the adaptogen/credit card analogy

To view an adaptogen like a credit card or loan:

If you're overspending (energy out is greater than energy in), you'll get yourself into debt (perhaps nervous anxiety/exhaustion). As a tool to help get you out of debt, you might get a credit card or loan (adaptogen) which gives you some extra cash ("energy") to get you through your day and tasks.

If you use your new credit too aggressively (go back to your pattern of energy out is greater than energy in) that credit card (adaptogen) is only gonna make things harder down the road (more debt/bigger energy crash). But, if you spend your extra cash (energy) wisely, make strategic investments, and hold some back to start building up your savings (core energy) again, and say, "Sorry, no, I'd like to but can't do that" to the things that will burn up more money (energy) than you can afford, they can be exceptionally useful tools to get things back on track.

We should remember that one of the original uses of adaptogens was to get the working class able to handle bad working conditions with less rest and less burnout... they can help one endure an inhospitable situation or lifestyle with less negative impact. When using them, I like to encourage people to ask:

"Do I really need to endure this inhospitable situation?

Do I want to?"

***Of course, all stresses are not things we can choose to opt out of, and the impact on our well being of all too many structural "-isms" needs to be considered. In addition to accounting for this, it's important we work on what we do have some control over.