What is going on with my hormones?! Is it perimenopause?

The past few weeks have been punctuated by more and more conversations about late periods, emotional fluctuations and other unexpected hormonal symptoms. I’m not sure what is going on, but if you are feeling like your hormones are totally out of whack, you are not alone! 

I was discussing this phenomenon with another health care provider the other day. She agreed there seemed to be a huge uptick in hormonal dysregulation right now. And she said “The world is burning, what do we expect?” 

We are far more connected to each other and to the earth than we realize. I am not sure if people’s sense of being out of whack is due to fires, or due to our continued attempts to heal the collective trauma of the past few years or due to some other force. But I do know that lots of people are having a hard time right now. And so I want to encourage you to be gentle to yourself and to those around you.

If you are feeling like your hormones are out of whack here are a few things to remember:

1. Eliminate alcohol during this time. Alcohol isn’t always bad, but when your hormones are out of wack, it’s going to make everything far far worse. Do what you can to cut it out, or cut way back, until you feel more stable. If you struggle with being the only one not drinking, I personally recommend Giesen non alcoholic wine. It looks and tastes enough like the real thing that no one will know you aren’t joining in. You can buy it at Whole Foods or Binnys. Additionally Wine Goddess and other local businesses are carrying more and more fun NA options. Many restaurants in the area now have at least one, if not 2 or 3 good mocktails or non alcoholic adult drinks on their menu. 

2. Exercise Fast or Slow. There are times when your hormones are giving you a ton of energy and can do a very vigorous workout. There are other times when your hormones are asking you to gently stretch and take a slow walk. Motion is vital to our physical and emotional well being. But pushing yourself to do a harder workout than you want is only going to make things worse. Listen to your body. Honor and trust that it knows what it needs. 

3. Give yourself a little grace. There is something going on and people are having a hard time right now. You may be having a hard time! That is ok. We don’t need to know why it is happening to know that it is happening. You don’t need a permission slip in order to rest or give yourself a break. But if you need it, please consider this blog post the permission you need. You should take a little break!

In the spirit of taking our own advice, the office will be closed this Friday. But schedule your appointment for next week! Chiropractic can help you feel much more stable and energized!