So here’s the thing about hormones, and having the hormones in balance. They affect almost every single aspect of our lives, from our moods to our poos. They’re ubiquitous, and we hear about them all the time. Hormone balancing procedures are gaining popularity in helping treat a variety of different issues, and melatonin is readily available over the counter in most pharmacies to help people sleep better at night.
However, hormones also exist in a balance with each other within our bodies. Too much, or too little of any specific hormone can cause a chain reaction that can throw our entire system out of whack. To keep your hormones in balance there are procedures that can help rectify the issues that arise from imbalances, but there are some simple health tips that you can follow everyday to keep your hormones in balance, and they’re easier than you might think.
Establish a regular sleep schedule (and follow it)
To have your hormones in balance, sleep is incredibly important for the body as it repairs itself from all the damage done while we’re awake, and the mind as it encodes new memories and builds neural pathways, and, in this case, for having properly balanced hormones. There are all kinds of challenges to achieving a proper sleep schedule—work, family life, activities, staying out all night partying (I’m looking at you, young people), even overindulging in caffeine can mess with your sleep cycle. Here’s the thing though: not getting enough sleep can cause your body to produce an excess amount of cortisol, the hormone responsible for our body’s natural stress responses. Not enough sleep = more stress = even less sleep.
Try establishing a night time wind-down routine for yourself, whether that’s enjoying some herbal tea (caffeine free, of course), or having a bath, or reading. Limit your screen time before you try to sleep, and most importantly, try to go to bed at the same time every night. Your body (and your hormones) will thank you.
To have hormones in balance try to eat healthier
Yep, this one sucks too. This means avoiding processed, refined foods like refined flour, and taking care to try and maximize the amount of healthy proteins, fats, vitamins and nutrients that your body needs. In an ideal world, there’s no good amount of fast, refined foods – but the reality is that sometimes minimizing the amounts we put in our bodies is the best we can do.
The stupid, accurate mantra is “everything in moderation.” That means yes, you can eat pizza, yes, you can drink wine, yes, you can put back 6 mimosas and a smoked salmon benedict and then go lay on the couch moaning about it. Just don’t do it all the time. And definitely don’t drive after that brunch. What eating healthier really means is being educated about what is and isn’t good to put in your body, and taking steps to actively avoid the bad stuff as much as you can.
No hormones in balance? Go to therapy
Or do yoga. Or try meditation. Or go for walks, find a trusted friend you can confide in, share your feelings openly, exercise if that works for you. The goal is reducing the amount of stress in your day to day life. We talked about stress and sleep earlier, but the thing is that stress doesn’t just mess with sleep, it messes with EVERYTHING.
Heart disease, stroke, mood swings, acne—when we say everything, we mean everything. That doesn’t mean live some blissed-out disconnected monastic life free from the pressures of the world (unless you want to, in which case right on, do you), it just means find strategies that can help you better manage and reduce stress in your life.
Are you ready to discover your best self? Learn more about how to keep your hormones in balance.
