Recognise the signs of 2020 Syndrome

No matter where you are on the planet, uncertainty and fear, restrictions and closures, health and illness have taken a toll.  The events of 2020 have brought forth and compounded a common health problem that I like to call “2020 Syndrome”.

If you are tired all day, have no motivation most days, and push yourself through your daily life only to find that you have an overthinking mind, then you may be suffering from 2020 Syndrome, or adrenal fatigue.

But why is it so important to recognize it and treat it as quickly as possible?

When you suffer daily with the previously mentioned symptoms, feel overwhelmed and aggravated by the smallest issue, and your brain can’t think because you’re trying to reach through the fog to find clarity and memory, then you can be pretty sure you are suffering from 2020 Syndrome.

You may find that you have no energy to enjoy the simple things in life anymore – things you enjoy doing like exercise, hobbies, catching up with friends. They now seem an impossible chore because the tiredness and fog are always there.

You may be having small heart palpitations now and then too. You may brush them off as something that only started happening recently.

The exhaustion runs so deep into your bones that moving and thinking is nothing more than a survival mechanism to ensure your family is cared for, your shopping and bills are attended to plus volunteer, work, and household chores are completed on time.

It’s tiring, it’s hard, it’s a drag, and you probably say to yourself, “it never used to be this hard!  What is wrong with me?”.

Do you ever say that to yourself?  Do you wonder why you feel like this?  When did it start happening?  I’ll bet it crept up on you, but you pushed through because you had to.  Maybe you lacked some vitamins. You hope the phase will pass, and you’ll feel better again, but it doesn’t, and you don’t.  You won’t until you recognise and treat it.

It’s all too common, insidious and silent, invisible, and debilitating.  It wears your nervous system down and wears down your health, motivation, happiness, and joy for life.

Years of illness, trauma, stressors, operations, accidents, and family “stuff” all build up in your adrenal glands, which sit on top of your kidneys. They make the hormone cortisol and control when it fires off and when it doesn’t.

Cortisol is your stress hormone and survival instinct activator.

Your adrenals hold most of the Vitamin C in your body and importantly, they also need a constant supply of zinc, vitamin B1, magnesium, and potassium to function correctly.

If your adrenals have been fatigued over many years they will “dump” all of those vitamins and minerals from your body, leaving you depleted and exhausted. You will find your nervous system is in a state of survival mode, and your physical body and your immune system are at ground zero.

Dizziness, a feeling of exhaustion in your muscles and joints, palpitations, irritability, sadness or weepiness, feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, yet wired at night and not sleeping, is what the 2020 Syndrome, adrenal fatigue, does to your body. If this is you, then you need to start treating it right away.

Potassium is your nerve power activator and in cases of adrenal fatigue, it is depleted.

An adult needs 4700mg of potassium – that’s one large green, leafy salad or one kale/spinach shake – a day, but most people wouldn’t get that much.

Vitamin B1 is also crucial.  It supports the nerves, cardiac function, and brain but will be depleted quickly from your body in times of stress.

Magnesium is your neuromuscular coordinator and is also essential for cardiac function and muscle relaxation. At the same time, zinc is crucial for healthy adrenal and immune system function.

Adrenal fatigue can be healed by supporting your adrenals back to good health.  Be aware of what it is, recognise it in yourself or loved ones, and see a reputable and experienced natural medicine practitioner to bring back your joy and energy for life.

 Trudy Kither is a naturopath at Nature’s Temple, Palmwoods.   Visit naturestemple.net