Relationship issues can really throw your hormones out of whack!
We now know that any type of mental emotional and physical stress takes a toll on your hormones and can cause imbalances. These imbalances make you less able to deal with stress, exacerbating the situation. Often midlife women have a hard time dealing with many symptoms related to perimenopause and the full menopausal change. Ironically, this can also be a time of heavy stress on relationships and marriages: empty nest syndrome, self-esteem issues due to stubborn weight gain, changes in sex drive, changes in careers or retirement, and thoughts of being not needed, can all arise. All of these can really affect a woman’s outlook and her relationships. Sadly, during this stage in life, divorce is also prevalent.
Stress from the death of a spouse or a divorce is often the most stressful time in a woman’s life, especially since it is rare for a divorce to end amicably for a magnitude of reasons: one person wanting to separate and the other doesn’t, an affair involved, disagreement over splitting of the assets, or the “taking sides” that occurs among friends and family. Divorce is one of the hardest things that people can go through because it cuts to the very heart and soul of who they are. Divorce can often make women feel like a failure that, coupled with other people’s opinions and their church’s judgment or society as a whole, can leave women feeling broken and fearing they may never love again due to the vulnerability it exposes.
Going through a divorce and menopause at the same time, which often happens, can be nearly unbearable. Having to deal with all the emotional stress while going through falling hormone levels can cause a woman to not feel like herself. It is so important that during this time a woman take care of herself so that she can deal with the emotional roller coaster of a divorce or relationship struggle.
How Balancing your Hormones Can Help
Balancing your hormones and correcting your eating patterns will help you look and feel your best! Not to mention that you may experience better sleep, essential during this difficult time. I always tell women going through a divorce that there is so much beauty in the world; you just have to get through the storm.
Women often get to know themselves better, truly love and appreciate themselves, and often find new love. First however, they need a firm foundation of mental and physical stability. Helping a woman lower her high cortisol levels can help her sleep better, control her eating or abuse of alcohol and caffeine, and help balance her estrogen and progesterone hormones. By gently raising progesterone, a woman will not only feel much calmer, sleep better, and be better equipped with dealing with common anxiety and depression associated with divorce, but also be able to lose stubborn weight. Losing the stubborn weight associated with unbalanced hormones and stress will help give her the motivation to diet and exercise during this time.
The deep emotions that are experienced through divorce can be a springboard of self-exploration, self-love, and much needed self-nurturing. Learning to eat whole foods steadily throughout the day by combining protein, fat, and a small amount of carbohydrates can stabilize the blood sugar and further aid hormonal balance.
Metamorphosis through Divorce
A woman going through menopause while experiencing a divorce or deep relationship struggles can be especially painful, but there is hope! By focusing on small hormonal changes, a true “butterfly effect” can occur. By balancing your hormones and diet, you can experience a ripple effect through a better ability to manage your stress, deeper sleep, loss of stubborn weight, and more! These changes in your life can affect your family and community.
What a breath of fresh air to see a woman go through divorce and handle it with dignity, integrity, and love. I believe this can happen in many cases if we try to understand ourselves and the other person. But it is hard to do if we are not able to think clearly and feel your best. The caterpillar who once was, who might have lost hope, can truly become a beautiful butterfly.
There is truly life and beauty on the other side of menopause and divorce. By making small changes in ourselves and in our relationships, we can truly change the world! To see if you have a hormone imbalance, take our free hormone assessment. At BeBalanced, our healthy weight loss program has helped over 5,000 women reach their goals by balancing hormones and helping affect wellness in all areas of life! You could be next. Don’t lose hope, find BeBalanced!
For more information on any of the topics mentioned here, you can contact your local BeBalanced Center. You can also take our free hormone assessment to start your journey to getting back to your best self!