As April is the month of stress awareness we thought we would highlight the importance of taking care of yourself – especially whilst navigating the journey of menopause – which can be stressful enough.
With the fluctuating hormone levels in our body affecting the way we respond to stress this can have an impact both physically and emotionally. When your body is stressed it produces both cortisol and adrenaline. These are known as your fight or flight hormones. Increased cortisol levels also have an impact on the production of oestrogen and progesterone. During perimenopause, the adrenal glands take over the production of oestrogen. If the adrenal glands are making stress hormones, they might not be able to make oestrogen and progesterone.
Having high levels of stress can seriously exacerbate menopausal symptoms so its important to remember to take time for self care. Making small changes to your lifestyle and including things that make you healthier & enjoy is essential in helping to reduce your stress levels.
There are many tried and tested ways of reducing stress and maintaining calm:
– Connect with someone
– Prioritise Sleep
– Move in your own way
– Spend time in Nature
– Breathe deep
– Practice Mindfulness
Another effective method is to use deep-breathing exercises to reduce stress. Try this simple exercise and practice often:
-Sit in a straight-back chair with both feet on the floor.
-Rest hands on the abdomen.
-Slowly count to four while inhaling through the nose and feel the abdomen rise.
-Hold that breath for a second.
-Then, slowly count to four while exhaling through the mouth—let the abdomen slowly fall.
-Repeat this exercise 5 to 10 times.
