When we become stressed, our brains signal to the adrenal glands to make nonstop cortisol. This causes a serious ripple effect throughout our bodies as it communicates to our different systems. The slightest imbalance in cortisol can cause digestive issues, hormonal imbalances, immune system flares, and issues with our nervous system such as sleep, headaches, and yes, anxiety.

This perfect storm becomes an internal stress signal back to our brain, creating a vicious cycle of stress, that can continue for hours after the stressor. It can be stopped, with careful attention to stress recovery.

The calming neurotransmitters, serotonin and GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), “buffer” the impact of stress and adrenaline in our bodies—similar to the role of shock absorbers in a car. When we are stressed, we use up GABA and serotonin faster than our bodies can make it. With depleted or imbalanced serotonin and GABA, we’ll feel every bump along our road of anxiety.

What you won’t often hear (especially from standard medical approaches) is that we can help our bodies to get out of stress mode. We can use stress recovery activities, nutrients, and herbs to bring cortisol and adrenaline back to the level we need it to be to send healthy signals out to our cells, hormones, digestion, immune and nervous systems.

In essence, our awareness helps to calm us down. Once we realize it's watching the new's, a trip to the grocery store, or fretting over our bank accounts thats causing the stress repose, we can make the conscience decision to limit those activities (easier said than done right?). The alternative is allowing ourselves to get so caught up in the fear and anxiety that it snowballs into MORE fear and anxiety… sound familiar?

Remember, We become what we think, or, As we think so we become, which ever you prefer. Try to stop obsessing about the things you have no control of, and enjoy all the things you do...naps, watching the sun rise, or the stars at night. Get plenty of sleep, exercise (there's no way around it people), and eating healthy foods. This is a really good time to start taking an adaptogen each day like; licorice, ashwagandha, holy basil, and l theanine, just to name a few.