A Quick Morning Routine for Burnt-Out People

We see all this talk about the perfect morning routine and how to super fuel are mornings to super charge our day.

What an awesome concept, right?

Wait.

If you have adrenal fatigue, mornings can be really difficult.
It is really common to struggle with insomnia through the night, waking up and then feeling too wired to fall back asleep. When you finally do fall back asleep (usually in the early morning hours) it’s often just in time for your alarm to jostle you out of a sleep that feels as deep as the deepest sea.

Trust me, I know how hard it can be to shake yourself out of that when your alarm starts going off.

When I was struggling with stage 3 adrenal fatigue, I used to think not even an icy bucket of water thrown on me would have helped. In those days, I’d grumble to my boyfriend to “ START THE ENGINE” (coffee machine) and you can imagine how the morning went from there.

The experts on social media kept telling me to do stuff like this:

• Get up an hour before my alarm and meditate

• Get some exercise in

• Do something for you

• Spend time in quiet, journaling and feeling gratitude

HECK, I’m pretty sure we even tell you to do this sort of stuff from time to time.
I KNOW in theory a morning filled with self-care would be incredible and soul nourishing and that it would totally make me a more calm and happy person. I totally get it the concept.

But guys, if a bucket of ice water wasn’t going to get me out of bed, neither was the potential idea of feeling more blissed out in my day if it meant sacrificing an hour of sweet, sweet morning sleep (which according to Dr. James Wilson has been said to be some of the most adrenal nourishing sleep for burnt-out people).

Nowadays, things are different and I have become a morning person once again, but I remember the struggle. When I speak to clients, they can relate to this too.

Today, I want to share my 5 minute morning adrenal care routine— it’s the same routine I use these days if I have to be up really early for coaching calls or don’t have a lot of time or space to myself.

It’s the way I capitalized on sleep while STILL taking measures to implement some self-care into my morning.

Check out my walk-through video of my 10 Minute Morning Routine for Burnt-out People here.

Overcoming Productivity Guilt

Every day, we are bombarded by information and advice on how to make our lives better.

Do this.

Don’t do that.

Eat this.

Don’t eat that.

… the list goes on and on…and on!

If you are a part of our Adrenal Fatigue Community, when you wake up, you probably feel pretty tired. We know mornings can be a great time to kick off momentum and power to our day, but it can be hard to take advantage of mornings when you don’t feel well or can’t seem to wake up with vigor like you used to be able to.

We know you have a lot going on.

You have work to do, places to be, a family (maybe some furry friends) to care for and things you want to accomplish. For many, time may feel like it flies by in a flash and our to do lists seem ever endless.

You have dreams that are falling to the wayside.

Many of the people we work with in our Adrenal Fatigue Recovery Revolution are TYPE A. They are driven, hard working people who have burnt themselves out trying to “do it all” and pushing themselves past the comfortable capability of their bodies.

I used to struggle with this a lot myself.. and deep down, I still have this tendency to push myself inside of me, but like those individuals in our program — it all comes down to retraining ourselves to find better balance in our lives— staying productive— but staying productive within our means.

Many of us, are ADDICTED to getting stuff done... and many of us, are addicted to social media that is constantly reminding us of all the things we SHOULD be getting done.The combination easily leads to a feeling that we call “productivity guilt” which is a relentless feeling of not doing enough or not functioning at an optimal level.

When we live this way, nothing is enough and we can slip into a space where we constantly feel overwhelmed by the pressures we put on ourselves. When we live this way, how can we expect to feel at ease? We are setting ourselves up for chronic anxiety and hurrying ourselves along the path to burnout.

It can be hard to change this habit, but trust me, if you can relate— you have to.
You OWE it to yourself to get control of the pressures you put on yourself and to allow yourself to BE ENOUGH and TO REST. (hugs).

Here are 5 helpful tips on how to release productivity guilt:

• STOP COMPARING YOURSELF TO OTHER PEOPLE

  • Remember, all those people with “perfect”lives, families and businesses are only sharing their “highlight reel” with the world.

  • Download an app like “rescue time” to help control how much time you expose yourself to social media like this in the first place.

• ACCEPT IMPERFECTION

  • Not every day is going to be perfect, but every new day is an opportunity to start again.

• PRIORITIZE YOUR GOALS

  • What tasks are essential and why? Knowing this will help you stay focused and help prevent overwhelm

  • Click here to see our guide to setting micro goals and actually hitting them.

• AFFIRM

  • YOU DO ENOUGH. YOU HAVE ENOUGH. YOU ARE ENOUGH.

    • ^ Say it out loud..and BELIEVE it, baby!

• CELEBRATE YOUR DAILY WINS

  • I’m a big fan of writing down my daily goals and love the sounds of my white board marker squeaking as I cross goals off as I accomplish them.

  • Take time to acknowledge your accomplishments and time to appreciate the effort that went into them.

You’ve got this!

If you need some help getting things under control and a community to do it with, click here!

xo Danielle

Make Your Health a Priority... but ACTUALLY do it!

When we are chronically worn-out, feelings of fatigue and overwhelm come to us easily.
 
When we are in this stressed state, it's easy to make excuses and to make choices out of convenience, habit or simplicity. When we are exhausted, it’s hard to find motivation to cook a healthy meal, get exercise or do the inner work stuff that is GOOD for us. Can you relate?

We encourage you to listen to, and gauge what your body can and can't handle on any given day, but ultimately-- we want you moving forward-- even on those days when you feel BEYOND tired.

but we have some simple tips that are great for help you navigate this…especially when you're struggling with chronic fatigue

TIPS FOR ACTUALLY DOING THE THINGS YOU SAID YOU WANTED TO DO:

1. You establish your daily priorities
   We recommend making 2 categories: TASK priorities and HEALTH priorities
   Though your TASK priority list might be a longer, running weekly list (a list of all the pressing things you MUST accomplish in any given week), we recommend keeping your HEALTH priorities simple and limiting them to just a few meaningful focus goals that you will be focusing on daily . Here are some examples— “go to bed by 10:30pm”, “meditate for 10 minutes every day”, “no processed food”, “have a green drink daily”, etc. We also recommend not writing down too many to help keep the list light and manageable.

2. Write your priorities down somewhere easy to check in daily.
   We love doing this on a white board and keeping that whiteboard somewhere we see it often. Think of this as your weekly priority planning. It will help keep you focused and help keep your eye on the things you MUST do this week.

3. Check in with these priorities DAILY
   Check in with your list every day.
   Are you knocking things off your weekly TASK list?
   Are you sticking to what you were going to do? (ie. Did you meditate today?)
   I make a chart that lists my health goals and has a running weekly tally beside it so I can put a check to track and see how many days I actually did them.
   You’ll notice it feels SO good to check things off your list!

This may seem like a simple practice, but trust us, when you put those priorities down on paper and check in with them multiple times throughout the week, you can help but hold yourself accountable.

I have found this idea from Laura Vanderkam helpful.. 
When you are feeling tired.. instead of saying " I'm too tired today", try saying "that's not a priority for me today" and see how your excuse settles.

If too many days go by where you are unable to check things off, re-evaluate and make your list more simple.

Don't give up and don't feel bad for tweaking your list if you need to… as long as it's going to help make it more realistic and achievable for you.

Don't get us wrong, either! Sometimes, the excuses you have will be totally valid! Stuff comes up, right? But sometimes, (like when you find yourself ordering junk food off Uber Eats or grabbing something quick at the convenience store because you're tired) the excuse leads to a choice that may actually contribute to MORE fatigue tomorrow.. this can keep you stuck! 

(If you can relate to this example, check out these 8 Simple + Balanced Breakfasts (they can be swapped as lunches or dinners) that you can whip up quick-- even when you're tired!) 

We always want you to be gracious, forgiving and mindful of what your body needs.. and to rest without guilt when you need it.. but we also want you progressing forward bit by bit, day by day, on your journey to greater health. 

You've got this.

We hope the simple act of planning and prioritizing will help you get out there and SLAY the week that lies ahead.

Lots of calm, warm and energizing wishes to you! 
xo Danielle + Angela

Holidays with Adrenal Fatigue: 5 Tips to Survive and Thrive

Why is it that when we are supposed to be celebrating tradition and spending quality time with family and friends we find ourselves ridiculously busy, stress and on the verge of burnout? The holidays can be a challenging time even for the healthiest of people. When you have adrenal fatigue the added stress that the holiday season brings can lead to major adrenal burnout and flare-ups. Here are 5 secrets to surviving the holidays with adrenal fatigue (and make sure you stay till the end, we want to give you a special holiday gift. It's a lifesaver).

Tip #1 byof

Bring Your Own Food. The holidays are filled with get-togethers focused around food. If you are suffering from food intolerances or allergies as a result of your adrenal fatigue, you most likely have had to give some foods up along the way. If so, you know how frustrating it can be to go to these gatherings. Bringing your own food means that you can still enjoy food and you don’t have to feel like you’re missing out the entire time.

If you’ve been following me for a while you know that on my adrenal fatigue healing journey I gave up many foods. Actually, the only thing I never gave up eating is vegetables. I gave up dairy, meat, sugar, gluten, grains, you name it I tried it. Not just for a couple weeks, but for months and sometimes even years at a time. And just for the record I am not suggesting that or believe you need to give up a bunch of foods in order to heal your adrenal fatigue. But I get what you’re going through and that’s why I always bring food with me, wherever I go.

I am not suggesting that or believe you need to give up a bunch of foods in order to heal your adrenal fatigue. But I get what you’re going through. That’s why I always bring food with me, wherever I go.

What are your favorite alternative food choices that you don’t want to live without during the holidays? Do you have a good or funny story about sharing your specialty foods with your loved ones?

Tip #2 Boost Your Immune System

During the holiday we do more traveling to the mall, to the supermarket, to events and get-togethers which all bring opportunities to come into contact with germs and other icky bugs that might be lurking around. And because as adrenal fatigue sufferers we already have compromised immune systems, we might be more susceptible and find ourselves constantly “under the weather” at this time of year.  Not good! Getting sick would put a huge damper on our capacity to celebrate.

Be pro-active about your health this season.  Keep yourself healthy by doing a few things to boost the immune system. Go to sleep just a bit earlier than usual each night. Cut down on the sugar intake when you aren’t out celebrating and (this is one of my favorites) use essential oils to protect yourself. Personally, I use the Doterra Oil called Onguard. This oil can be used internally to support the immune and respiratory system and can also be used externally as a non-toxic cleaner to protect against environmental threats. I use it at the first sign of the sniffles or as a preventive by diffusing it in the house or adding a few drops of distilled water and spraying down germ-infested areas like the airplane seat or grocery cart. I am not saying to walk around being a germaphobe to the point where you create anxiety for yourself or others, but simply being prepared can reduce your risk AND make you feel more in control and empowered.

My other favorite immune boosting ritual is drinking Echinacea tea or taking an Echinacea extract, which you can find at a health food store. Some people like Emergen-C or Airborne which are also great options. What essential vitamins and supplements support your immune system? Make sure you don’t forget to take them.

Tip #3 Don’t Fall Into the Crazy Trap

When everyone around you is running around like a crazy person trying to get everything done it’s easy to feel like that is what you are supposed to do too. Just because our society buys into the belief that this time of year has to be crazy, doesn’t mean that it’s true, or that it has to be true for you—no matter what the people around you are doing.   I am telling you that it is possible to avoid that trap. What if you could be that person in line at the supermarket or at the mall while everyone else is huffing and puffing, saying rude things to the checker or just acting annoyed, who is stays cool, calm and collected? You can be an example of what else is possible. And as Gandhi would say “Be the change you want to see in the world”.

Tip # 4 Do Your Shopping Online

We have such a luxury now that didn’t exist even 10 –years-ago where you can pretty much buy anything online that you need. So unless you enjoy being out and about this time of year or you have a great deal of patience consider doing all your shopping this year from the convenience of your own cozy couch. Get yourself a cup of your favorite tea, put on some calming music and shop away.  There are lots of options for online shopping these days—it’s not Amazon or nothing. So if you like to shop small or local, check to see if your favorite physical shops have websites…these days you’d be surprised at how many do!

Tip #5 Emotionally Prepare for Your Loved Ones

No matter how close we are to our loved ones or how much we love seeing them during the holidays, it doesn’t negate the fact that family has the ability to bring up a lot of our old “stuff” including limiting beliefs about ourselves, insecurities, failures, etc.

Prepare yourself emotionally by taking some time before you see them to center yourself. Say positive affirmations to yourself. Remind yourself how amazing you are and that your old choices no longer define who you are. Get plenty of sleep and visualize yourself having positive and loving interactions with these people.

I have just given you 5 easy tips to surviving the holidays with adrenal fatigue.

Now I’d love to hear from you. What things do you do to guarantee more fun and less stress during the holidays? How do you avoid flair up during the holidays? What has been the most helpful piece of information shared here?

Please share this blog with friends, family and/or colleagues you feel could benefit from this information.

All my best,

Angela

Adrenal Glands - All You Need to Know

WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OKx0ncgI_0

What if I told you that a small gland in your body, no bigger than the size of a walnut could be the source of not only your chronic fatigue, but could be linked to other chronic health issues you may be experiencing? Yes, I'm talking about your adrenal glands. In this blog, I am going to explain what the adrenal glands are, what they do and why they are so important to maintaining optimal health.

 What are the Adrenal Glands?

Adrenal glands get their name from the words, "ad" that means over and "renal" that means related to the kidneys. Thus, adrenal glands are located just above the top of each of your kidneys.

What do Adrenal Glands Do?

Adrenal glands are endocrine glands that produce and release many vital hormones into your body like testosterone, estrogen, and cortisol, to name a few. Each of these hormones is important for the regulation of all your body processes. They may be physical, psychological or even emotional.

Why Adrenal Health Is Important For Overall Health?

It is up to the adrenal glands to help you deal with the different stresses you encounter in your day-to-day living. Whether it’s a bacteria from the physical environment, injury or stress as an emotional response as a result of a situation in your life.

By regulating your responses to these different stresses, the adrenal glands essentially keep you alive. In case of diseases or injuries, they release the appropriate chemicals that will fight off infection and build endurance; and if you are under emotional stress, they might raise your heart rate, produce added energy or affect your muscle tone so you can deal with it.

In this way, the adrenal glands control the performance of every organ, tissue and gland in your body and maintain their balance to keep you healthy, physically and psychologically. Think of them as the engine in the car of your body that keeps it functioning, as it should.

What Happens When Your Adrenals Get Fatigued

When your adrenals become fatigued they don’t perform the stress-fighting functions, as they should. This means they don't produce the adequate amount of hormones your body needs to maintain its balance. As a result, you begin to experience adrenal fatigue.

Adrenal fatigue has a myriad of symptoms from debilitating exhaustion, weight issues, to severe food cravings, food sensitivities, brain fog and so much more.

Learn about the full range of adrenal fatigue symptoms here.

Now we’d love to hear from you in the comments below. What are your biggest symptoms? What are you burning questions? We are a healing community and your comment or question could support others on their healing journey. So take a moment to drop us a line below.

Love, Angela

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