Honesty Hour: I've Been Too Stressed Out

Good morning and happy Friday! I didn't plan on having a post today. But then I woke up and felt compelled to talk with you.

I don't mind being vulnerable with my own struggles if it means we open up the conversation to things that need to get discussed in our society. Things like disordered eating, hormones, digestion...and yes, being TOO stressed out. I've had all these issues. I honestly believe most people, especially women, have these issues in their lives. But there is this fear of talking openly and honestly about our struggles. Is it because we have currently have this "strong women" perception where we are not allowed to have issues? Or is it because we feel our own issues don't matter as much as those around us? That we should just be quiet and deal with the issues alone?

I'm not sure the answer. What I am sure of though, is the more I talk about this kind of stuff the more I get feedback from you. That you also struggle. And once we open up the conversation about our struggles, we can then begin to change.

So in all transparency, I want to be honest with you about a big struggle in my life lately. And that's stress.

I knew starting a business would be a lot of work. But starting a business while also working for another job (almost full time) and still trying to do basic daily tasks and be a good human, wife, friend, fur mom, etc. It's no joke.

It's not that the work itself is difficult. Quite the opposite. I feel that I thrive when I am my own employer, and I enjoy every single second of the decisions I get to make for our business and working with clients.

It's balancing that with the other commitments that I cannot quite leave yet, is the difficult part.

I'm not writing this to ask for your sympathy, so while your comments of "You can do this!" are so, so appreciated...that's not the point of today's discussion.

I'm writing this because I know I am not alone. While the actual tasks, actions, commitments, jobs, etc in our lives may be different...I know I am one of many that deal with constantly high levels of stress.

And you know what? It's not f-ing okay.

Chronically high levels of stress cause some SERIOUS damage to our bodies, it's nothing to play around with. If you've heard of things like "adrenal fatigue" or "cortisol causing issues" I HIGHLY encourage you to join our free Facebook group, Nourishing Minds Tribe. We are currently sharing all about adrenal fatigue, also known as HPA axis dysfunction.

Many types and forms of stress can cause these "adrenal fatigue" issues which can then lead to issues with weight gain, digestion, hormones and so much more. It's a catalyst for having health issues, and should be taken more seriously in the medical community.

The stress I see many of my clients put on their bodies is undereating and overexericisng.

While I personally do not have issues with eating anymore, I definitely have in the past. And now that I understand the science behind what "slows our metabolism" when undereating, I know adrenal issues were at play for me.

So while my stress is different these days, I still have too much stress in my life. And I'm letting it get to  me. And today, it stops.

So here's to getting back to my morning routine and nighttime routine (that doesn't involve checking my emails or social media while doing them). Here's to more bubble baths. More turmeric milk. And hey even wine! Here's to prioritizing massages and acupuncture in my monthly budget because I need additional support in reducing my stress. Here's to nourishing my body with AS MUCH FOOD as I can, because undereating is stupid. Here's to NOT exercising AT ALL until I can reduce my stress. Here's to calming yoga and walking until I can get my stress levels down. Exercise may be a positive stressor but if you already have multiple forms of stress in your life right now, you are NOT going to get the results you are looking for. Seriously. Stop exercising if you are already stressed out. Stop. It.

If you are questioning if you are too stressed out and it's leading to issues like weight gain, hormonal imbalances and digestion issues- I am here to help. I'll be super honest with you, we are going to be raising our rates in June...so now is the time to get in before our prices increase. If you think you may actually have adrenal fatigue, we can help you run those tests and recommend diet, lifestyle and herbal supplement to support healing.

Let's change the way our society looks at stress like its a good thing and being "busy" is cool. My goal is to be a sloth as much as I can right now. It's gonna be super hard for me, but I know that's just me making up excuses for being fearful of change. I have two modes: busy or sleeping. I need to learn to relax. Will you join me?