“I know I can do it all and have it all done yesterday”.
We spin a million plates everyday. We make time for family, friends, our loved ones and still work a 10 hour day. All the while trying to keep cool calm and collected at rush hour.
It’s no surprise that we, as women, have chronically high levels of stress hormones. Most commonly impacting our mood, digestion, reproduction and fertility, sleep, ability to enjoy time for ourselves and heightening our feeling of overwhelm.
However, our body is so clever and wonderful at regulating our stress hormones and spiking those hormones of cortisol and adrenaline when we need to be in a state of acute stress/flight and fight for survival needs. But then slowly bringing us back down to our resting state when we desperately need that long 8 hour sleep or when we just need to switch off.
But what happens when we’ve been in that stress state for a chronic amount of time? What about when our body is no longer able to specifically regulate our hormones correctly anymore? We are then left with limited options and often look to take a different approach. Whether that be relying on hormone altering drugs, sedatives or sleeping pills- to force our hormones back to equilibrium.
However, there is another way. What if I told you you could do this naturally by changing a few actions/behaviours? So let me introduce you to Oxytocin, otherwise known as the “Love Hormone”. Oxytocin has been scientifically proven over the last 15 years that experiences and activities that boost Oxytocin levels, will reduce Cortisol and Testosterone (stress and our masculine hormone) naturally. Oxytocin's stress lowering effects can also become even more powerful as a women’s oestrogen levels rise.
So how do you boost Oxytocin naturally? This list below shows typical activities that will raise your Oxytocin, Oestrogen and Progesterone! And therefore lowering your stress hormones.
1 . Talking about worries and stresses
2. Hugs
3. Expressing and having feelings heard
4. Visiting the hair salon
5. Getting a massage
6. Receiving help and compliments
7. Expressing gratitude
8. Romance
9. Receiving affection
10. Receiving flowers
11. Feeling loved and respected
12. Receiving notes and greeting cards
So next time you recognise those feelings of overwhelm, sleepless nights and pressure, remember your limitless supply of Oxytocin. It’s there waiting for you, it just needs some assistance with different actions and behaviours.