In the previous blog we talked about the hormonal cycle and the key role that hormones play in our wellbeing, starting with the hypothalamus gland in the brain and its relation with the rest of the endocrine glands.
I mentioned the role of the adrenal glands and the fight or flight response in dealing with stress. This is really important to understand because it is a mechanism that’s vital to the way we deal with short term high-pressure situations.
In a sense, the way that our cortisol levels increase during moments of stress is amazing and it still works the way nature intended. The problem is that the lifestyles most women lead today mean we’re sustaining high levels of cortisol all the time which then interferes with hormone regulation and may eventually lead to adrenal fatigue or thyroid and reproductive dysfunction if not addressed.
Below are some ways to tweak your lifestyle to bring more balance to your busy life.
1 Create the thought to make a change
Don’t forget thoughts create intentions which lead to positive actions. The mind is so powerful that you can achieve whatever you desire if you put your mind to it. How empowering is that?!
But it all starts with creating the right thoughts in the first place. So if you want to bring more balance into your life, emotionally and physically, you will be able to if you can commit yourself to doing just that.
2 If you feel you need space for yourself, create it!
Take time out for yourself, tune in to your spiritual self with meditation, yoga, prayer, qi gong – it doesn’t matter what it is but it must be something that resonates with you and helps you to focus on bringing peace to your inner world.
Focussing on yourself in this way will help you release serotonin, a feel good hormone, and release positive chemicals into your body and assist you in taking back control.
If you have a young family or a busy job, then getting up 20 minutes earlier to create your space may be the answer for you. Whatever you decide to do, make sure it’s a key part of your routine and of equal weight if not more than all your other priorities.
3 Keep a diary for 3 months
Monitor your monthly cycle, see when your highs and lows are, see what triggers your moods, be aware of how you’re feeling and the messages your body is giving, tune in and understand the messages you are receiving. By observing what is actually happening you will be able to gauge the changes you need to make in your lifestyle and understand if you need additional help to get back on track from another source.
4 Be aware of what you’re putting in your mouth
The one thing that many women crave relentlessly is sugar but consuming too much of it will leave you feeling more depressed and low in energy after the initial high wears off.
Instead of eating sugar, eat foods that ground you, that have roots. Sea food is also good to replace the zinc and iron that you lose during menstruation. Food that balance the hormonal fluctuations and boost the B vitamins such as green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds and avocadoes are great.
5 Share your valuable time with those you love
Share time with people that matter in your life, these are the people that bring meaning in to your life, fulfil your purpose and rejuvenate you. These are the ones that feed your soul and recharge your batteries to deal with the rest of your life stuff!
6 Address the emotional stuff you’re holding on to
There’s no doubt that emotional factors play a huge part in our overall health and wellbeing. If there’s unresolved relationship problems, past or present, such as hurt and anger that you are holding on to along with day to day pressures of overwork, self destructive habits, overeating, excessive alcohol intake, it may be that you are overcompensating for the emotional stress by adding more of the physical activities you are doing. Deal with it head on, address the issues and seek help from a professional if necessary.
7 Work out who makes you feel drained and saps your energy
By approaching life in a more mindful state you will naturally identify those people that you walk away from feeling drained. It may be difficult to avoid these people but by approaching them with a different mindset you will remain protected from their negative energy and not feel affected in the same way, why? – Because you are much more grounded, balanced and stronger within yourself.
8 Get enough sleep
Try and maintain a regular sleep pattern during weekdays and weekends. A busy stressful lifestyle with a lack of sleep creates the concoction for adrenal fatigue, this is when the adrenal glands have to work that much harder to produce more cortisol in order to keep going.
9 Invest in some natural remedies
It’s always good to have a bit of extra support in your handbag or medicine cupboard for those more challenging days. Bach Rescue remedy which is available in many health stores is great for stressful moments, available in drops, creams and sprays and Ignatia 30c homeopathic remedy is also very effective for anxiety and worry. Aconite 30c is great for sleeplessness, worry and when you are feeling off balance. Always good to keep in your handbag or by your bedside!
10 Block out some ‘me time’
Plan things to do that make you feel good throughout the month to keep those feel good hormones active. Don’t over commit yourself socially, at home or at work. In fact, diarise time out to relax, have a long bath with magnesium chloride salts and read a book or listen to your favourite music!
If you have tried all the above and you’re still not feeling quite right then perhaps it is time to see a professional therapist that can support you in getting back on track
This is one of my very favourite quotes that I just have to share with you right now! So, so true!
‘You, yourself as much as anybody in the entire universe deserve your love and attention’ Buddha
To read a bit more about the hormonal system, click here to read my previous blog
http://rebalancinglife.com/hormones-lets-get-to-the-bottom-of-it-all/
Hope you enjoyed reading this, I would love to hear in the comments section below how you keep your stress levels down and any useful tips that help you each month.
Feel free to share this blog with your friends on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Take good care, because you’re worth it!
Enjoyed reading both posts Sadhna! Thankfully my menstrual days are now behind me. My experience has been that it is difficult to find much guidance about surgical menopause and managing the full myriad of resulting effects.
Interesting read Sadhna. These are very useful tips on keeping life in balance. My personal strategy for dealing with stress is to start the day with meditation. This really sets me up for whatever comes my way. I certainly notice the difference on days when I don’t take time out first thing. Keeping an eye on my breathing throughout the day also helps. if I start to get a bit stressed I slow and deepen my breath. I’d be interested in reading more about the link between food, the environment and oestrogen levels.
Thank you for your comment Harinder, I totally agree, a few minutes in the morning focussing on myself with meditation just sets me up for the day too and my day just flows! Perhaps another blog specifically looking at the links is a good idea!
These are great tips Sadhna and they are actually quite easy to implement! I’m sure using these tips will create hormonal balance as well as improving so much more! As a yoga teacher I aim to practice many of the tips mentioned and I didn’t realise it had such an impact on my homones however it makes sense as when I take the time to take care of myself I know I will always feel healthier and happier!
Thank you Jaina, absolutely, there are so many simple habits we can cultivate and make part of our routine, it’s all about awarenss and committing to ourselves!
There’s some great advice in this post on ways to keep centred and balanced. Most of these are already part of my stress management toolkit. Personally, I also find meditation and prayer to be essential to my sense of wellbeing. I also agree completely that it’s really important to address underlying emotional issues; they can so easily get in the way of our happiness and ability to enjoy things in the moment. Thanks Sadhna – I enjoyed reading this.
Another very interesting post Sadhna. I read a great book a year or so ago about a natural approach to menstruation. Of course years ago women would have take the time out away from everyone and everything and concentrated on a more natural way of coping with their cycles, as well as acknowledging the benefit of the menstrual cycle, whereas now we have a very different approach and see it as an inconvenience. Lovely post, thank you.
Hi Helen, yes I totally agree with you, the pace of day to day life has changed so much and so have attitudes!
Interesting 2 parter, Sadhna. One of the things I do to keep stress level is to walk in beautiful surroundings. Nothing lifts my spirit more than walking in my local park, then sitting by the lake, the sun shining on it and the birds swimming. Terrific. Regular exercise is also good.
That sounds wonderful Claudia, great regime to follow, thank you.
An interesting read thank you for sharing. Really important to manage our stress level taking time out ME Time is so important a short walk , gym yoga class or reading , whatever makes you happy. Personally walking and pray works for me now that this is routine in my life since being diagnosed with Breast Cancer . One thing i have learnt it’s not worth stressing …nothing matters. There are many sources of research on how stress can bring on cancer. My Cancer is hormone induced so oestrogen and progesterone positive 8/8. I would be interested on your thoughts about pre and post menopausal symptoms.
Best wishes Sam
Hi Sam, thank you for your comments and glad to hear that you have ways of dealing with your diagnosis and managing your health issues. There are so many wonderful, holistic therapies available for addressing pre and post menopausal symptoms which help us to take control of our stress levels and manage our lives more effectively. Would be more than happy to have a chat with you further on how I can help you. Wish you good health and recovery!