Stress and mental health.
Located at the top of the kidneys are the adrenal glands. This is where our stress hormones are produced and released into the bloodstream to circulate the body.
When our stress response is triggered, the brain signals the adrenal glands to release the stress hormones.
The main stress hormone, cortisol, works to pause other systems in the body such as the immune system, to preserve as much energy as possible (ready for fight or flight).
When we experience stress for prolonged periods of time, the stress hormones begin to create unbalance within the body, impacting our mental wellbeing.