Is it menopause or stress?
Hormone change can be a huge part of our wellbeing story in midlife.
But it’s not the only factor in our exhaustion, low energy, and lack of zest for life.
Stress plays a huge role in midlife and menopause:
Biological stress - in terms of the release of adrenaline, and then cortisol by our adrenal glandsin response to the traffic jam, trying to get the teens out of the door, or perhaps dealing with an urgent work deadline, or the latest crisis for an ageing parent.
Emotional stress - these can pile up, so that your brain is always busy trying to solve your parenting, relationships, workplace issues in your head as you toss and turn, or even as you mind whirls in a spare moment in the day.
Environmental stress - excessive heat has been an issue for many of us this summer, air pollution, toxic chemicals in the air and water, all of this creates more stress in and on our bodies.
All of this can amplify our perimenopause experience - both through the increase in inflammation from higher levels of stress hormones, or perhaps a slowing down of our digestive systems, or triggering hot flushes and night sweats.
Lowering levels of progesterone and oestrogen released by our ovaries also make us more stress sensitive - so we might feel more triggered, anxious or overwhelmed by stressful situations, relationships, or environments.
Cortisol, stress, and perimenopause
Watching menopause trends on social media is one of my favourite pastimes, and lately I’ve noticed the tendency to focus on cortisol, and supplements to help with reducing levels of cortisol. I’ve even been sent some lovely Ashwagandha coffee which has lowering cortisol levels as one of its key sales messages should I want to make a Reel about it.
Cortisol is something that we release naturally every day. It’s part and parcel of our sleep wake cycle. When in balance it helps:
Regulate metabolism
Reduce inflammation
Assist with memory formation
Control blood pressure and blood sugar
In theory we should get a burst of cortisol to help wake us up in the morning, get us going, and taking on the day!
And that cortisol level should gradually lower as the day goes on, so that we are calm enough to sleep at night.
But things that drive up cortisol include:
High caffeine and/or alcohol consumption
Disrupted sleep
Blood sugar imbalances
Over training
Sustained work or life stress
And ways to help lower cortisol can include:
Meditation
Exercise
Sleep
Hydration
And yes, the ashwagandha in my coffee might do too (there are studies that appear to demonstrate a reduction in cortisol…I haven’t dug into them so I’m not going to pin my hat on it just yet!)
How do you know if it’s perimenopause or high cortisol causing your symptoms?
A key way to explore this is to track your symptoms and perceived stress levels with your cycle, and to start noticing if there are triggers or moments in your day that amplify your feelings of stress, anxiety, hot flashes or sleep disturbance.
And then to implement some changes along the way.
In my work with clients I often look at not just what they can add in to help with stress levels, but what they can take out.
The bonus of this approach is that it also has a positive effect on perimenopause symptoms.
And on the life-work-family balance long term too. For example:
What’s on your mental to-do list that doesn’t need to be there?
Who keeps relying on you for your memory, problem solving, or organisational skills that could do it themselves? Perhaps with birthdays, holidays, putting the bins out…and all that jazz.
Are your sleep issues hormone related or stress/caffeine related?
If you’re relying on sugar and caffeine to keep you going through the day - and then struggling with sleep - could you find some healthy swaps to boost your energy?
I worked with one client who wanted to feel less stressed, and have more energy so that she could make a big decision about work, to go self-employed, as well as have more quality time with her family.
We first helped to eliminate some of her mental to-do list, which was keeping her up at night, by writing a list, sharing it with her partner and kids, and delegating key actions.
We then worked on her gut health, caffeine, and sugar consumption which improved her sleep and her energy levels.
After 4 months she was a new woman! She changed her job, had cleared the clutter, celebrated her 50th with friends and family, and felt like a new woman.
In her words:
“I was boring myself and my family with work issues & wondering what to do to improve my work life balance . I was after more clarity as to where my life could take me - as everything was feeling so chaotic.
If you are feeling overstretched yourself, with an over reflective brain that can’t think straight then I recommend Lesley for guidance and support. We could all welcome her to talk to at some point. Lesley is energetic, thought provoking and focused and comes up with some really good strategies that you can use long term.”
Is it time for you to create your own personalised approach to stress and menopause?
I’m here you’d like a chat about how health coaching can create the momentum for lasting change and a calmer, clearer, more joyful life!
