The HPA Axis: Your Body’s Stress Symphony (and How to Keep It in Harmony) By Carli Kilgore

When we talk about stress, adrenal fatigue, burnout, or even hormonal imbalances, there’s one key system at the center of it all: the HPA Axis. Think of it as your body’s stress conductor—quietly orchestrating how you respond to the world around you, minute by minute, day by day.

But what is the HPA axis exactly, and why does it matter so much for your health and healing?

Let’s dive in.

💡 What is the HPA Axis?

The HPA axis stands for the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal axis. It's a dynamic communication network between three major glands:

• Hypothalamus (in the brain) – The control center, sensing changes and sending out the first signal.
  

• Pituitary gland (also in the brain) – The messenger, receiving signals from the hypothalamus and directing the adrenal glands.
  

• Adrenal glands (on top of the kidneys) – The doers, releasing cortisol and other stress hormones in response to the signals they receive.
  

This trio works together to manage your stress response, regulate energy, influence your immune system, control blood pressure, and even affect digestion and mood.

🧠 Stress & the HPA Axis: A Delicate Balance

Your HPA axis is beautifully designed to help you survive a threat—a lion chasing you, a car cutting you off, or a big work presentation. In short bursts, cortisol (your primary stress hormone) is adaptive. It sharpens your mind, raises your blood sugar, and readies your muscles.

But here’s the catch…

Chronic, unrelenting stress—from deadlines, poor sleep, toxic relationships, blood sugar dips, overtraining, or even inflammation—keeps this system "on" all the time. That’s when problems start.

🛑 What Happens When the HPA Axis Goes Off Track?

When your HPA axis is chronically activated, it starts to misfire. Over time, this can lead to what's often called HPA axis dysregulation (formerly known as adrenal fatigue). It’s not that your adrenals are “tired,” but rather the entire communication loop is off.

Symptoms can include:

• Fatigue (especially in the morning or mid-afternoon)
  

• Difficulty sleeping (wired but tired at night)
  

• Cravings for salt, sugar, or caffeine
  

• Anxiety or feeling "on edge"
  

• Brain fog and poor memory
  

• Low libido
  

• Hormonal imbalances (e.g., PMS, irregular periods, low testosterone)
  

• Immune dysfunction (frequent colds or autoimmunity)
  

Sound familiar?

🔍 Getting to the Root: What’s Driving Your HPA Dysregulation?

As a root cause practitioner, we don’t just look at symptoms—we ask why. What’s behind the HPA imbalance?

Here are common contributors:

• Emotional stress – trauma, grief, work overload, perfectionism
  

• Inflammation – gut issues, infections, toxins, food sensitivities
  

• Blood sugar imbalances – skipping meals, sugar highs and crashes
  

• Poor sleep quality – not just hours, but restorative sleep
  

• Circadian rhythm disruption – blue light at night, shift work, irregular schedules
  

• Overtraining or under-recovery – especially in women and high achievers
  

🛠 How to Rewire and Support Your HPA Axis (Naturally)

Healing the HPA axis is not about popping an adaptogen and hoping for the best. It's about creating safety in the body, consistency in your rhythms, and reconnection with your body’s needs.

Here’s where we start:

1. Nourish Regularly & Stabilize Blood Sugar

• Eat balanced meals with protein, fat, and fiber
  

• Ditch intermittent fasting if you're burnt out—it’s not for everyone
  

• Keep snacks handy (especially if you crash mid-morning or mid-afternoon)
  
  

2. Prioritize Deep, Restorative Sleep

• Get morning sunlight to anchor your circadian rhythm
  

• Shut down screens an hour before bed
  

• Consider magnesium, glycine, or calming herbs (under guidance)
  
  

3. Embrace Nervous System Regulation

• Breathwork, meditation, somatic practices, EFT, or yoga
  

• Even 10 minutes a day can shift your state from “fight or flight” to “rest and repair”
  

4. Honor Your Energy Cycles

• Match your workouts to your energy (hint: not every day needs to be high-intensity)
  

• Build in true rest days—guilt-free
  

5. Use Targeted Supplementation (When Needed)

• Adaptogens like ashwagandha, rhodiola, holy basil
  

• Nutrients like B vitamins, vitamin C, magnesium, and electrolytes
  

• Functional testing to tailor support (e.g., DUTCH test, salivary cortisol)

❤️ Final Thoughts: Your Body Wants to Heal

The HPA axis isn’t broken—it’s adaptive. It’s doing its best to protect you based on the signals it’s receiving. When you begin to shift those inputs—physically, emotionally, environmentally—you help your body feel safe again.

And from that place of safety, healing becomes not just possible—but inevitable.

Ready to rebalance your HPA axis and reclaim your energy?

Let’s work together to get to the root and build resilience from the inside out.

Want to learn more about Stress Reset? 

Watch this podcast on Youtube about 

The Stress Reset Protocol: How to Calm Your Brain & Body for Good

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https://youtu.be/5oe9vOT5ubc

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Trauma & Unresolved Stress Keep You Stuck in Freeze Mode

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The Stress Response: Your Body’s Alarm System (And How to Make Peace With It)

Let’s talk about stress—not the kind that’s just about deadlines and traffic jams (though yes, those count), but the kind that gets under your skin. The stress that lives in your body long after the chaos has passed. The stress that keeps you up at night and follows you through your day like a shadow.

Stress is a part of being human. It’s not your enemy. In fact, your stress response is one of your greatest survival tools. But like any tool, it can either serve you… or run the show. And when stress runs the show, everything else—your digestion, your sleep, your focus, your relationships—gets hijacked.

So let’s take a compassionate, root-level look at what stress really is, how it works, and how to come back into balance.

🌪 The Science of Stress: A Quick & Human Look

Your stress response is your body's internal alarm system. When it senses a threat—real or perceived—it sends out a 911 call from your brain (specifically the amygdala), alerting your nervous system. Cortisol and adrenaline flood your system, your heart rate speeds up, your muscles tense, and your digestion pauses.

This is brilliant in short bursts—if you’re running from a bear or giving a big presentation. But your nervous system doesn’t know the difference between a bear and an inbox full of unread emails, or between physical danger and emotional conflict.

This means that many of us are walking around with our stress switch stuck in the “on” position. That’s where the trouble starts.

🔍 The Root Cause Perspective: Stress is a Signal

As a root cause practitioner, I always ask: Why is the body reacting this way? What deeper imbalance or unmet need is driving this stress response?

Often, chronic stress is not just about what’s happening to you—it’s about what’s happening inside you:

• Is your nervous system dysregulated from past trauma?

• Is your body depleted of key nutrients that help you stay resilient?

• Are you caught in a pattern of overgiving, overthinking, or under-receiving?

• Are you disconnected from your values, your breath, your body?
  

Stress isn’t always about the thing—it’s about the story underneath the thing.

🛠 Rewriting the Stress Story: From Survival to Safety

Here’s the beautiful part: your body is wired for healing. The same system that turns stress on can also turn it off. It just needs the right signals.

Here’s what helps bring your nervous system back into balance:

1. Safe Connection:
The opposite of stress isn’t calm—it’s safety. Deep, co-regulating connection (with others or even with nature) sends your brain the message: “You’re okay. You’re not alone.”

2. Breath & Body Awareness:
Slow, intentional breathing isn’t a trend—it’s a tool. It literally tells your vagus nerve to shift out of “fight-or-flight” and into “rest-and-digest.” Movement, touch, and somatic practices help too.

3. Restoring Foundations:
Your body’s ability to handle stress depends on what I call the “foundational four”: sleep, nutrition, blood sugar balance, and gut health. You can’t regulate your mind if your body is running on empty.

4. Inner Listening:
Stress often signals that a part of you is feeling unseen or unheard. Journaling, therapy, or quiet self-reflection can help you decode the deeper message.

5. Boundaries & Beliefs:
Healing your stress response may mean letting go of old beliefs like “I have to do it all” or “Rest is lazy.” That’s brave work. It’s root work.

❤️ You’re Not Broken—You’re Wired for Survival

If you’ve been feeling chronically stressed, please hear this: there’s nothing wrong with you. Your body is doing exactly what it was designed to do—keep you safe. But you’re allowed to rewrite the rules. You’re allowed to move from survival mode into a life that feels spacious, safe, and supported.

Stress isn’t the enemy—it’s a messenger. And when you listen with compassion, it can lead you back home to yourself.

Want to learn more about Stress Reset? 

Watch this podcast on Youtube about 

The Stress Reset Protocol: How to Calm Your Brain & Body for Good

👇👇👇

https://youtu.be/5oe9vOT5ubc

Check our Instagram post:

👇👇👇

Trauma & Unresolved Stress Keep You Stuck in Freeze Mode

https://www.instagram.com/p/DITsWcLpjKC/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==