Photo by Abigail Galatia

“You need to pull out the big guns on this one,” she said. I had spent nine years helping victims of trauma, and the stress that put on my body and mind finally caught up to me. I was diagnosed with PTSD and stage three adrenal fatigue. My doctor looked me square in the eyes with those words, and I knew she was right. If I didn’t make some drastic changes, this was just going to get worse.

Adrenal fatigue seems to be a epidemic these days. In most cases it is stress induced and chronic, causing symptoms like foggy brain, low energy, food allergies, mild depression and anxiety, low blood sugar, and a plethora of other symptoms that make day-to-day tasks seem overwhelming. Studies have shown time and time again that psychological changes have an effect on our bodies, and stress is a prime example of this. The mind-body connection is strong, like two best friends who know what the other is thinking; they are in step with one another. And to ignore that connection would be a grave mistake.

You may not have adrenal fatigue, but we all have stress, and a stress free life is unrealistic; so here are some things I found to be helpful in battling stress induced fatigue and illness.

Breath
For centuries, experts have searched for a healthy way to relieve chronic stress: Valerian root, lavender, L-theanine, Prozac, Xanax, and the list goes on an on. Choosing from all of the options can actually cause more stress! One of my…