Managing anxiety gets harder when your body is already burned out. If you feel constantly tired, overwhelmed, and stuck in survival mode, Adrenal Fatigue could be fueling your anxiety.
But here’s the good news: you can take back control. In this article, we are going to discuss 10 proven strategies in managing anxiety when Adrenal Fatigue is part of the picture.
Key Points
- Chronic stress and anxiety can deplete adrenal hormones. This can lead to hormone imbalances, systemic dysfunction, and increased anxiety and fatigue symptoms.
- Writing down your symptoms can help you spot patterns and find better ways to heal.
- Techniques like deep breathing, grounding, and progressive muscle relaxation decrease cortisol levels and calm the “fight or flight” system.
- Methods such as cognitive restructuring and systematic problem-solving rewire the brain’s fear response and increase emotional resilience.
- Nutritional supplements (adaptogens and GABA supplements), grieving losses, rebuilding interpersonal relationships, and establishing realistic routines and habits can help in recovery from anxiety and Adrenal Fatigue.
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety is your body’s alarm system; it happens when you are stressed or think you are in danger. It’s normal to feel anxious before a test, job interview, or any situation where there are major changes; this kind of anxiety is temporary.
When anxiety is always there and starts to get in the way of your career, social life, or capacity to relax, it may be more than stress; it could be an indication of an anxiety disorder.
These are the seven kinds of anxiety disorders:
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a condition where a person worries all the time about things like work, money, and health, even when there is no need to be worried.
- Panic Disorder is a sudden and repeated period of intense anxiety called a panic attack. It involves intense episodes of fear with physical symptoms like chest pain, shortness of breath, and a feeling of losing control.
- Social Anxiety Disorder is a deep fear of being judged, embarrassed, or rejected in social situations. It’s more than shyness, and it can cause you to avoid social situations.
- Specific Phobias are intense, irrational fears of particular situations or objects, like heights, speaking in public, spiders, or injections.
- Agoraphobia is a fear of being in situations where escape might be hard, such as crowded places and open places.
- Separation Anxiety Disorder is an extreme fear or distress when away from someone you’re emotionally attached to.
- Selective Mutism is a rare anxiety disorder where a person can speak comfortably in some settings but cannot speak in others in public places because of intense fear.
Signs You Are Dealing With Anxiety
Understanding the signs of anxiety helps you recognize what you are feeling and get the appropriate support you need.
Here are some psychological, physical, and behavioral signs you need to be aware of:
| Psychological Signs | Physical Signs | Behavioral Signs |
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Understanding the Connection Between Anxiety and Adrenal Fatigue
Anxiety and Adrenal Fatigue are closely linked by the body’s stress response system. This link highlights why anxiety is more than simply a symptom; it can also affect how Adrenal Fatigue progresses.
While it’s not the cause of Adrenal Fatigue, long-term emotional stress and anxious patterns can burden and deplete the adrenals over time.
Anxiety can develop or worsen as Adrenal Fatigue progresses, particularly as energy drops and the nervous system gets more sensitive. In this way, the relationship is cyclical: stress and anxiety can both impact and be affected by Adrenal Fatigue.
Anxiety has a role in the progression of Adrenal Fatigue. It can appear early as a symptom and continue to affect how people respond to the challenges of recovery.
In Adrenal Fatigue, the body’s stress response system, particularly the sympathoadrenal system (SAS) and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, experiences an imbalance as a result of prolonged stress.
This results in the excessive activation of hormones like cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine, which play a crucial role in the body’s “fight or flight” responses.
Over time, this kind of stress-related overstimulation can create symptoms of anxiety, such as:
- A constant sense of urgency.
- Increased physical symptoms including racing heartbeat, shallow breathing, or muscle tension.
- Emotional distress, like feelings of dread, fear, or panic.
This state of being both “wired and tired” is common in the later stages of Adrenal Fatigue, where the nervous system is depleted but still overstimulated.
There is no single cause of Adrenal Fatigue, and anxiety is not always present. But when it is, it is often most effective to address it holistically, with your whole body in mind.
Managing anxiety isn’t just about your mental wellness. It’s about helping the neuroendocrine system, keeping hormones in check, and encouraging actual recovery.
10 Strategies for Managing Anxiety with Adrenal Fatigue
Anxiety and Adrenal Fatigue go hand in hand. When your body stays in fight-or-flight mode, your adrenal glands become overworked, causing exhaustion and mood swings.
Here are 10 evidence-based strategies for managing anxiety:
1. Track Your Triggers and Symptoms
Awareness is the first step towards breaking the cycle and making progress. Start by tracking what you notice.
In a journal or an app, it is a good idea to log things such as:
- Physical signs such as heart rate, fatigue, and changes in appetite
- Emotional patterns of irritability, fear, and shame
- External triggers like poor sleep, high social pressure, or any environmental stressors
2. Deep Breathing and Grounding Practices
Controlled breathing relaxes the sympathetic nervous system and activates the parasympathetic “rest and digest” state. For anyone dealing with Adrenal Fatigue, where stress hormones like cortisol stay high, this can really help.
Helpful breathing and grounding techniques include:
- Box Breathing, inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4.
- Adrenal breathing
- Stand barefoot, hold a cold object, or focus on the five senses to stay present
3. Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)
PMR helps calm your nervous system by teaching your body the difference between tension and release. As you tighten and then let go of each muscle group, you send a clear “all is safe” signal to your brain.
To do PMR, try this once daily:
- Tense each muscle group, toes to forehead, for 5 seconds.
- Exhale and release quickly.
- Pause and notice the shift in sensation.
4. Stay Present and Mindful
Anxiety drags you into catastrophic futures or traumatic past memories. Mindfulness brings you back to the present moment, where you have the most control.
To stay in the present, try:
- Mindful walking.
- 5-4-3-2-1 grounding, identify 5 things you see, 4 you feel, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, 1 you taste.
- Guided meditation apps.
5. Use Supplements in Managing Anxiety
Anxiety can drain your energy and harm your health. Some supplements can help calm your mind, support your body’s stress response, and promote emotional balance.
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Adrenal Calm
Adrenal Calm combines modern neuroscience with natural ingredients to help you relax without feeling sedated. It has GABA, a neurotransmitter that calms you down, as well as a mix of amino acids, vitamins, and adaptogenic herbs that work together to help your brain with stress.
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Adrenal Quiet
If your anxiety feels like it is “always on,” Adrenal Quiet might help you switch gears. It has L-theanine and inositol, both known to promote calm and enhance mood regulation.
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Adrenal PS
Adrenal PS has phosphorylated serine, the active form of phosphatidylserine. This enhances bioavailability and helps modulate cortisol directly, which is key for managing long-term anxiety and adrenal health.
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GABAX
GABAX uses GABA to soothe your nervous system and reduce anxiety. It reduces racing thoughts and promotes relaxation, making it easier to manage stress and improve focus.
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HTPro
HTPro contains 5-HTP, which increases serotonin levels to minimize anxiety and boost mood. It also improves sleep, which is essential for emotional balance and effective anxiety management.
6. Reframe Negative Thought Patterns
People who suffer from anxiety usually overestimate danger and underestimate their ability to cope. CBT, or cognitive behavioral therapy, is a therapy technique that teaches you to reframe negative thoughts like this to something more helpful.
Here are CBT techniques to try:
- Catch the thought (I’ll never recover.”)
- Challenge it (“What’s the evidence?”)
- Change it (“Recovery is slow but possible. I’ve improved before.”)
7. Use Structured Problem-Solving
When overwhelmed, anxiety narrows your options. Structured problem-solving opens them back up.
These are the steps to structured problem-solving:
- Define the problem clearly.
- List controllable actions.
- Choose realistic solutions.
- Act, evaluate, repeat.
8. Face Your Fears Gradually
Avoidance reinforces anxiety. Exposure therapy, done step by step, trains your brain to respond differently.
This involves exposing yourself to small doses of something that activates your anxiety. For example, if you have social anxiety, it may help to start by: making a short phone call, going to the store during off-hours, or speaking up in a small group.
9. Accept and Grieve Your Losses
While grief can come from the loss of a loved one, a home, or a dream, it can also come from chronic health conditions. Adrenal fatigue often robs people of their energy, roles, and identity, which amounts to a loss of a way of life.
Ignoring how these losses affect you only prolongs emotional stress. Instead:
- Acknowledge the loss.
- Allow yourself to grieve openly.
- Work through Worden’s four tasks of grief: accept the loss, experience the pain, reconstruct meaning, and reinvest in life.
10. Build Connection and Reconnect with Purpose
Loneliness is toxic to both mental and physical health. Isolation increases inflammatory responses, delays healing, and depletes emotional reserves.
Instead, nurture connection and improve your relationships by:
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- Reaching out regularly, even when you don’t feel like it.
- Joining support groups, in-person or online.
- Revisiting activities that made you feel alive.
5-Step Recovery Plan for Anxiety and Adrenal Fatigue
If you’re battling Adrenal Fatigue, every little task can feel overwhelming, and anxiety only makes it worse.
Here is a 5-step recovery plan to help you slow down, reset, and rebuild your energy and calm:
| Step | Action Step | What You Can Do |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Identify and Track Symptoms & Triggers | Start by writing down your daily physical, mental, and emotional symptoms in a notebook. If you have energy crashes, anxiety spikes, or trouble sleeping, look for patterns. |
| 2 | Set Realistic and Gentle Goals | Choose goals that are good for your body and mind, such as getting 8 hours of sleep, going for 10-minute walks, or eating breakfast every day. Avoid perfectionism and start small. Progress is more important than speed. |
| 3 | Design a Daily Healing Routine | Set a regular wake-up and sleep time, eat healthy foods, take breaks to breathe, and spend the evenings without being connected to the internet. Stick to habits that help you feel less stressed and keep your adrenal glands in balance. |
| 4 | Create Support & Remove Stressors | Surround yourself with positive and understanding individuals. Avoid overwhelming workloads and unhealthy relationships. Take steps to increase your emotional resilience. Consider therapy, coaching, or support groups. |
| 5 | Adjust Your Mindset Over Time | Healing isn’t linear. Let go of urgency. Practice self-compassion and celebrate small wins. Learn to see setbacks as part of progress. Focus on learning to be present and avoid negative thinking. Adapt as your energy and resilience grow. |
Conclusion
While managing anxiety is challenging on its own, Adrenal Fatigue can make it even harder. Understanding how these two conditions interact is key to breaking the cycle of stress, exhaustion, and emotional overwhelm. By using proven strategies, you can reduce anxiety and support your long-term recovery.
To learn more about managing anxiety and supporting adrenal health, We offer a free, no-obligation phone consultation at +1 (626) 571-1234 where we will privately discuss your symptoms and various options.