The Real Fertility Harm Of Stress
What is stress…
We all know what stress is. At least we think we do. We all know what we mean when we talk about stress. The feeling of being overwhelmed and under a tremendous mental or emotional burden that can make us feel like we don't know if we are coming or going, as my mama might say.
Stress is an emotional response to external factors like work, relationships, or traumatic events that cause a physical response. What we don't often think about is the internal physical response beyond causing your heart to race or making knots in your stomach.
In fact, the stress response is normally a protective reflex to threats of danger and is meant to save you from physical harm. The problem in our society is that we are normally physically safe, but our body sets off the same stress response from too many emails and an overwhelming to-do list just as it would to being chased by a stray dog. So when our job, for example, stresses us out every day, the stress response never shuts off. This is also what we think of as anxiety. There isn’t always a distinct trigger that we can narrow down but we feel stressed.
This is extremely problematic because it takes a lot of energy and resources to power the stress response. If you need to get away really fast you would want your muscles and heart to have all the power they needed. But the cost is that energy and nutrients are detoured aways from other less "essential" things like digestion for example but, more importantly, fertility and reproduction. Only when the perceived threat is eliminated can the body begin to focus on healthy periods and pregnancy. It’s like your body is saying, its not safe to have a baby now.
The physical cost of stress…
The other issue is that chronic stress damages otherwise healthy organs and systems. People with chronic stress experience a wide range of symptoms that seem unrelated to the stress they carry. The saying that someone will "worry themselves to death" or "sick with worry" are based on the fact that there is only so much stress your body can take before it starts to wear down.
Effects of chronic stress
Weakened immune system
Muscle pain
Poor memory and brain fog
Heart issues
Digestive issues
Infertility
PMS
Nutrient depletion
Weight gain/difficulty losing weight
Stop stressing…
This is probably the epitome of "easier said than done." But really, stress needs to be managed and shouldn’t go unchecked for too long. Creating a toolkit for when stress happens is the best way to be prepared. Stress is going to happen and your body normally is very resilient to reasonable amounts of stress.
Toolkit:
First ask yourself 3 questions:
Is this issue in my control?
What can I do to avoid this issue in the future?
What can I do immediately to reduce my stress?
Nutrition: Eat well timed, balanced meals of protein, whole grain, and healthy fat. This will not only fuel the exhausting stress response but also repair and protect your body from the strain of stress.
Supplements: The B vitamins for sure are important to anyone dealing with a lot of stress.
Herbs: Ashwagandha is an adaptogen, meaning it can restore your body to its normal flow and bring down your stress pathways.
Lifestyle: It can be a light walk. It doesn't have to be vigorous and leave you feeling even more drained, but the goal is to get movement back in and increase the supportive feel good hormones and neurotransmitter
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