, and increased heartbeat.
In very rare cases, a tumor of the adrenal gland (pheochromocytoma) may be the cause of anxiety. The symptoms are caused by an overproduction of hormones responsible for the feelings of anxiety.
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