September Theme: Stress Management & Nervous System Reset

Mini-Lesson: Finding Calm in the Midst of Change

Introduction
Stress is something we all experience, but during times of estrogen loss, it can hit harder. That’s because shifting hormones affect how your brain and body respond to stress. Cortisol, your stress hormone, can spike more easily and linger longer, which may worsen symptoms like hot flashes, sleep problems, or anxiety.

The good news? You can train your nervous system to return to calm more quickly. Small, consistent practices help your body feel safer and more resilient, even when life feels overwhelming.

Why Stress Feels Different Now

  • Hormonal Shifts: Lower estrogen impacts neurotransmitters like serotonin and GABA, which normally help buffer stress.

  • Sleep Disruption: Poor sleep makes the body more reactive to stressors.

  • Physical Symptoms: Stress can intensify hot flashes, muscle tension, and fatigue.

  • Emotional Impact: Mood swings, irritability, or anxiety may show up more often.

Quick Nervous System Reset Practices
Here are a few simple tools you can use anytime:

  1. Box Breathing – Inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4. Repeat for 1–2 minutes.

  2. 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding – Name 5 things you see, 4 you feel, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, 1 you taste. This pulls your mind back into the present.

  3. Shoulder Drop – Inhale, shrug your shoulders up, then exhale and release with a sigh. Repeat 3 times.

  4. Hand-to-Heart Breathing – Place one hand over your heart, breathe deeply, and tell yourself, “I am safe.”

Tips for Daily Stress Relief

  • Build “micro-breaks” into your day: 2–3 minutes of calm is enough to reset.

  • Pair stress relief with daily tasks (deep breathing while waiting for the kettle to boil).

  • Reduce stimulation before bed to support sleep (dim lights, stretch, slow breath).

  • Notice which practices leave you feeling calmer, and keep them in your toolkit.

Reflection Prompt
At the end of the week, ask yourself: When did I notice myself shifting from tension to calm? Which tool felt most helpful in the moment?

Practical Tool: Daily Calm Tracker

This month, your tool is a Daily Calm Tracker designed to help you see how your stress levels change throughout the day and which calming practices work best for you.

Here’s how to use it:

  • Each morning, midday, and evening, rate your stress level on a scale of 1–5.

  • Write down which quick reset practice you chose (box breathing, grounding, shoulder drop, hand-to-heart).

  • Notice how you felt afterward—lighter, calmer, more grounded?

By the end of the week, you’ll start to notice patterns: what times of day tend to feel most stressful for you, and which calming tools give you the biggest shift. Use these insights to build your own personalized stress relief routine.

Curated Resource List: Stress & Nervous System Care

Here are trusted, high-quality resources to deepen your practice:

  1. The Relaxation Response (Herbert Benson, MD) – Classic book on how the body resets stress through simple techniques.
    https://amzn.to/4mWgib1

  2. Free meditations by the UCLA Mindful Awareness Center
    https://www.uclahealth.org/programs/uclamindful/free-guided-meditations/getting-started

Final Encouragement

Stress management isn’t about eliminating stress completely—it’s about giving your nervous system ways to recover and reset. With practice, your body learns to return to calm more easily, and you’ll begin to feel more steady, resilient, and in control.