Assistant Beauty & Health Editor

Assistant Beauty & Health Editor

Hannah Frye is the Assistant Beauty Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.S. in journalism and a minor in womens, gender, and queer studies from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Hannah has written across lifestyle sections including health, wellness, sustainability, personal development, and more.

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October 31, 2023

A lengthy to-do list, a burning urge to optimize every area of your life, and a quarter of the time necessary to do sothese are just some of the thoughts weighing on the mind of someone struggling with "superwoman syndrome."

On a recent episode of mindbodygreen's Clean Beauty School podcast, board-certified integrative medicine doctor Taz Bhatia, M.D., chats through the exact definition and shares tips to ease daily stress and balance hormones.Below, discover the enlightening conversation.

Bhatia declares that women today are one of the most stressed generations. "We're trying to do it all," she says. This constant pressure to achieve perfection in every avenue of life is the essence of "superwoman syndrome," and oftentimes, it's simply not sustainable.

See, stress increases a hormone called cortisol, which leads to what's known as a "cortisol spike." This happens not only when you feel stereotypical overwhelm (like a longer to-do list than time in the day) but also feelings of anger, worry, or grief, Bhatia says.

More specifically, a 2018 study showed that extreme stress can trigger a ninefold increase in cortisol compared to a state of relaxation.

This constant cortisol overload can lead to other hormonal imbalances that then contribute to larger disruptions, as seen in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), hormonal acne, fertility struggles, and even early menopause, she adds.

Of course, offloading your plate wherever possible may be the first step to easing stress. But it's equally important to add items to your to-do list that relieve stress and positively contribute to your mental health, hormonal health, and, in turn, your overall health. Bhatia refers to this process as your very own "checks and balances" system.

Bhatia suggests common examples like yoga, a walk in the park, daily journaling, and regular mindfulness practice. But don't just schedule in activities other people consider relaxingsearch for personally fulfilling moments instead. If you have a few minutes, consider writing down a few activities you know bring you peace so it's easy to pick next time you have a free block of time.

Ultimately, it doesn't matter what you do; just making a relaxing activity part of your priorities is the lesson here.Think of the scheduling as a preemptive act of self-care.

"[Find] something that really refills you, so that stress, trauma, and all of these other things that life can throw in our way doesn't completely crash your endocrine system," she reiterates.

So the next time you look at your calendar, take note of how many to-do items are just for you and your endocrine systemif there aren't at least a few dedicated activities or moments each week for winding down, try to schedule them in wherever they fit.

By doing so, you'll build a life that is congruent for you, Bhatia says, one that isn't forcing you on the aging spectrum faster than nature intended.

The consistent pressure to optimize every single avenue of one's life (and contributing to heightened stress) may signal "superwoman syndrome." No fear: You can alleviate this "condition" by scheduling in relaxing activities throughout the weekwhatever that means for you. For more hormone-balancing tips, tune in to the latest episode below:

Follow this link:
What Is "Superwoman Syndrome" & How Does It Affect Hormones ... - mindbodygreen