When hearing the word health, many people think of eating well and moving their bodies. But what if I told you that stress will undo many of the benefits of a good diet and regular exercise? Stress is all-pervasive in our Western society and it is often even seen as a hallmark of success.
Running from meeting to meeting, multi-tasking, managing a household, raising children and having a successful career often leaves our nervous system constantly flooded with cortisol – our main stress hormone. And we may not even be aware of it. Stress, however, can have so many negative impacts on our body, mind and emotional health. It really is a killer. So let’s get on top of it.
But first things first. Cortisol is a necessary hormone; it’s what gets us out of bed in the morning and in healthy doses it helps us to achieve and perform well. Think getting your children to school on time or finishing that report for the big boss. In our 20s and 30s, we may not view stress as being a problem. The body can handle it.
But often when the demands on us increase significantly (eg with the arrival of children, starting a business or looking after elderly parents) in combination with a decline in our female hormones, how we respond to stress may look very different in our 40s and 50s. And that is usually the wake-up call we need to make some internal changes as well as changes to our lifestyle.
For me, those changes have included working for myself rather than for someone else, building in time between client meetings in order not to rush and remain in a state of high cortisol (‘fight or flight’ or the sympathetic nervous system), meditating daily, slowly and mindfully drinking a cup of coffee in the sun, walking my dog at lunch-time, prioritising the right type of movement, having meaningful social connections and hobbies, and spending minimal time on social media.
These have all had a profound impact on my overall health, keeping my cortisol levels at a manageable level, or at least being able to return to a calm, grounded state after a rush of cortisol during eg a client meeting. This is key: even if you’re often in the sympathetic nervous system, you want to be able to return to the ‘rest or digest’ or parasympathetic nervous system in-between. The quickest way to do this is via your breath as deep or slow breathing activates your vagus nerve and the parasympathetic nervous system.
Many perimenopausal women notice weight gain around their midline, poor sleep, irritability, raging hormones or poor concentration and memory. This is where stress can often be the elephant in the room. Because stress affects everything and the body cleverly shuts down all non-essential processes such as digestion or fertility when we are in ‘fight or flight’ But poor digestion and absorption of nutrients can leave us feeling bloated at best and deficient in vital vitamins and minerals at worst.
Cortisol is a catabolic hormone which means it breaks muscles and tissues down. When oestrogen, which is an anabolic hormone (which builds muscles and tissues) starts to decline, cortisol can rein more freely, raising our anxiety and stress levels, impacting our mental health.
If you are ready to lower your stress levels, here are my own stress busters in more detail. You may only need one of them or all or something in-between. That is fine. It’s all about getting to know what works for YOU. I have ADHD so I need a cocktail of cortisol-lowering tools.
If you also have ADHD and you’re going through the perimenopause and menopause, you may notice that you need the same. Please note that I am not qualified to give medical advice and if you believe you also need HRT (hormone replacement therapy), please consult your GP.
Working for myself: Thanks to my ADHD, I have intense times of focus where I get a lot of work done but they need to be followed by rest and recovery. Working for myself allows me the flexibility to honour this part of my nervous system so that I don’t get overwhelmed and burn out. Many women may feel the same way, especially during the hormonal changes of the perimenopause and menopause where higher levels of anxiety and stress are common.
Time to breathe between meetings: This has been a huge game-changer for me as it’s enabled me to return to a state of calm by having time to sit and take a few deep breaths. In our busy, connected world, I believe this will be a really important practice for many stressed-out women. It is also practical, achievable, realistic and sustainable. I cannot overstate the importance of the breath to our health as it connects directly to our brain.
Mindfully drinking a cup of coffee or tea: This has a similar effect to time to breathe. The added benefit of adopting this is reduced cortisol and improved digestion and absorption of nutrients.
Walking the dog at lunch-time: This will be practical for anyone who works from home a lot and whose stress levels will be decreased three-fold by walking + being outdoors in the fresh air/nature (thanks to the calming effect of trees and bird song) + cuddling their pet which releases oxytocin (the love hormone).
Prioritising the right movement on a daily basis: Exercise has a proven ability to decrease stress and I use this every day and advise my clients to walk, run, do yoga, dance Zumba or box to help combat stress. But don’t overdo it during the perimenopause and menopause – choose exercise that energises rather than depletes you. This works well for time-poor women who can fit in 10 minutes of skipping, 20 minutes of strength training or 30 minutes of Pilates/yoga.
Social connection: This is one of the biggest discoveries for me. As an introvert, I never realised I need human interaction as much as anyone else. I now prioritise meeting good friends and new acquaintances for coffee and a walk regularly.
Hobbies: Doing fun things just for me including singing in a choir and being part of a chess club really helps to lower my stress levels as they are mindful activities and involve spending time with other people. Singing in particular stimulates the vagus nerve.
Social media: I’ve never been a fan of social media but as a business owner, I use it daily to market my services and educate and empower my clients. Making a conscious decision to only spend a couple of minutes a day on it and being intentional with those minutes has benefited my stress levels as I no longer compare myself to complete strangers!
Meditation: Out of everything, meditation is probably the most beneficial and the most challenging of all my lifestyle changes. I’ve discovered that I prefer to do it in a beautiful setting so I’ve now created a meditation corner at home which has a nice yoga mat, candle and cushion as well as my vision board. If you are visual/kinaesthetic, this may be important to you too.
I hope this blog has been helpful. I do believe we are all a work in progress and health & wellbeing isn’t a destination but a journey.
If you need my support on that journey, get in touch.
Caroline
Photo: Anna Lachlan Photography