Stress and the menopause.

Get a grip on stress before it gets a grip on you. We all realise that stress is part of life but in our modern world our levels of stress are at an all-time high. So, what is stress. It is the body’s response to physical, mental, or emotional pressure. It can be sparked by an event or by our thoughts and can make you feel upset, angry, distracted etc. When we are stressed our ‘flight or fight’ response is activated- the Hypothalamus in your brain tells the adrenal glands to release the stress hormones, adrenaline and cortisol that increase heart rate, elevate blood pressure, and quicken the pace of breathing. Blood flows to the limbs ready for a quick get away. I will go into some details about what has helped me later in this article.

Short term stress does not pose a danger, for example, when we have a deadline to meet, but long-term stress can affect our daily behaviour clouding our judgement or we might find ourselves drinking more, eating, or smoking more. However, it is when the stress response does not stop, which is very prevalent today that it can begin to take its toll on your health and overall wellbeing. This is chronic stress. Every area of your life can become affected by stress leading to muscular tension, fatigue, irritability, digestive issues, hypertension, heart attack and stroke. It can lead to the development of type 2 diabetes and a weakened immune system leaving you more susceptible to viral illnesses such as flu.

We are looking at menopause and how stress can have a negative impact on a women’s health at this time. Stress can cause early menopause and it makes symptoms more severe.

Hormones and stress.

Fluctuating hormones alter the way you respond to stress, and this can leave you feeling overwhelmed, isolated, anxious, and depressed. The hormones estrogen and progesterone have been working as buffers in the body and served as a protection from stress. These hormones are needed for our well being. Progesterone begins to deplete at the time of peri menopause leaving us more susceptible to the effects of high cortisol. Estrogen helps to maintain levels of cortisol in the body and when that begins to deplete that ability to regulate those levels isn’t there which means stress is experienced more easily. As our estrogen levels lower, cortisol levels increase making the transition through peri menopause a stressful time for the body. Our body will register this stress even if we are not consciously aware of it.

There is much awareness surrounding hormonal changes during pregnancy, but not much about the transition a woman will go through during peri menopause. The hormone upheaval will stress your body like never before, between 10-100 times stronger than during pregnancy, and often we don’t realise until we experience symptoms.

Lifestyle.

As a woman approaches the time of peri menopause it is vital to reappraise lifestyle and find out the contributory factors to stress, and learn some solid stress management tools that will keep the long-term implications of stress away.

Modern stress is coming at us from different sources perhaps from our bust lifestyles and not having enough rest. Stress can come from work or relationships, financial strain, and expectations we place on ourselves.

Cortisol.

The symptoms of high cortisol are actually the same symptoms that women can encounter in peri menopause. These symptoms include insomnia, low energy, bad mood, aches, weight gain, digestive issues, cravings, a lowered sex drive and susceptibility to catching colds more easily. At this time in a woman’s life the adrenal glands take over producing small amounts of progesterone and estrogen from the diminishing ovaries. However, the production of these hormones is reduced if the adrenals are being required to release a steady stream of cortisol due to stress. The inflammatory aspect of cortisol can cause weight gain and sore joints and aches. It is important to keep blood sugar levels balanced too. If you are having cravings because of stress and eating sweet foods the body releases cortisol to bring your blood sugar back up and this can lead to weight gain and type 2 diabetes. An anti-inflammatory diet rich in berries, beans and pecans is helpful.

Cortisol is an inflammatory stress hormone and it inhibits the productions of melatonin, sleep hormone, which often why during stressful periods it can cause insomnia. During sleep the body secretes hormones that repair the body and consolidate memories and when sleep is disturbed this might not happen and compromises both cognition and immune function. 

Cortisol has its benefits too in the right amounts. It fires us up and helps us get focused for completing tasks.

Adrenal glands.

Stress without an end in sight can lead to adrenal fatigue and anxiety. This saps the body of vitality and energy can create a feeling of apathy and low mood. Stress built up over time wont disappear over night, but with careful handling there are plenty of options for tackling stress before it impacts your health negatively.

A balanced life.

We all desire optimal health and wish to thrive in our daily lives. To do this we can see how important it is to manage our stress. I have suffered chronic stress, anxiety and adrenal fatigue so I can talk from lived experience here. I have spent the last years reducing stress in my life. My body was inflamed and I gained weight and this is where my struggle now lies.

Evidence based modalities for stress reduction include yoga, mindfulness, meditation and breath work. If they are not part of your daily life I would strongly recommend them as a path to holistic wellbeing. I start my day with breath awareness and meditation, setting my intention for the day and then I move using yoga poses to feel into my body, noticing tension, aches or where I feel a vibrancy. It doesn’t need to be a lengthy practice, but the practice can create a huge shift.

It is important to exercise, get out in nature and do more of what brings you joy. This time of mid-life is the time to put you high on your list of priorities, if not now when? And if not now, why not? It is easy to run ourselves ragged making sure everyone else’s needs are taken care of, but let us remember to offer ourselves time out and self-care, to rest and relax. Slowing down is  a path of self-development.

“Tension is who you think you are,

Relaxation is who you actually are.” Lao Tzu.

Journaling has really helped me to observe my inner dialogue and feeling landscape and to consider my feelings and wishes so that I can live a fulfilled life, as that is what we truly deserve. Getting our feelings down onto paper takes them out of the mind and removes the need for some rumination and frees our energy for creating what we want. A quick journal reflection at the end of the day can help to release stress that has built up over the day, so instead of carrying it forward a five-minute journal can release it from impinging on our sleep. I also like to list at least three things that I am grateful for too.

” A grateful heart is a magnet for miracles.”

I feel like I live a more intentional life from adopting these practices. They have helped me change habits and transform my life, which is why I share what I have learnt with you. 

If you would like to slow down and carve out time for yourself, please join my private online yoga group where you will find relaxation yoga classes and guided meditations

 Online Yoga with Grace | Facebook

Let me know how you get on and what helps you reduce your stress. I’d love to hear from you.

I also offer one to one private classes to women who are dealing with stress and peri menopause and are looking to get their health back on track.

 

Here is the replay from my live recently. Steps for a healthy gut in menopause.

https://youtu.be/9v4g-dn2eik



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Blessings…

Grace