Preparing For Theme Parks with Adrenal Fatigue

One of the special events that you may be looking forward to is spending time at an amusement park, especially with Summer coming around the corner. Whether your travel plans include a few days at Disney, Six Flags, or a local carnival, preparing for theme parks can make your day much more fun. A day full of new sights and relaxation, while avoiding possible problems, awaits you with good planning. As you continue to find healing for your adrenal fatigue symptoms, a day away from home might just be the ticket to greater healing, if done in the right way.

Adrenal Fatigue: A Simple Overview

Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome (AFS) is a combination of many symptoms that show your body is struggling to deal with the stressors of life. When the body has a bad day or is exposed to illnesses, the NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) Stress Response is triggered. This is a holistic body response using many systems, including the hormone, inflammation, cardionomic, and neuroaffect circuits, to help the body deal with that it is facing. It responds with hormones, like cortisol, to keep the body at a homeostatic level.

The NEM response can speed up your heart, slow down your digestion, make you very alert, and speed up your breathing to get you ready to face what is stressing you out.

If the body cannot recover from stress, it may begin to respond with vague symptoms such as unusual tiredness, depression-like feelings, and unexpected allergies to foods that are new. The more you are able to deal with the root causes of AFS, the sooner healing can begin.

It helps to keep this in mind as you begin preparing for theme parks and plan your activities accordingly. No one wants a very stressful theme park trip, but especially with AFS, it is better to plan a more relaxing day than a very active one.

Check With Yourself

As you begin to make your preparations or buy tickets, check in with yourself to make sure your plans are something your body can handle. Consider some essential questions such as:

• What energy levels do you have at various times of the day?
• Are you an early bird or a late riser?
• What will the weather forecast be during these times?
• Will you be traveling in a large group or a small one?
• How far will you have to walk?
• Can you get a motorized wheelchair to help with excessive distances?
• Will you be able to bring drinks and snacks with you, or will you only be able to eat what is offered in the park?
• What kind of resting options do you have?
• Is shade from the sun readily available?
• Are quiet areas available to rest?

As tempting as it can be to try to fit in as much as possible in each day, make sure you plan to give yourself plenty of rest periods throughout the day. Taking some quiet time will help you enjoy your trip much more.

Also, ask yourself how you are really feeling about your trip while preparing for theme parks. Make sure you are doing what your body is able to do and not saying yes just to please family and friends. Sometimes family members may be encouraging you to do an event, but it is best if you stop and think about how you will feel after several hours there. You may also want to consider anything that might cause you anxiety while there, and come up with a plan for responding, should any problems occur.

Relax with Healing Breathing Exercises

Before heading out for your busy day at the theme park, plan twenty minutes to do Adrenal Breathing Exercises (ABE).

ABE is a simple exercise that calms your body down and allows it to relax. This can be done anywhere, but it is best when it is done in a quiet place where you will not be disturbed. Here is how it is done:

• Slowly take a breath in. Allow your stomach to expand, and feel your middle-upper abdomen rise (you can put your hand just slightly above your belly button to help feel your breath).
• Gently inhale until you feel complete. Allow the air to fill the lower lungs and then the upper lungs. You don’t need to overfill them.
• Begin to exhale and let the breath out slowly. As you do, relax the muscles in your shoulders, body, and face.
• Notice how the wave of relaxation gives your body a gentle moment of rest.
• When you feel ready, repeat the cycle.
• Note: This exercise is intended to be a restful time to give your body the strength it needs to recharge itself. You do not want to dramatically alter your breathing pattern, which could make you feel lightheaded or short of breath. This is a gentle exercise and should feel good.

ABEs can (and should) be done multiple times throughout your day. Some of the best times that will help you while you are preparing for theme parks would be while you are riding in the car, resting in the shade, during quieter times such as waiting in line, or waiting for a concert or a parade to start, and on the ride home. It would be helpful for you to plan to do this at least four or five times throughout the day. They can help a great deal with staying relaxed and reducing stress.

Preparing for Theme Parks: Tips for Success

In addition to all the excellent planning and ABE, some other great tips that will keep your day relaxing are:

• Let other family and friends do the heavy prep work for the trip.
• Let someone else drive.
• Bring an empty insulated water bottle and fill it up in the park.
• Wear a broad-brimmed hat and lightly colored long sleeves.
• Stay in the shade as much as possible.
• Bring a golf-sized umbrella (UV protected) to keep the sun off you.
• Let your family wait in long lines and text you when they’re close to the end.
• Bring healthy snacks (such as hummus and veggies, tree nut butter and apples, dried blueberries) to keep your blood sugar at proper levels.
• Plan to ignore the food vendors to avoid the fatty and processed foods.
• Remind yourself that just being present and watching the activities is okay.

The last point, reminding yourself to enjoy being present, is so critical when preparing for theme parks. It’s tempting to try all the high-octane activities, like hurtling around on a roller coaster ride, gorging on funnel cakes, and rocking out all night at a concert. But right now, the reality may be that your body is not up for it.

The most important thing is setting realistic expectations of your day away. The more you can know what you are able to do, in advance, will help you make the most of your time at the theme park and increase your healing.

Just being present with your family and watching the activities may be the best thing for you right now, and it is a quiet way of enjoying the theme park that can protect your health in the long run. Try to focus on being grateful and appreciating where you are. By keeping your expectations at a level closer to what your body can handle, you will be able to enjoy your day even more.

Restful Recuperation

When you are preparing for theme parks, the thing most people forget is the day after the event. The excitement building up to the event and enjoying the time out makes the next day feel boring. You may have feelings of sadness and disappointment now that the event is over. You may feel really tired. These feelings are normal, and there is nothing wrong with having them. The more you can accept them, the more you can allow them to pass.

The day after should be a day of restful recuperation. As you let yourself get extra sleep and continue to do ABE, the easier it will be to return back to your regular schedule.

Conclusion

A day away from your usual activities may just be the thing that helps you feel better. By preparing for theme parks adequately with the right balance of excitement and rest, healthy snacks and water, shade and quietness, you can help the healing process by giving yourself a pleasant change of pace. So go out there! Make some memories with your family and friends and find healing in a wonderful day.