The Happy Livin - Stress & Nervous System Stack

Strategic timing based on how your nervous system and cortisol work throughout the day.

Morning (Viva Vagus + Peace):

• Sets baseline capacity for the day (nervous system foundation)
• Activates parasympathetic before stress hits (proactive, not reactive)
• Replenishes minerals when absorption is optimized (fasting state overnight)
• Vagus nerve + minerals work synergistically (vagus can't function without adequate magnesium)
• Establishes neurotransmitter production (serotonin, dopamine made throughout day)

Afternoon (Shine) 12-3pm:

• Cortisol SHOULD peak naturally in morning (8-9am) → This is healthy and necessary
• Taking adaptogens too early blunts this peak → Reduces natural awakening response
• Cortisol should decline 12-6pm → In burnout, it either stays elevated OR crashes
• Shine regulates this afternoon decline → Prevents crash or sustained elevation
• Supports proper evening drop → Allows sleep 8-10 hours later

The science: Your body has natural cortisol rhythm. We work WITH it, not against it. Morning = activate nervous system. Afternoon = regulate stress hormones. Together = complete 24-hour restoration.

What if I forget afternoon dose? Still take it if before 4pm. After 4pm, skip it (too close to bedtime, may interfere with evening cortisol drop).

You definitely CAN! Everyone is different whats important is finding what works best for you!

The vagus nerve is the master switch for your nervous system and burnout shuts it off.

What the vagus nerve is:

• Longest cranial nerve (runs from brainstem to colon)
• 10th cranial nerve (wandering nerve "vagus" means "wanderer" in Latin)
• Information superhighway between brain and body
• 90% of signals go gut → brain (only 10% brain → gut)

What it controls:

• Heart rate and blood pressure
• Digestion and gut function (rest-and-digest activation)
• Inflammation regulation (cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway)
• Emotional regulation and social engagement
• Stress response (brake pedal on fight-or-flight)
• Sleep and recovery capacity

Vagus nerve tone = measure of nervous system health.

High vagal tone (healthy):
✅ Can activate "rest and digest" mode
✅ Digestion works properly
✅ Inflammation controlled
✅ Emotional resilience
✅ Handle stress without depleting
✅ High heart rate variability (HRV)

Low vagal tone (burnout):
❌ Stuck in fight-or-flight 24/7
❌ Digestion shuts down (IBS, bloating)
❌ Chronic inflammation
❌ Emotional dysregulation (anxiety, panic)
❌ Can't rest even when trying
❌ Low HRV (objective measure of poor nervous system health)

In burnout, your vagus nerve essentially "goes offline":

• Your body loses the ability to activate parasympathetic mode
• You're stuck in sympathetic dominance (fight-or-flight)
• Even when you rest, your body can't switch into repair mode
• This is why "just relax" doesn't work your nervous system physically can't

Viva Vagus reactivates this master switch:

• Compounds that stimulate vagal pathways
• Gut-brain axis support (gut is where vagus nerve is densest)
• Parasympathetic activation (body can rest, digest, repair again)
• Inflammatory reflex activation (vagus signals immune system to calm down)

You can measure this: Get a wearable that tracks HRV (heart rate variability). Low HRV = low vagal tone. As you restore vagal tone, HRV improves. Objective proof of nervous system healing.

Bottom line: If your vagus nerve isn't working, nothing else works. This is why Viva Vagus is foundational to burnout recovery.

Adaptogens are REGULATORY, not suppressive they bring LOW cortisol UP and HIGH cortisol DOWN.

This is the magic of adaptogens they're intelligent.

The two cortisol patterns in burnout:

Pattern 1: Chronically Elevated (Wired & Tired)

• Cortisol stays high all day/night
• Can't relax, can't sleep
• Anxious, irritable, on edge
• Body stuck in stress mode 24/7

Pattern 2: Adrenal Fatigue (Crashed Cortisol)

• Cortisol tanks (too low)
• Can't get out of bed
• Zero stress tolerance
• Crave caffeine and sugar desperately
• Flat emotional affect

Both patterns are dysregulation. Both need fixing.

How adaptogens work (not like drugs):

Drugs:

• Stimulants (force cortisol/adrenaline up) → Crash harder later
• Sedatives (suppress cortisol) → Dependence, tolerance

Adaptogens:

• Assess your body's state (via cellular signaling)
• Bring HIGH cortisol down (if elevated)
• Bring LOW cortisol up (if crashed)
• Restore healthy rhythm (high morning, low evening)

It's regulatory, not directional.

Everyone is different it is always a good practice to check in with your health care practitioner if on any medication and making any changes to your dietary routine.

The stack is designed to support your depleated nutrients, but lifestyle changes accelerate and sustain results.

Harsh truth: If you continue the behaviors that caused burnout, you'll re-deplete even with supplementation.

What the stack does:
✅ Replenishes minerals stress burned through
✅ Activates parasympathetic nervous system
✅ Regulates cortisol rhythm
✅ Restores neurotransmitter production
✅ Gives you capacity to make lifestyle changes

What the stack CAN'T do:
❌ Quit your toxic job for you
❌ Fix your sleep schedule
❌ Eliminate chronic stressors
❌ Force you to rest
❌ Stop you from over-caffeinating

Minimum lifestyle support (while on stack):

1. Sleep (Non-negotiable):

• 7-9 hours nightly (nervous system repairs during sleep)
• Consistent schedule (bed/wake same time daily)
• Dark room, cool temp, no screens 1hr before bed
• Without adequate sleep, nervous system can't restore supplements can't overcome chronic sleep deprivation

2. Reduce Caffeine (Gradually):

• Caffeine forces release of depleted reserves (makes depletion worse)
• Week 1-2: Continue current intake (don't add stress of withdrawal)
• Week 3+: Reduce by 25-50% as natural energy returns
• Goal: 1 cup coffee or equivalent (not 4+ cups + energy drinks)

3. Eat Real Food:

• Protein at every meal (amino acids for neurotransmitter production)
• Vegetables (micronutrients, fiber)
• Healthy fats (brain health, hormone production)
• Reduce processed food/sugar (inflammatory, blood sugar crashes worsen burnout)

4. Move Gently:

• NOT intense exercise (this depletes further in burnout)
• Walking, yoga, gentle stretching (supports lymphatic drainage, stress release)
• 20-30 min daily movement (don't skip rest days)

5. Boundaries (If Possible):

• Say no to non-essentials (protect your capacity)
• Reduce commitments temporarily (this is recovery, not normal life)
• Communicate limits ("I'm in burnout recovery, I can't take on extra right now")

6. Screen Time Reduction:

• Screens are stimulating (keep sympathetic nervous system activated)
• Reduce social media, news, binge-watching before bed
• Replace with reading, nature, conversation

Reality check:

• If you can't change lifestyle: Stack still helps (you'll stabilize, even if not fully restore)
• If you make lifestyle changes: Stack accelerates recovery dramatically
• Once restored: You can handle more (but don't immediately go back to burnout behaviors)

Think of it like physical rehab after injury:

• Supplements = medications/interventions
• Lifestyle = physical therapy
• Both together = fastest, most complete recovery

Yes definitely. Nothing we design is for you to be dependant we believe the body has all it needs but the plants and mushrooms help support us in what we arnt getting from our diet. Depending on how burnt out you were and whether you've changed the conditions that caused it.