Perimenopause S.O.S Part 3
Your perception of stress during perimenopause and beyond can worsen symptoms.
How so?
Our adrenal glands are responsible for producing our stress hormones. In this often modern, stressful life they can become overworked and even buckle under the pressure. This can result in feelings of fatigue, exhaustion, burnout, and an inability to get going in the morning.
When our bodies are heading towards menopause and ovarian oestrogen levels are dropping, our bodies call on a small but very valuable back-up supply of oestrogen from the adrenal glands, but if the adrenals have been overworked due to prolonged stress, they may not have anything to give, resulting in a sudden sharp drop in oestrogen supply and a worsening of menopause symptoms such as:
❌Hot flushes
❌Headaches
❌Brain fog
❌Tiredness
❌Anxiety
❌Disrupted sleep
Furthermore, raised stress hormones can raise our body temp - so hello 👋🏼⬆️ hot flushes.
If you’re heading towards perimenopause then there’s no better time than now to get your stress levels in check and change your perception of stress.
Here are my top tips:
Start a meditation routine to settle the nervous system (especially beneficial prior to sleep). The Calm app and Headspace are excellent resources.
Eat magnesium rich foods. Magnesium is known as the ‘relaxation mineral’ as it can relax muscles and the nervous system - spinach, dark cocoa, pumpkin seeds, almonds, cashew nuts. An easy way to get magnesium into the body is by having an Epsom salt bath. The magnesium is absorbed via the skin and coupled with the relaxing sensation of a warm bath, this super-relaxing habit can work wonders at bedtime!
Set aside ‘me time’ twice a week. In a busy, stressful schedule where many of us are caring for others all week, I tell my stressed clients this is a necessity not a luxury. In fact, I quite often make them put it in their diary as they might a dental appointment or MOT. It is as important as those things in my opinion. Filling your energy cup back up and resetting your nervous system during times of stress is crucial for many busy women. This could be a walk in the countryside, a hot bath, a read of a novel, an hour of yoga. No matter how busy you are you can spare 1 hour twice a week for a hot bath and a good book. Your nervous system (and your loved ones) will thank you for it. TRUST ME.
Start a gratitude journal, such as the 6 minute diary (you can pick up a copy from eBay). When I was going through a time of immense stress and trauma, I was given this book by a friend and although it was the last thing I felt like doing and if I'm honest I had very little hope in it helping, it worked wonders and little did I know, was the start of a gradual yet huge shift in my perception of stress. Remember - it is the things we do often that become habit that make the difference.
If you could do with some support during perimenopause, contact me for details of my consultations and packages. Healthy perimenopause starts here!