Dr Libby: Already Exhausted? Here’s Why And How To Heal Your Stressed Body

Recovering from the cycle of stress and exhaustion starts with recognising the signs, and taking deliberate steps to help your body heal, writes Dr Libby Weaver.

Have you ever wondered how you ended up so exhausted? Maybe it feels like one day you just woke up and the energy you once had was gone. You’re not alone in feeling this way. For so many people, that deep, unrelenting fatigue creeps in slowly, almost without warning, until it feels like your body has hit a wall. Yet exhaustion doesn’t happen overnight - it’s often the result of a long journey through relentless stress that your body hasn’t had the chance to recover from.

Here’s the thing: not all stress is bad. Some stress, known as eustress, is actually beneficial. Imagine a gymnast training for years to achieve incredible strength and precision. Those muscles didn’t grow without some serious effort and stress. But the key difference with eustress is balance. After periods of intense training, there’s rest and recovery, giving the body the chance to adapt and grow stronger. Eustress doesn’t just apply to physical challenges either. It’s the kind of stress that pushes us to meet deadlines, achieve goals, or conquer a personal challenge - so long as we get the chance to rest before the next wave of stress hits.

The problem arises when stress becomes constant and unrelenting. Instead of pushing us to grow, it starts to wear us down. Chronic stress feels like an endless cycle, and it can impact every part of your life - your energy, mood, digestion, sleep and even your hormones. So how does stress move from something helpful to something that leaves you feeling completely drained? It all comes down to what’s happening inside your body. Let’s take a closer look at the three stages of stress and how they can lead us to exhaustion.

The alarm phase

In the alarm phase, your body responds to stress by releasing adrenaline, the hormone designed to prepare you for immediate action. Historically, adrenaline was our survival tool. It gave us the energy and focus to escape danger. These days, however, most of the things triggering adrenaline aren’t life-threatening. Caffeine, looming deadlines, running late for meetings, or worrying about what someone thought of a text you sent - these are the modern-day culprits. Unlike the quick bursts of adrenaline our ancestors experienced, today’s stressors keep adrenaline elevated for long periods, disrupting digestion, increasing heart rate and blood pressure, and driving inflammation.

The high cortisol phase

When adrenaline has been high for too long, the body tries to protect itself by shifting into the high cortisol phase. Cortisol is your long-term stress hormone, designed to keep inflammation in check. While cortisol is helpful in moderation, chronically elevated levels can cause issues like body fat gain, muscle loss and problems with blood sugar and immunity. At this point, your body is no longer just dealing with adrenaline - it’s now trying to keep up with cortisol demands too. Some people can remain in this state for years, running on fumes without even realising it.

The inadequate cortisol phase

How to recover from stress and exhaustion

So, how do we recover from this cycle of stress and exhaustion? It starts with recognising the signs, identifying which stage you’re in and taking deliberate steps to help your body heal – which it has an infinite capacity to do. This means supporting your body with good nutrition and rest, and medicinal herbs can be highly beneficial too. It also requires addressing the root causes of your stress. What are the pressures you’re carrying? Can you change your perspective, adjust your actions, the way you think, or create space for rest? Even small changes can make a big difference.

Recovery doesn’t happen overnight, but it’s entirely possible to move from exhaustion to thriving. When you allow your body to rest and reset, you’ll start to notice positive changes – not just in your energy levels, but in your clarity, resilience and overall sense of wellbeing. Your body is designed to adapt and heal and with the right support, you can feel like yourself again. It’s not just about managing stress; it’s about reclaiming your vitality and remembering what it feels like to truly thrive and allowing your actions to align with that.

Remember too that there are countless other reasons beyond stress that may be contributing to why we might be feeling exhausted. It could be the result of ongoing lousy sleep, a nutrient deficiency – like iron – which is critical for energy, or hormonal imbalances. Finding the road in is essential as that will be the key to finding the road out. Start to listen to your body and treat that exhaustion as a signal rather than a failure.

Your fatigue is your body’s way of asking for something – rest, nourishment, more inner balance, a fresh purpose, or support. When you take the time to explore the why behind your exhaustion, you can begin to make meaningful changes, reclaim your energy and start feeling more like yourself again. The journey to recovery may require effort, but the rewards - resilience, clarity and a renewed sense of wellbeing – are well worth it.

Dr Libby Weaver PhD is a nutritional biochemist, 13 times bestselling author and international keynote speaker. For more on supporting yourself through stressful periods visit Drlibby.com

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