Before I talk about stress I want to share two things with you.
1 – Self-compassion is essential here. You’re human and let’s face it, the world has really kicked us all in the lady balls these last few years. Compassion is your superpower (read more about this below)
2 – Nature has given you the exact manual you need to buffer stress’s impact on your body (it’s seriously so cool to know this!)
Now, let’s chat a little about stress.
First, some science.
Your body is made up of cells, and inside those cells are genes which contain the genetic instructions for building and operating your body.
Your genes cannot be changed. But what’s fascinating is that they can be turned on and off, like a light switch.
This is where we have control .. enter epigenetics!
Think of your genes as a cookbook full of recipes for making you. Epigenetics acts like bookmarks and notes in that cookbook, determining which recipes are used and how they’re prepared.
Things like your environment, nutrition, experiences, and even your ancestors’ experiences can turn these genes on and off.
Stress can account for a whopping 90% of your gene expression.
This means that even if you eat a clean diet, exercise and get to bed early, the stress hormones (mainly cortisol) can still rain on your parade by literally turning on the switch to many undesired genes.
Here are a few examples of what cortisol also does:
- Blocks the production of serotonin and dopamine. These are your feel-good hormones and less of these creates more stress. It’s a nasty cycle.
- Low dopamine drives addictive behaviour. Craving chips, cheese and bread? Can’t stop online shopping? Is that habit you’ve been desperate to quit calling to you? This might be why.
- It triples the amount of insulin your body releases when you eat carbs (1 apple is treated like 3).
- Lowers your rate of fat burning from 92% to 35%.
- Severely impacts your sleep, which creates a whole cascade of other problems. For example, an hour less sleep a night for four days is enough to change your insulin levels by 11% and your metabolic rate by 55% in two weeks!
- Choose self-compassion. Notice how this feels in your body. See how it eases that tightness in your chest. I love to put my hand on my heart and whisper “It’s ok, of course, you’re having a hard time. Nothing has gone wrong and we will get through this”. Compassion is like a warm hug to your nervous system and a safe nervous system sees no need to pump our cortisol. See why it’s your superpower!
People often underestimate their stress response. Just because you don’t have panic attacks doesn’t mean stress is not impacting your body in a big way!
The good news is that there is so much you can do!
I suggest starting with testing your genetics and having me run your genetic health report.
Here are three things you will learn:
- The amount of cortisol you release during stress.
- How long it takes your body to clear cortisol.
- How long it takes your body to get the message that the stressor is over and that it can stop creating cortisol.
Personally, I learned that I produce the normal amount of cortisol and clear it out at a sufficient rate BUT my body really struggles to feel safe and know the stressor is over. This means that I will continue to create cortisol and suffer it’s impacts for a very very long time.
Now I understand why I tend to lay awake at 3 am feeling absolutely sick about things that happened twenty years ago! Understanding my genetic disposition to this has helped me so much and now, I know exactly what to do about it so I can stop this cycle.
See how powerful this is!
If you’re ready to chat about what it would like to figure this all out for you click here to book a time to chat.
If you’re not ready to chat and want to start supporting your body through its stress here are some suggestions you can start incorporating right now.
- Check out the supplement called Sereniten Plus by Pure Encapsulations. This stuff is amazing! If you’re an Australian friend the same product is called Bioactive Milk Peptides.
- Yoga, prayer, meditation, spending time in nature, raising your face to the sun and grounding your feet in the grass.
- Breathwork. For some, this can overstimulate but for others it’s amazing. Try it and see what works for you.
- Tapping is also a great tool. I recommend The Tapping Solution app to guide you. Check it out on Instagram @thetappingsolution.
- Spending time with other women who you trust and feel supported by.
- Find a coach or therapist who focuses on body-based healing. This is often referred to as Somatics.
- Give yourself permission to eat dinner alone if your family is driving you crazy – or permit whatever else you need. You matter too – remember that!
Midlife is a tender, yet powerful time in a woman’s life and you deserve to get all the support necessary to feel your best and thrive.
If you are ready to explore how knowing and understanding your genetics can support you please book your meet and greet call here!
I’m looking forward to connecting!
And again, I’m offering free 15-minute chats to anyone curious about working together. If you are, please book your chat here.