<aside> <img src="/icons/light-bulb_brown.svg" alt="/icons/light-bulb_brown.svg" width="40px" /> The endocrine system is a complex network of glands and organs that uses hormones to control bodily functions including metabolism, energy level, reproduction, growth and development, and response to injury, stress, mood, and more.

When glands produce too much or not enough hormones, this can alter your state of health and alignment.

Inside the brain, the hypothalamus controls the entire endocrine system using information from your nervous system, the pituitary gland senses when your hormone levels rise and tells glands to stop producing or releasing hormones accordingly, and the pineal gland receives information about your sleep-wake cycle and produces and secretes melatonin.

The thyroid (in the front of your neck) is responsible for your metabolism, and the parathyroid controls calcium levels in the body for optimal heart, kidney, bone, and nervous system function.

In women, ovaries release the sex hormones estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, and in men testes make sperm and release the testosterone.

The pancreas plays an essential role digestive function, producing enzymes that break down food and signalling your stomach to empty, in addition to producing insulin that control blood sugar levels—sending glucose to the cells (to be used) and the liver (to be stored).

Adrenal glands (one on top of each kidney) regulate metabolism, immunity, blood pressure, stress, and other essential functions.

"Ben what are you getting at?"

We've discussed neurotransmitter burnout, now I'm building a picture as to how we get hormonally burnt out. Specifically though what's called the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.

To be clear, the case is still open to determine the relationship between the HPA axis and burnout (source, likewise the concept of adrenal fatigue (source/source.

Usually before a period of burnout comes a phase where one feels like superman, unbreakable and on a mission, whilst beneath the surface your adrenal glands are over-producing adrenaline, noradrenaline, and cortisol, your stress hormones, once again to help you survive and thrive in this state.

[This is the yelow box as seen in the figure below:]

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<aside> <img src="/icons/light-bulb_brown.svg" alt="/icons/light-bulb_brown.svg" width="40px" /> Much like your neurotransmitters (only naturally) your body can only sustain this state for so long before you are tapped out and cortisol levels come tumbling down. [the orange box in the figure]

Before long, you enter a period of burnout/exhaustion where cortisol levels are far below baseline. [The red box in the figure]

The first sign I see in clients to indiciate that they have arrived in this state is caffeine no longer stimulates them (since your body is no longer able to produce cortisol), and in cases makes them even more tired, or waking up becomes difficult (since cortisol is the hormone produced in the morning to help you wake).

You've been side-lined. Your cortisol fuelled superhero phase is over and the further you push the harder it will be to return to a state of balance. For balance to be found, space must be created to re-enter homeostasis (with cortisol levels naturally risen to the optimal level). [The green box in the figure]

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