Stress has become an inevitable part of modern day life, whether it stems from work demands, personal challenges, or the state of the world. While short bursts of stress (acute stress) are a normal adaptive part of life, living in a constant state of overdrive, such as chronic stress can slowly drain our bodies vitality. Over time, what begins as resilience can tip into adrenal fatigue and burn out, leaving us feeling flat, foggy and disconnected.
Understanding the Stress Response
The stress response follows a clear pattern: alarm, resistance, and ultimately, if persistent, exhaustion. Over time, chronic stress pushes the body from adaptation to one of overload, increasing what’s known as, its allostatic load (the cumulative strain of physiological adjustment). This cumulative strain erodes mental clarity, disrupts digestion, hormones, immunity, and destabilises metabolism. Completely affecting major bodily functions.
At this point of exhaustion, restoration is essential. Supporting the body’s internal balance through key nourishment and mineral replenishment is key. This is where electrolytes play a major role. They assist with the regulation of the kidney-adrenal axis, restoring mineral balance depleted over time with chronic stress.
Kidney-Adrenal Axis
The adrenals are a walnut sized endocrine gland that sits on top of the kidneys. They are responsible for secreting over fifty different types of hormones that are key for regulating stress, libido, inflammation, the fight or flight response and fluid balance.
When the body perceives stress, the adrenal glands respond instantly releasing key hormones; adrenaline and cortisol - hormones behind our fight or flight response. Adrenaline increases the heart rate, urine flow and blood pressure, whilst cortisol increases circulating glucose, suppresses immune function and keeps the body on high alert. The rise of cortisol enhances the effects of aldosterone, another hormone released by the adrenal glands. These two hormones work in tandem together affecting the fluid balance influencing the retention of sodium and excretion of potassium. This causes an increased blood volume and therefore increased blood pressure. This disrupts the equilibrium of these electrolytes, which overtime can impair muscle function, nerve transmission and blood pressure control.
Consequences of Electrolyte Imbalance
If stress levels persist, adrenal function will gradually decline as it becomes overworked and exhausted. During the transition into chronic stress, the initial elevated levels of cortisol, adrenaline and aldosterone begin to drop significantly. This fall in hormones then leads to a drop in blood volume and pressure. Once again disrupting the equilibrium of electrolytes.
As a result of chronic stress, levels of sodium, potassium and magnesium become depleted. These essential electrolytes are crucial for cellular stability, muscle contraction, nutrient transportation, and energy production. When they fall out of balance symptoms such as muscle cramps, salt cravings, fatigue, irritability, brain fog, and low mood often appear. All hallmark signs of burn out and adrenal fatigue. In severe cases, symptoms such as low blood glucose and irregular heartbeats can present.
Restoring balance requires a gentle return to nourishment. Supporting hydration and mineral status is a powerful place to begin, helping the body recover at the deepest cellular level.
My Everyday Rituals to Support Hydration and Recovery
This is where Sodii’s Everyday Hydration Salts can play a powerful role. Thoughtfully formulated with a synergistic balance of sodium, potassium, and magnesium - free from unnecessary sugars and ingredients. Sodii helps the kidney-adrenal axis, restoring hydration and mineral balance depleted by chronic stress.
To further support hydration and recovery, simple daily rituals can make the world of difference:
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Begin your morning with mineral rich water - add your Sodiis Everyday Hydration Salts!
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Exposure to morning light at least 5-10minutes, after waking enhances your cortisol responsiveness
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Including hydrating foods into your diet; bone broths, cucumbers, celery, citrus, leafy greens and melons
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Ease back on caffeine and alcohol, both of which deplete your minerals and place a strain on your adrenals
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Prioritise restorative balanced meals; ensuring you are hitting your protein, fats, fibre and complex carbohydrates requirements. Ease back on sugar which only disrupts your glucose and energy levels
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Increase foods rich in B vitamins; leafy greens, nuts, seeds, whole grains, fatty fish, legumes and organ meat. B vitamins are crucial for a healthy stress response.
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Schedule time for mindful breaks; whether that's a morning routine of meditation, or an afternoon break in nature to help calm and balance your nervous system
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Choose a movement that is nourishing and supportive rather than depleting. Eg, restorative yoga, gentle Pilates, nature walks or breathwork. These styles of movement will help regulate cortisol levels.
By replenishing from within, through mindful hydration, mineral restoration, nutrition, and movement that is supportive rather than strains we begin to reclaim our energy, vitality and sense of calm. Sodii’s Everyday Hydration Salts can be the perfect ally on that journey, helping to restore equilibrium and reminding the body what balance truly feels like.
References
Wang, CY., Ou, HY. Synergistic interplay between cortisol and aldosterone: unveiling mechanisms of vascular calcification in hyperaldosteronism. Hypertens Res 48, 1231–1233 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41440-024-02071-1
Noda, M., & Matsuda, T. (2022). Central regulation of body fluid homeostasis. Proceedings of the Japan Academy. Series B, Physical and biological sciences, 98(7), 283–324. https://doi.org/10.2183/pjab.98.016
Huecker, M. R., & Dominique, E. (2023). Adrenal Insufficiency. PubMed; StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441832/
Lam, M., Lam, J., & Lam, D. (2021, December 13). An Electrolyte Imbalance In Those With Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome. Lam Clinic. https://lamclinic.com/articles/electrolyte-imbalance-and-adrenal-fatigue-syndrome/
Petrowski, K., Buehrer, S., Niedling, M., & Schmalbach, B. (2020). The effects of light exposure on the cortisol stress response in human males. Stress, 24(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1080/10253890.2020.1741543
Thau, L., Gandhi, J., & Sharma, S. (2023, August 28). Physiology, Cortisol. National Library of Medicine; StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538239/