Reset Your Stress: Holistic Doctor’s Advice On How To Restore Balance And Rebuild Resilience

We’re thrilled to be working with Dr Nirusha Kumaran, a GP and functional medicine expert, recently listed on the SheerLuxe SL Directory of Hormone Specialists. London-based GP, Dr Kumaran merges traditional GP expertise, with functional, longevity and lifestyle medicine which provides root cause care to help people feel vibrant, balanced and well at every stage of life.

Here, Dr Kumaran gives an insight on a trending topic from her current practice: the impact of stress on our lives today.

“At one level, we all know that we’re doing too much – and yet on another, we fail to recognise that our “always-on” lifestyle is putting our physical, mental and emotional wellbeing at risk. Since the lull of the Covid years, “busy-ness” has crept back into our lives and many people are “cramming in” activity on an almost constant basis. From work, to studying, side-hustles and social lives we’re stretching ourselves to the limit – even our exercise and wellness activity is heavily scheduled and monitored. Add in the “noise” of social media that is now the backdrop to many of our lives, and it’s no wonder that we’re struggling to cope with the demands of modern life.”

“In my practice, I’m seeing more and more patients who are reporting feeling stressed, tired and often overwhelmed. What’s interesting is that many people are bewildered as to why they are feeling “out of kilter” as they don’t view their schedules as anything out of the ordinary. People are surprised when I advise them they are actually suffering from chronic stress, and that they are at risk from developing burnout, unless they adopt some of the guiding principles of personalised medicine. By identifying and addressing the root causes of stress (from genetics to environment and lifestyle), we can create a preventative approach with simple steps, like improving nutrition, sleep and exercise, to optimise the body’s natural healing capacity.”

“If we’re not able to create practical coping strategies and continue to live in a state of chronic stress, then we leave ourselves open to being overwhelmed and tipping over into burnout. Many people are on a “knife edge”, with any number of triggers such as a relationship breakup, a change in finances or a bereavement leading to burnout – which can cripple the body physically and mentally and leave you unable to function.”

What is cortisol and why does it matter?

Cortisol is a hormone produced by our adrenal glands that plays a crucial role in regulating various bodily functions, including metabolism, blood pressure and the immune system. We refer to it as the “stress hormone” because its levels rise when you experience stress, alongside adrenaline, triggering the body’s “fight-or-flight” response. In evolutionary terms, this bodily reaction is designed to protect us against predators or other aggressors. While this type of threat (i.e. being chased by a bear!) is rare today, we are still activating this process but in response to everyday demands such as work pressures, email inbox overload, reactions to social media, global news, childcare, financial worries and family conflict. While cortisol is vital for managing stress in the short term, prolonged elevated cortisol levels due to chronic stress can lead to various negative health effects. For example, raised cortisol levels can lead to increased inflammation which negatively impacts vital bodily functions such as our cognitive, immune, digestive and reproductive systems.

For more information on how functional medicine can help to moderate cortisol and manage stress visit www.drkumaran.com