E49: Allostatic Load: When Your Stress Response Never Fully Shuts Off (with Brent Bartel)

Allostatic Load: When Your Stress Response Never Fully Shuts Off (with Brent Bartel)Mona introduces Burnout Solutions guest Brent Bartel, a coach she met in person in the Phoenix/Mesa area, and explains this conversation had to be split into two parts because they talked for so long. In part one, Mona and Brent define allostasis (the body’s adaptive stabilizing process, related to homeostasis) and give practical examples like shivering when cold, sweating when hot, insulin release after sugar, cortisol rising before waking, acclimating to altitude, callus formation, and pregnancy-related changes. They clarify that allostasis itself isn’t the problem—it’s necessary for survival.They then explain allostatic load as the “wear and tear” that builds when the stress response is repeatedly activated or doesn’t shut off, using metaphors like revving an engine at high RPM for too long and a truck accumulating more and more cargo while trying to climb a hill. Mona connects this to healthcare work (like 12-hour nursing shifts moving from one stressful patient situation to the next) and highlights the key question: can your body return to baseline, or do you keep replaying stress and stay dysregulated?Brent outlines major contributors to allostatic load across categories, including mind (chronic stress, work/financial pressure, perfectionism, emotional suppression, information overload, constant multitasking, unresolved trauma; he references adverse childhood experiences and The Body Keeps the Score), relationships (loneliness and isolation, conflict and instability, insecure attachment, caregiver burden and the “sandwich generation”), environment (air pollution and exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals; he mentions the Think Dirty app), and fuel/lifestyle (ultra-processed foods, added sugar, food sensitivities, gut dysbiosis, hydration, sleep, and movement). They also discuss gut-brain connections and the idea of improving microbiome diversity, including the guideline of aiming for around 30 different plant foods per week.Mona closes with a recap tying allostatic load to why high achievers and caregivers can look fine externally while their bodies are “quietly keeping score,” and previews that part two will cover how to recognize high allostatic load in real life and what helps lower it so the body can return to baseline.00:00 Dinner in Mesa & Why This Conversation Matters (Allostatic Load Intro)01:56 Meet Brent Bartel: Coach, Educator, FranklinCovey Background04:29 Allostasis vs Homeostasis: What the Body Is Constantly Doing06:16 Everyday Allostasis Examples: Shivering, Sweating, Insulin07:49 Allostatic Load: When Stress Responses Don’t Shut Off10:38 Chronic Stress & Burnout: Healthcare Shifts, Recovery, Baseline12:39 More Real-World Examples: White Coat Syndrome, Cortisol, Altitude15:01 Big Adaptations: Bears, Calluses, Pregnancy & the ‘Biological Budget’18:10 The ‘Truck Going Uphill’ Metaphor: Small Stressors That Add Up19:17 What Allostatic Load Looks Like in the Body (5 Key Buckets)19:59 Mind Load: Chronic Stress, Perfectionism & Emotional Suppression20:38 Cognitive Overload: Why Multitasking Backfires21:50 Unresolved Trauma: Nervous System Rewiring + ACEs Screening24:15 Relationship & Social Load: Loneliness, Conflict, Caregiver Burden26:34 Environmental Toxins: Pollution, Endocrine Disruptors & “Think Dirty”27:53 Food as Fuel: Ultra-Processed Diets, Sugar Stats & Inflammation29:16 Gut-Brain Connection: Microbiome Diversity + 30 Plant Foods/Week32:51 Lifestyle Load: Hydration, Sleep, Movement & Autoimmune Baseline Stress33:52 Mid-Episode Break + Recap: Allostasis vs Load, Truck Metaphor & What’s NextReach our to Brent at [email protected] To to find out more about how I can help your workplace or work with me one on one, please see www.monatippets.comWant to understand your stress a little better? Get my free Stress Management Guide for High Achievers here.