7 signs you are suffering from HPA Axis Dysregulation and what you can do about it

You are certainly not alone if the last couple of years have left you feeling a little bit worse for wear. Maybe you are experiencing a whole range of symptoms that they didn’t have before and are unsure exactly how to deal with them.

Depending on your symptoms, it may be that you are in fact, suffering from HPA axis dysregulation (formerly known as adrenal fatigue).

Want the in-depth version?

The HPA axis is a quick way of describing the incredible physiological communication and response that occurs between three organs, the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland, and the adrenal glands. Our stress response is primarily governed by the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. When you experience stress, it activates the HPA axis and sets off a cascade of neuroendocrine signals that ultimately leads to the release of hormones and neurotransmitters like cortisol, norepinephrine (noradrenaline), and epinephrine (adrenaline).

And yes, these terms are thrown around a lot but that is simply because it is super common in our fast-paced, stressful lives.

If you feel any of the following then HPA dysregulation could be playing a factor:

1. Fatigue especially when you wake up in the morning and often with ‘crashes’ throughout the day
2. Difficulty falling asleep
3. Low blood pressure or light headedness
4. Inability to cope with stress or regulate your mood
5. Feeling like you have ‘brain fog’ for no reason
6. Craving certain food or needing caffeine or stimulants to kickstart your energy
7. Getting sick regularly and for longer periods than you would expect
8. Nausea and anxiety

Reading along and nodding your head? Don’t worry, I got you covered with some tips on how to recover.

Now, I will start by saying that coming back from Adrenal Fatigue isn’t something that you can snap your fingers and do straight away. But it is certainly something that many of my clients have successfully done and they will tell you that they are living a completely different life now!

So, where do we start?

We start where you are by starting to reduce your stress levels and setting healthy boundaries. The thing is that HPA dysregulation rears its ugly head when we are under high amounts of stress for prolonged periods of time so it makes sense that you can’t recover from it while its cause is still there.

Easier said than done right? Well here are some strategies to implement right now that will start to make a positive impact:

• Lessen your load – each time you take one tiny thing off your list it adds up. Do this 10 times and you create a massive impact on your life. So, I’m asking you, if you could take something off your list what would that be? When you find it, go action it right away and keep doing that until you really can’t think of one more thing. If you’re worried other people will think you are lazy or unreliable, check out my blog on FOPO here and kick those kinds of thoughts to the curb!
• Create space for calm – find one space in your home that you can create a place just for you. Marie Kondo talks about this in her program and it’s a simple way to find joy in the everyday. Maybe it is a corner of your bench where you have a favourite vase always filled with flowers or your dressing table with your more luscious creams. Whatever it is that helps you find calm make a commitment to keeping that space and visiting it often.
• Clear out the clutter – I don’t mean that drawer in your kitchen, I am talking about the clutter inside your head, all those thoughts rolling around and around on the hamster wheel, churning up your stress levels. There are several ways you can start to declutter your internal world but some of the things that work for me are meditation, Kinesiology of course and journalling.

HPA dysregulation doesn’t have to hold you in its grasp forever, over time you will start to notice longer and longer spaces where your symptoms fade away as long as you continue using strategies to make a positive impact.

Ready to try Kinesiology to start clearing the energy highways of your mind and move past HPA dysregulation? You can find out more about my services here.