Treatment of chronic stress and adrenal fatigue usually requires more than just "relaxing". Taking a holistic approach, it's possible to improve your adrenal and nervous system function, and rebalance the various emotional, hormonal and neurological systems that are under stress and contributing to your adrenal fatigue.

Chronic stress affects your hormone levels, increasing your levels of cortisol and decreasing your levels of DHEA. This can lead to mood changes, ill health and weight gain, especially tummy fat.

Some lifestyle tips to help overcome chronic stress:

• Avoid the use of stimulants such as coffee, MSG, smoking etc
• Stretching regularly, taking up pilates or yoga, or deep breathing for a count of ten.
• Talking to friends or having a good laugh.
• Getting a good night's sleep, drinking herbal teas like chamomile or lemon balm.
• Meditation is a great way to lower physical and mental stress.
• Massage can stretch tissues, increase your range of motion, help lower blood pressure and heart rate, improve breathing and be helpful in eliminating the build up of lactic-acids in muscles and waste products because it aids blood and lymph circulation.
• Think about how you relate to stress. You might record your current stressors and rate your stress level on a scale of 1 to 10, or simply low, medium or high. Learn to recognise your body's stress signals. Common signals include: irritability, lack of concentration, mood swings, fatigue and digestive problems.
• Identify those situations and people, which can trigger stress. Until you learn to cope better with stress, consider avoiding these triggers. You cannot avoid every trigger, but you do not have to invite them into your life.
• Find ways to accept and manage any stressful situations you cannot eliminate from your life. Do not waste energy trying to change things that cannot be changed.
• Simply talking to friends, family and partners can ease stress. If you do not feel that you have anyone you can or want to talk to, a trained counsellor may help you to get in touch with your feelings and give you tips on how to deal with stress.
• Try not to be a perfectionist. Let those dishes sit for a while longer, wear clothes that are comfortable, don't drive in the rush hour, return that call tomorrow.
• Take regular exercise to reduce stress and boost your energy. Just 10 or 20 minutes a day will help speed your metabolism and balance your hormones. Your lifestyle, diet and stress levels all contribute to the amount of DHEA your body can produce in a given period.
• Set aside time to relax every day no matter what.
• One proven way to boost levels of DHEA naturally is to find ways to cultivate joy in your life.
• Focus on what is truly meaningful to you and who you really are.

I know none of this is easy to do in today's non-stop world. Everything around us pushes us to have more, do more, be more — is it any wonder your body eventually throws up a huge stop sign? The best time to foster hormonal balance, adequate DHEA levels and healthy adrenals is before you hit that stop sign. So give yourself a time-out and check-in. You may find, with a little help, your body and mind are more than capable of taking care of themselves.

A qualified naturopath can help you treat chronic stress naturally using natural supplements, herbs and advising on lifestyle improvements. Click here to take my free hormonal health test and see if you are suffering the effects of chronic stress, adrenal burnout, hormonal imbalance and weight gain.