Feeling Hot??? [Part 3]

Aaahhh, summer.

We’ve been talking a lot about feeling HOT, and what better time than the end of July to complete our discussion about ways to feel “Hot” the way you want to feel it.

I’m not talking about the waking up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat kind of hot - more like the kind where you feel radiant, glowing, turned on to life, and amazing in your body.  

That’s the kind of “Hot” you’re going for.

We covered some different strategies already - and they all boil down to finding ways to address different sources of stress in your day-to-day. 

How did you do with last week’s invitation to change something that would allow you to honor your own wants and needs? 

Sounds simple - but as we all know, simple is not always easy.  

Still, starting to put your own needs first can be a real game changer.

So it’s totally worth the effort. 

I know I might sound like a broken record on this, but in my experience working with women and in my own life as well, I just can’t overstate the impact of stress on the level of “Hot” and “Happy” you experience in your day-to-day.

Stress is a huge contributing factor when it comes to perimenopause loaded with symptoms, from hot flashes to weight gain to brain fog to emotional havoc. 

Beyond that, it also can contribute to many other types of hormonal imbalance - issues with thyroid and adrenals, which can impact everything from metabolism and weight to skin to energy to fertility. 

Okay, okay, you get it. 

Unchecked stress leads to hormonal imbalance = symptoms and health challenges.

Simple enough equation, right? 

So other than improving your self-talk and beginning to put your own needs and wants first, what else can you do to address stress and bring your system back into the gorgeous harmony it’s designed for? 

Look at simple tweaks you can make that will improve your stress levels.

We’ve talked about some of this already - so to review, ask yourself the following question:

What can you add, subtract, or change that can make a big impact on your stress levels? 

Is it your self-talk? 

Maybe more sleep? 

An earlier bedtime? 

That meditation or yoga class you’ve been dying to try? 

More connection with girlfriends? 

Time away with your partner or spouse? 

Letting go of that obligation that sucks the life out of you? 

This is all fantastic and worth both exploring and shifting for yourself.

AND, it can also be extremely handy to have a simple yet powerful tool you can use to short-circuit stress in real-time, as it’s happening.

You know, in that moment when you are about to lose it because that work project is suddenly going sideways, or your friend calls in tears because she’s gotten some bad news, or you accidentally overslept when you finally did get back to sleep last night - and the list goes on and on... 

One of the simplest yet most powerful tools available to you is as simple as focusing on your breathing. 

Just pressing “pause”, stepping back from the situation, and noticing your breathing - feeling it going in, going out, going in, going out. 

Slowing it down - deeper inhale, longer exhale. 

Breathing in calm, peace, then breathing out and letting go. 

In and out. In and out. Slow, steady, deep, comfortable. 

You can even close your eyes and feel your body relax and release. 

As little as 60 seconds in this state can completely shift what is going on internally - away from stress physiology, and back to Hot, Happy, and Healthy. 

So practice it this week - when you notice yourself being pulled into “stress mode”, whether it’s in the middle of a hot flash or a different symptom, sensation, or situation, pause, take a step back, and focus on your breathing. 

Let go, close your eyes, notice your body relax. 

Give it at least 60 seconds, and notice the difference in how you feel. 

That’s it! 

The more you do this, the more it will become second nature as a reliable, effective tool to bring your gorgeous self back to harmony in a flash - no pun intended. :-) 

Want to learn more about other ways you can redefine and reclaim feeling hot for yourself?

Click here to schedule a free Discovery Session where you can learn more about my Hot, Happy, Healthy Kick-Start Program and how it can support you in feeling amazing again.