The Adrenal Reset: Recovering from a Busy Summer (Without Crashing)
Summer often brings long days, disrupted routines, more socializing, and extra stress—even if it’s “fun stress.” By the time August rolls around, many of us feel wired and tired, unable to fall asleep easily or get up without hitting snooze three times.
If you’re feeling burned out, sluggish, or emotionally drained, your adrenal system may be asking for help. In functional medicine, we call this HPA axis dysregulation—a spectrum of stress-related imbalance that affects everything from energy and mood to hormones, digestion, and immune health.
Here’s how to gently reset your adrenals and recover from an overstimulated summer — before the fall chaos begins.
What Are the Adrenals (and Why Should You Care)?
Your adrenal glands sit above your kidneys and release critical hormones like cortisol, adrenaline, and aldosterone. These help regulate:
Stress response
Blood sugar
Energy levels
Blood pressure
Sleep-wake cycle
Immune and inflammatory balance
When stress becomes chronic—even low-level, like juggling travel, disrupted sleep, alcohol, heat, and late nights—your adrenal function can become imbalanced. This doesn’t always show up as disease but can lead to symptoms like:
Fatigue (especially morning)
Brain fog
Sugar or salt cravings
Sleep disturbances
Mood swings or anxiety
Low motivation
Step 1: Nourish with Adrenal-Supportive Foods
Summer indulgence often means more alcohol, sugar, processed snacks, and less routine. Now’s the time to reintroduce foods that stabilize blood sugar and replenish key nutrients depleted by stress.
Adrenal-friendly foods include:
Leafy greens (rich in magnesium and folate)
Pasture-raised eggs and quality protein (support neurotransmitter balance)
Avocados, olives, and coconut (healthy fats to reduce inflammation)
Bone broth and sea salt (help stabilize sodium-potassium balance)
Berries, sweet potatoes, and beets (antioxidants + slow-burning carbs)
Avoid skipping meals or extreme fasting. Eating every 3–4 hours can help regulate cortisol and blood sugar.
Step 2: Try Gentle Adaptogens
Adaptogens are herbs that help your body adapt to stress and restore balance to the HPA axis.
Some of the most researched include:
Ashwagandha – calms anxiety and helps lower elevated cortisol
Rhodiola rosea – boosts mental clarity and energy
Holy basil (Tulsi) – supports immunity and stress response
Licorice root – may help increase cortisol if it's too low (monitor with practitioner)
These are best used under practitioner guidance, especially if you have blood pressure issues or are on medications.
Step 3: Reset Your Sleep-Wake Rhythm
Late nights and long daylight hours can disrupt circadian rhythm, affecting your cortisol patterns and melatonin production. This leads to insomnia, morning grogginess, and metabolic issues.
Tips to restore natural rhythm:
Get outside within 30 minutes of waking (natural light resets your internal clock)
Avoid screens 1 hour before bed—blue light suppresses melatonin
Use magnesium glycinate or L-theanine to calm the nervous system at night
Establish a consistent bedtime (even on weekends)
Aim for 7–9 hours of high-quality sleep. No supplement can outdo poor rest.
Step 4: Move Gently (Not Excessively)
Overexercising (especially high-intensity) can spike cortisol in already-depleted systems. During adrenal reset, opt for nervous-system-friendly movement:
Walking in nature
Yoga or Pilates
Mobility or resistance bands
Dancing or gentle cardio
Stretching with breathwork
This helps reduce cortisol without draining your reserves.
Step 5: Replenish Nutrients Depleted by Stress
Chronic stress burns through critical nutrients like:
Magnesium – helps calm the nervous system and reduce muscle tension
Vitamin C – concentrated in adrenal tissue and vital for cortisol production
B Vitamins (especially B5, B6, and B12) – support energy, brain health, and neurotransmitters
Electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium) – especially important after sweating, travel, and alcohol
You can replenish through whole foods and supplements, especially if you’re feeling run down.
The Functional Takeaway
Feeling off after summer isn’t a personal failure—it’s your body signaling that it needs regulation and rest. By supporting your adrenals with targeted nutrition, lifestyle, and rhythm, you can reset before burnout becomes something bigger.
Healing doesn’t require perfection. It starts with small, intentional steps that add up over time.
Need Help Supporting Your Stress Response?
At MotherRoot, we offer adrenal testing (salivary or DUTCH panels), personalized nutrition plans, and supplement protocols to help you recover your energy—naturally.
This information should never substitute medical advice or go against any professional medical recommendations. It is important to seek guidance from qualified healthcare providers for personalized care tailored to your unique health needs. Integrative approaches can enhance well-being, but they should always complement, not replace, traditional medical advice and treatment plans. Listening to your body and consulting with professionals is paramount in maintaining a balanced approach to health and wellness.
American Psychological Association. (2021). Stress effects on the body. https://www.apa.org/topics/stress/body
Cleveland Clinic. (2022). Adrenal fatigue: Is it real? https://health.clevelandclinic.org/adrenal-fatigue/
Institute for Functional Medicine. (n.d.). Stress and the HPA axis. https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/stress-and-hpa-axis-dysregulation/
Mayo Clinic. (2023). Adaptogens: What they are and how they work. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/expert-answers/adaptogens/faq-20456758
National Institutes of Health. (2023). Vitamin C: Fact sheet for health professionals. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-HealthProfessional/
Shields, G. S., Spahr, C. M., & Slavich, G. M. (2020). Psychosocial interventions and immune system function: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. JAMA Psychiatry, 77(10), 1031–1043. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.0431
