Having worked with women for over 15 years, I’ve become an expert in identifying the lesser known symptoms of stress; I see it through their bodies and personal well being.
And talking to them, the 5 biggest causes of stress which I’ve come to know in women are:
1, feeling overwhelmed
2, their body image
3, self-confidence and negative self-talk
4, stress of feeling alone
5, finances
At one point or another in our lives, we all feel it. These 5 types of stresses, they tend to be chronic and underpin EVERYTHING you seem to think and do during the day.
When women are under constant, drip-feeding stress, it will eventually show itself through their bodies, and the first signs will appear through their hair, nails, skin and often stomachs.
In fact, stress can present itself in any of the following ways:
When your body is under attack from relentless stress, your hair and nails tend to get hit first. It’s a sign that your body is sending all the goodness of the vitamins and nutrients it needs, to the essential organs of the body, keeping the important parts of the body functioning. In turn, you’re left with lifeless hair and weak nails.
And because the brain and the gastrointestinal system are intimately connected, your stomach can also quickly show signs of stress, such as, heartburn, or abdominal cramps. So if you’re stressed and find yourself with an upset stomach, know that it is no coincidence.
Feelings of overwhelm and financial stress can often cause fear-related neurotransmitters; such as adrenaline and cortisol, to get released into the body, which can raise your blood sugar levels and elevate blood pressure and heart rate.
Stress is a serious battle your body takes on
but it’s just as impactful to our minds.
While all of this occurs to your inner and outer body, it is only natural to feel unsettled and disrupted from your daily routine, affecting your sleeping patterns. You may experience waking and not feeling rested, or if you get woken you find it impossible to get back to sleep, ( sleep maintenance insomnia) or you simply can't fall asleep in the first place.
Thinking negatively about your body, and having feelings of being alone can also inhibit the production of important chemicals like Serotonin, a happiness neurotransmitter, a brain chemical responsible for regulating many of the functions in your body that contribute to your overall health and wellbeing. When any of these things happen the body stops functioning to its full capacity.
All of the 5 stress factors mentioned above, all have one thing in common…
you don't feel good.
So how do you overcome the stress? Very simply put, we need to change how we feel. Our mental health and outlook is our strongest ally when battling stress.
But how do you simply change how you feel?
You need to consciously make an effort, every day, to think new thoughts, which in turn, create new patterns of thought.
And create pockets of relief for yourself.
Train your brain to think about things other than what is causing you stress. Think about things you look forward to. Things that make you happy. Things that ultimately will lead to a more positive, HEALTHIER outlook.
It takes discipline and awareness to monitor your self, to train yourself - it's much easier to look at someone else and make observations about them. But to really look at yourself and make a change… that’s something different entirely.
All this worry that you feel and the stress women inhabit. The trick is to let it go. Stop thinking those thoughts. Change your thought pattern.
In reality, I know from experience it’s difficult to stop thinking about your stresses - it's a bit like saying ‘don't think of a big blue elephant’, of course you’re thinking about a big blue elephant now, aren’t you?
All we can do is TRY to think of something else instead.
Start to make a menu of good feelings for your self, be positive, compliment yourself, what makes you feel good? Think about that. Dig deep for good, happy, healthy, positive thoughts.
Create pockets of relief for yourself.
Being grateful - in the morning, say to your self ‘I love my bed and how cozy it is, I love my partner, I love that I have a car I can go to work in, I love that I have a great girlfriend I can speak to’. Anything positive that comes to mind – just say it – just think – and believe it too.
Keep things general until it feels good to get specific.
Start to redirect your thoughts to good feeling thoughts.
For a very long time now, I have held a belief that every ailment in the body comes from a thought first and then your body becomes a barometer of what thoughts you are thinking and highlights what is going on for you emotionally.
Thanks to the first enlightened book I read “You can heal your life” by Dr. Louise Hays.
She explains…
Another book that I love and use like a dictionary is “the body is the barometer of the soul” by Annett Noontil, which literally has a list of ailments, which highlights our possible negative thought attached to it and offers a process for healing around that issue.
If you are unaware of the constant negative thoughts in your mind, your body will highlight them for you. It shows on the outside, so you need to work from the inside first, starting with your mind and your thoughts.
Some of us chatter to ourselves so negatively all the time that it becomes the normal thing to do, in which case it's hard to catch because it’s become so every day.
So your body shows you, it shows you that what you are saying to yourself or doing, is not making you happy.
And a woman who has found peace within herself, thinks positively about her life and is aware of her thoughts, radiates beauty, because every cell in her body is responding to her thoughts and in turn her emotion.
Think good thoughts and self-love and beauty will radiate out of you and everyone will notice.
What's your coping mechanism with stress? Write in the comments below I would love to hear it.
If you enjoyed this article then why not hear more?
Sandra x
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