As the summer comes to an end, we’re all getting ready to get back to a schedule. Picking the kids up from camp and getting them back to school while still dealing with a pandemic means stress. Lots and lots of stress. Between shopping for supplies, remembering to get everyone’s lunchbox in order, making sure the kids get up in the morning, and are out the door in time, it’s a lot to handle.
Stress is defined as any disturbance: extreme cold or heat, psychological stress, sleep deprivation, work overload, physical trauma or toxic exposure that can trigger the stress response. The body’s stress response system is comprised of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.
Prolonged stress triggers the HPA axis and consists of three stages: 1: alarm, 2: resistance, and 3: exhaustion. The initial, short-lived phase is the body’s normal fight or flight response to danger, characterized by elevated cortisol levels.
The subsequent resistance phase allows the body to continue buffering extended stress exposure, long after the initial fight-or-flight response has dissipated. Hormones released by the adrenals, such as cortisol and DHEA, help support the resistance reaction.
Extended periods of stress not only burden the system, creating an imbalance in cortisol and DHEA production, but can result in mental and physical fatigue, nervous tension, irritability and poor memory- all of which are characteristic of stage 3.
Managing that stress can be a challenge, especially when you are trying to do so in a healthy manner. Stress is damaging, not only to your mind but to your body. These days you want your immune system to be in top condition. These supplements are designed to reduce stress hormones in Springfield Missouri and right now they’re on sale.