The Role of Stress in Perimenopause Symptoms

The enemy of inner strength is stress. It’s easy to allow stress to eclipse self-care during the active stage of life. The effects of this compromise are not easily undone when one approaches the mid to late forties. 

The body in this case has learned to prioritize stress hormones, and as sex hormones naturally reduce in this stage of life, stress hormones do not have the same buffer of their cooler counterpart, estrogen. Grounding qualities in the physical body, which work to support a sound body-mind, start to wane as we age. 

Life’s stress levels may be the same, but the nervous system’s ability to manage them is changing. This process may cause feelings of irritability, anxiousness, sadness, and other mental fluctuations. According to Ayurveda, the mind permeates the entire body and colors our experience. The body’s changing ability to cope with stress underlies many of the mental fluctuations women experience in perimenopause. 

At this point, we have the opportunity to see the interconnection between hormones, mind, and stress instead of compartmentalizing the mind. The great news is that one can see improvements in body and mind with simple Ayurvedic practices. For example, mental fluctuations may be soothed by an oil massage, which soothes the nerves, or by eating ghee, which also has an affinity for the nerve tissues.

Doing less reduces mental pressure, increases mental space, and opens the flow of the channel of the mind. Give yourself permission to ease up.