During these interesting times, it wouldn’t be surprising if your anxiety has gone through the roof!!
There are very real reasons for our anxieties at the moment, but some have also been hyped up by the media.
If you are in the middle of perimenopause, your anxiety has been likely worse than usual, and that was bad enough!
Let’s have a little deeper look at why we are so prone to anxiety during perimenopause.
Anxiety is actually one of the most common symptoms during perimenopause. It’s usually is the type of anxiety that is disproportionate to the situation. You seem to worry about everything and anything!
This anxiety can easily lead us to experiencing panic attacks, which can be quite scary.
Everything seems overwhelming. You can’t even make a decision without breaking into a sweat of worry and panic.
So, what is going on within us that is causing all this?
Fluctuations in our hormones, have a major part to play in this. Especially progesterone levels.
Progesterone is a calming hormone. When its levels start to decrease in perimenopause, we can feel worried and anxious about any little thing.
Perimenopause is the time when our past unresolved emotional traumas come to the fore. It is natural that we start feeling anxious much more easily. It is our body’s way of telling us we need to resolve something.
In more normal times, this is likely the main reason why we get so anxious during perimenopuase. Have a deeper look into what is making you anxious and panicky. Those seemingly little things are usually a standing in front of a bigger thing that keeps calling you to be resolved.
At this moment in time, however, I can see that our cortisol and adrenaline levels are the ones causing most of this mayhem.
Cortisol and adrenaline are our survival hormone. It takes precedence over all the others. They are produced when we are in perceived danger, it’s our flight or fight hormone.
We have all been feeling in some sort of danger these last few weeks – from the virus, from losing our freedom, from our inability to see friends and family, from being in financial hardship, from the probability of losing our livelihoods… the list can go on…
If these two hormone is overflowing due to stress, they will create imbalance in all the others. Including progesterone, our calming hormone.
It’s no wonder we are all feeling super anxious. We’ve got anxiety coming at us from the external stresses and fear being thrown at us every day for the past 2 months. And we are also getting it from the hormonal imbalances that result from it.
So what can you do to feel more calm?
Some simple things you can easily do right now include avoiding alcohol and caffeine, and taking time to exercise and to rest as well.
Nutritionally some vitamin B6 and magnesium could help, as they calm your nervous system.
If you feel your anxiety is too much, out of proportion or persistent, or you are having a difficult time dealing with it, then do try to get help.
EFT, meditation, mindfulness and counselling may be very helpful in this instance.
Homeopathy and flower essences are also amazing in these situations.
Please don’t let yourself get mired in your anxiety. I am here to help.
I’m offering free 15 minute chats to all my clients, to talk about how you are doing, and help you feel calmer and more at peace.
All of a sudden we are thrust into a new “normal”! Some of us have been forced to start working at home, others to homeschool their children. Sometimes both things at the same time! (Yes, that is me!).
On top of that, we have to babysit our husbands as well! Haha!
Not only that, we are now, in many places, forced to stay at home unless absolutely necessary!
We humans beings are not happy to change our ways too often. We thrive on routines and habits. It takes time to change something we are so used to doing.
And this is the situation most of us are experiencing at the moment.
Abrupt changes can be very stressful in the best of times. Add to this the fear and anxiety about a virus we know little about, plus the media bombarding us with an overlaod of information and panic and hysteria… well it’s recipe for disaster.
I’m going to share here what I’ve been trying to do to keep my anxiety under control as much as possible. I hope it can help you too.
Avoid the news and social media as much as possible. It is hard not too feel anxious when we are constantly hearing about the virus, lockdowns, sold out supermarkets and flattening the curve. Yes, keep yourself updated once or twice a day, but I recommend not more than that. Turning off the news and keeping away from social media has helped me so much.
Go outside and get some sunshine (if you have it!), fresh air, and movement. Not only does this help with physical immunity and health, it is also paramount to mental health. All human beings need to be outside part of the time!
Try to keep your normal routine going. Go to sleep and get up at the same time. Get dressed in different clothes. If you are newly working from home try to keep similar hours. Routines ground us and help us with uncertainty.
If you now have kids at home, try not to stress too much about homeschooling or whether they’ll be behind or not. Kids will be just as anxious about this as us, even if not fully aware about the situation, and they will pick up on our own anxieties. Be with them, support them, listen to them, play games, and try to keep a routine as well to anchor the whole family.
Try to exercise as much as you can. If you can, go for a walk or a run outside. If you are stuck in side, there are now a myriad of online fitness/yoga/dance and other classes all over the internet. We need to keep our bodies strong and fit to help our immune system and our mental health.
Keep in touch with friends and family, through chats or video calls. Humans need connection. We are all in this together, and it’s always nice to hear from someone just checking up on you. Help your kids to remain in touch with their friends as well — it must be difficult for them not to be able to play and chat with friends anymore!
Don’t feel pressured to (or guilty that you didn’t) do everything that you thought you would do now that you are stuck at home. You know what I’m talking about: decluttering and deep cleaning your house; doing all the yoga classes online; meditating everyday; reading all the books on your bedside table. Relax, take your time, and do only what you need and want to do.
If you feel overwhelmed, reach out. To your family, to your friends. Even to your homeopath! We are here to help!
I’m still working from home with clients, so if you need an appointment just get in touch! Email me at homeopathy@stephaniethullen.com.
I’m also now working with an amazing international group of homeopaths on a new venture to offer homeopathic help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can check this out here: www.homeopathy247.com.
I’m sure there are so many other ways to deal with stress and anxiety during these difficult time. I’d love to hear what has worked for you too! Leave your ideas and experience in the comments if you wish!
I promised you on my newsletter I would write a bit more about the Corona Virus, aka Covid-19, on my blog, so here it is!
Now, my aim with this is to put things in perspective and avoid assumptions and hysteria. Neither of these things will help you.
The media seems to be hyping everything up. They only tell you about the spreading infection and the deaths increasing every day.
What this type of reporting usually does is send people into fear mode, which is the last thing you want if you want to boost your immune system.
Fear is a major immune system suppressor.
I’m all for the media telling us the facts, but without the hype. They are telling us hardly anything about the age and health conditions of the people who are suffering severely or dying from the virus.
You really need to dig deep to find out that most of them are either elderly, or already have a health condition which weakens their immune system.
The media is also not telling us much about the people who are recovering, and the people who suffered only mildly from the virus.
The other day I saw a meme on Facebook, which had the following statistics:
On the same day that 108 people in China died of the virus, more than 26,000 died of cancer, more than 24,000 died of heart disease, more that 4,000 of diabetes and more than 1,000 were murdered!
I’m not sure the source of these statistics but they sound pretty plausible to me. If you have time to dig these numbers (eg. How many people die or xyz per day), I’d love to know! But in a quick search, I found that in the US alone 1,660 people die of cancer each day! The worldwide murder number is pretty accurate after a quick search too!
Of course, we don’t know much yet about the virus, and I understand the caution we need to take around it. However, that does not mean that we need to be frightened to death about it.
Allopathic medicine is based on the germ theory, which see microorganisms as attacking us. In homeopathy we see things quite differently. It all starts with the terrain – the body and the immune system.
If your immune system is functioning well, you eat and hydrate well to keep your body strong and healthy, then you’ll be able to handle things better than someone who doesn’t look after themselves, is overly stressed, or has a suppressed immune system.
So start here.
Follow the advice being given by health authorities is with regards to basic hygiene: wash your hands, cover your mouth when sneezing or coughing, bin all used tissues as soon as possible, avoid contact with people who are unwell, keep your house clean, etc…
It was hygiene and sanitation which has been the major factor in our improved ability to prevent and deal with many diseases.
I already gave some tips in my newsletter about boosting your immunity with Vitamin C, D, iodine. You could also add zinc and selenium in there.
You could add antiviral foods to your diet, like garlic, fermented foods, apple cider vinegar, coconut oil, and many others.
Homeopathy has a great track record with regards to treating influenza in the past, and since we don’t treat particular disease but rather individual people and their own unique expression of symptoms, there are many remedies that could be used.
I was going to write here a bit more about some homeopathic remedies to have on hand, but the media seems to be on a witch hunt at the moment with homeopaths, so I will write a separate newsletter just with this info. Make sure you are subscribed if you want to know more! Click here to subscribe!
Most importantly, don’t stress too much about this. As I said earlier, fear and stress are immunosuppressive. Try to get adequate sleep and rest, get enough fresh air and exercise. Be happy and grateful everyday.
As usual, this doesn’t replace advice from your doctor or medical practitioner or health authorities.
And keep doing your own research.
In the meantime I leave you with the Corona virus Cumbia! (Only in Mexico 🇲🇽 !) If you understand Spanish, you can hear all about the common sense preventative measures while you dance!
Maybe it’s not the bleed itself, more what comes with it. The mood swings, the pain, the bloating, the sore boobs…. the weepiness, the food cravings, the spots on your face…. the rage, the headaches, the insomnia…
You are totally fed up, and sometimes it’s so bad you want to just curl up on the sofa with a hot water bottle all day.
Can you believe PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome) / PMT (Premenstrual Tension) is something that around 80% of women suffer from, all the way from mild to severe symptoms?!
How can this be?
Is this the fault of our hormones? Did God/Mother Nature/Source get this wrong?
In the physical sense, our hormonal balance is certainly one of the factors – either excess or deficiency of estrogen, plus a deficiency of progesterone.
In addition to our lovely hormones being out of balance when we are suffering PMS, these factors also have a big role to play:
Inflammation
Stress
Trauma
High consumption of dairy, caffeine, sugar, alcohol.
Deficiency of certain minerals (magnesium, selenium) and vitamins (B complex, C, E)
Lack of exercise
Excess weight
Histamine intolerance
But if your PMS is chronic – you get it pretty much every month, year after year – or severe, then you need to look deeper.
Our female hormones communicate with us and guide us in our day to day life.
Premenstrually, they are telling us we need to rest, to look inward, nurture ourselves.
Our modern culture, however, is telling us the opposite. It’s telling us we need to keep active all the time, be productive members of society. We can and should do anything, anytime.
It is when we resist our cycles and rhythms, that we run into trouble. PMS is our body signalling us that we are not in tune with ourselves.
It’s screaming for us to look after ourselves and rest. It’s telling us that maybe we haven’t been kind to ourselves lately – too much stress, not enough nutrient dense foods, not enough exercise.
So what can you do to relieve PMS?
Getting rid of your hormonal fluctuations – which are normal by the way! – with a hormonal contraceptive will not solve the problem. It’s only patching it up, temporarily. In fact, it will most likely cause more problems (and that is a conversation for another time!).
The main problem or problems will still be there unless you address them.
Reducing stress is probably the most important thing and it goes hand in hand with inflammation. Stress affects the behaviours and communication of all our hormones, including estrogen and progesterone.
Avoiding foods that cause inflammation, like dairy, wheat, sugar, alcohol and vegetable oils, could also be important
You can start to look at your nutrition and exercise habits, and see where you need to change things up.
Do you need to reduce or avoid sugar, caffeine, alcohol, dairy?
Or maybe consume foods that contain magnesium, selenium, vitamin B6, B12, C and E.
Maybe you need to see if your meals are properly balanced, with enough protein and fat to balance your blood sugar and avoid sugar cravings.
Or if you think you have a histamine sensitivity or intolerance, then look at avoiding foods that could cause a histamine reaction – e.g. dairy, alcohol – or that contain histamine – e.g. cheese, red wine, fermented foods, smoked meats, nuts, beans and pulses.
Do you need to exercise more to reduce stress and inflammation and balance blood sugar.
Or maybe you just need to try to get more and better sleep. IF you do the above, your sleep will very likely improve anyway!
You don’t have to keep struggling month after month!
You can heal yourself. Homeopathy can help you deal with your PMS/PMT symptoms. It can also help you get to the deeper root cause, safely and effectively, so you don’t have to suffer any more!
Please get in touch if you need help. I’m here for you!
I’m in the middle of preparations for my summer holiday!So excited to be seeing my family soon and spend some time with them, and in a nice, hot, place near the beach too boot!
So I’m just making my list of things to take with me, and since many of you are probably going on holiday at some point in the next few weeks, I thought I’d share with you what I usually never leave home without on my travels.
Homeopathy First Aid Kit
Definitely never leave home without it!!!It contains all the main remedies you could need in any first aid situation, including Arnica for shock, bumps and bruises; Belladonna for fevers; Ledum for stings or puncture wounds; Nux Vomica for overindulgence and indigestion…
Here in the UK you can get one from Helios or Ainsworths homeopathic pharmacies.They are both excellent.
Helios has a choice of 18 or 36 remedy kits (you can only order the 36 remedy kit by phone), whilst Ainsworths is a 42 remedy kit – well worth it as it also comes with an excellent booklet to help you choose the most appropriate remedy.
Homeopathic Creams
There are 2 that I take with me without fail – Arnica cream for bumps and bruises, and Hypericum & Calendula cream for helping cuts and scrapes heal.Sometimes I also take Rhust Tox & Ruta cream to help with muscular pains.
Again these you can get from either Helios or Ainsworths pharmacies.
Travel Ease Essence from Alaskan Essences
This one travels with me in my handbag.This especially to help you with the negative effects of travel, especially air travel – the crowded and confined spaces, electromagnetic radiation, noise, vibration, and the jet lag.
I take this essence regularly before, during and after the flight, along with some Arnica to help with the jet lag.
You can get this essence from myself, or from Healthlines in the UK. You can also get it directly from Alaskan Essences in the USA.
Vitamin B1 and insect repellent
If you are like me and insects love to bite you, then I recommend taking Vitamin B1 with you.There are various brands out there, I like Viridian and Biocare, but am sure there are other good ones out there.
I also take a natural insect repellent, like Incognito.DEET is very toxic, so try to avoid anything with that ingredient.Look for a natural and, preferably, organic repellent option.
Sunscreen and after-sun care
There’s been a lot of controversy over sunscreen lately, whether it’s actually needed, whether it’s toxic and bad of the environment, etc.I’m not getting into this now, but have a look here for more information: EWG sunscreen report and Mercola’s sunscreen safety guide.
The thing is, the sun is actually good for us, but in moderation.The best way to get our much needed vitamin D is through the skin, so putting sunscreen on all the time will actually prevent us from our daily vitamin D dose (and most of us in her in the UK are very deficient!).
However, the amount of time you can be in the sun without damage depends on your unique skin.If you are fair skinned then it will obviously be less than if you have darker skin.
The main thing to go by is that once your skin gets a bit red, that’s it, it’s time to cover up or get out of the sun.
If you know you are going to be outside in the sun for a while, then do use some sunscreen, especially in your face. There are many safe options out there, some organic ones; avoid sunscreens with nano particles and spray on sunscreens.
My choice is a natural, organic sunscreen option, with zinc oxide (and perhaps also titanium dioxide).
For after sun care, Aloe Vera creams or gels are great.If you got too much sun, homeopathic Belladona will help, also Calendula for the skin.
I also use homeopathic Sol 30c or 200c for before and after sun to prevent skin damage.
This month I experienced one of the miracles of modern medicine – eyesight saving surgery. I’m still in awe about some of the things we can do nowadays – lifesaving emergency medicine, surgery, diagnostics – these are all amazing and great things that modern medicine can offer us, and I am sooo grateful for that.
Unfortunately, when it comes to most other health issues, in particular chronic disease, modern medicine seems to completely miss the mark. It is so frustrating that in this day and age, modern medicine focuses only on the physical aspect of disease, and as something that comes from outside to attack you and you are the victim.
What happened to searching for the root causes of disease? What happened to looking at the mind and spirit as inextricably linked to our physical body? It is no wonder modern medical treatments only work up to a point, or only temporarily.
The only thing on offer seems to be synthetic drugs and pills, which actually only cover up or suppress the symptoms. Too often, they even cause more harm than good!
Most people think there is nothing else they can do to feel better, even though they are fed up with treatments and medications that don’t really work or make them feel worse.
The modern medical system leads us to believe that there are no other valid options – anything else, especially if it’s natural, is quackery and pseudo-science (and especially homeopathy it seems nowadays!!!).
Wouldn’t it be such a different experience if modern medicine was open and integrated with natural and holistic approaches? Wouldn’t it be great if patients were given more than 10 minutes with a health practitioner to really explore and dig deeper into the root cause of their problems? If not only their physical ailments were taken into account, but also mental, emotional and spiritual health, past and present trauma, what actually makes them who they are today?
Because to truly heal yourself requires not just healing the physical body, but your whole self!
This is why I love homeopathy so much and why I became a homeopath! It truly does heal, at every level – body, mind, spirit. It is safe and effective. It gets to the root cause of the problem. Sometimes it needs a little help too, from nutrition, herbs, acupuncture, osteopathy….. sometimes even from modern medicine! But it truly is a complete medicine.
If you have been looking for an alternative, give homeopathy a try!
Hi, I’m Stephanie!
I’m a registered Homeopath living in the small, beautiful rural county of Herefordshire in the UK. My passion is to help women balance their hormones in a natural, safe and effective way, so they can feel like themselves again.
