What is the link between hormones and anxiety?
Chemical imbalances in the body have been connected to anxiety disorders. This means that when you’re feeling anxious just before your period, you’re not going crazy!
Hormone imbalances really can increase or reduce feelings of anxiety.
Let’s take a deeper look into how our hormones can achieve this:
Progesterone.
Levels of progesterone rise shortly after ovulation. This hormone activates the amygdala, the region of your brain that controls your fight-or-flight instincts. Triggering the amygdala can make you feel extremely anxious and even depressed.
Testosterone.
In general, testosterone aids in the regulation of the area of the brain that evaluates others’ emotions and responds to social dangers. Low levels may make it harder for you to understand what’s going on in social interactions, leading to anxiety.
Thyroid hormones.
Thyroid hormones play an important role in anxiety: levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (also known as TSH) are linked to the intensity of panic attacks.
Oxytocin.
When going through a stressful time, oxytocin can amplify your memory of the experience, making you more likely to feel anxious the next time you’re in a similar circumstance.
Adrenaline and cortisol.
These are our stress hormones. They cause anxiety when they flood the brain in a stressful situation, which could be anything from a work meeting to a life-threatening situation.
Decreasing stress can support all your hormones and help reduce feelings of anxiety.
One way to decrease stress is to focus on reducing inflammation in the body. Research has shown that positive emotions help reduce inflammation within the body.
Try the following tips to create positive emotions for yourself and harvest the health benefits:
Meditate
Meditation (or healing prayer) has been used for millennia to help foster positive emotions. It helps calm your body physically and helps you put things into perspective mentally. Set aside time each day to pray or meditate to build positive emotions and reduce inflammation.
Set goals
Progressing toward goals is a powerful source of good emotions. Setting goals is how you get there. Don’t set unattainable goals, but don’t make them too easy. What are your dreams? Think through the steps you need to get there and turn them into your goals.
Do yoga
Yoga helps release the neurotransmitter GABA, which calms your brain. It can also act as a natural antidepressant and increases gray matter in the brain.
Choose happiness
We often think of happiness as something that happens to us, but we have a choice. Write down three things you’re grateful for every day. Give a compliment. Take on a challenge. Make a choice to do the little things that naturally increase your mood.
Eat healthy
Certain foods trigger inflammation – and some foods reduce it. What could you do with the extra leftover energy once you’re no longer struggling through diet-related inflammation and illness?
Focus on these foods to help reduce inflammation, stress, and anxiety!
Salmon
Salmon is full of brain supporting nutrients such as vitamin D, EPA, and DHA. These nutrients can help support and regulate the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine.
Chamomile tea
Chamomile is famous for its stress-busting properties. Chamomile is thought to support various neurotransmitters including dopamine, serotonin, and GABA which all can impact feelings of anxiety.
Oats
Oats are an excellent source of tryptophan, an amino acid that is a precursor to serotonin. Adequate levels of serotonin can lead to positive emotions.
Eggs
Eggs are chock full of minerals, amino acids, vitamins, and antioxidants that can help make the body more resilient to stress. Choline, a nutrient that’s found in high levels in eggs, has been shown to be particularly helpful in supporting overall brain health.
Shellfish (oysters, clams, mussels, etc)
Shellfish are one of nature’s multivitamins! They are rich in zinc, copper, taurine, selenium, and more which can support neurotransmitters and help to regulate the body’s stress response.
Garlic
Garlic can help support the body’s stress response. It is rich in sulfur compounds that are precursors to glutathione. Glutathione is considered the “master antioxidant” and can help support mitochondria health.
Feel like you need extra support to get your hormones back on track? We can help…
