Several weeks ago I ran into a friend at the swimming pool, it was fragmented discussion as we juggled mutliple kids and swimming lessons. Both busy mums with various commitments and responsibilities catching up poolside in between shouts of "stop trying to drown your brother" and "quick your lesson has started". As we so often do, when first asked "how are you" our response is often "good, just busy. Where has this week gone?". Yes life is busy, it's hard to quantify how busy and measure it against something tangible. If we could, would it enable us to justify how tired we are or the fact that our to do list just didn't quite get completed this week? Has it ever been fully completed and if it was would you sit back and relax? Are we more or less of a woman/mother/human according to how "busy" we are? Deep things to ponder poolside hey? It may have been a coincidence, or something bigger trying to smack me in the forehead and get my life back into some semblance of balance.
The weeks leading up to this light bulb poolside moment had been fraut with crazy work hours, kids commitments and very little sleep. I had found myself hyperventilating on the way to netball and getting the shakes by the end of a work day. Was that any way to live a life? I felt as though I was on a treadmill that was set just a bit above the speed I could cope with and there was no way of turning it down. Comparing notes on our crazy symptoms it in turn led to us discussing a recent article published on Rushing Womans Syndrome, Adrenal Fatigue and the effects on the body and minds of those of us effected by excessive and constant stress.
The weeks leading up to this light bulb poolside moment had been fraut with crazy work hours, kids commitments and very little sleep. I had found myself hyperventilating on the way to netball and getting the shakes by the end of a work day. Was that any way to live a life? I felt as though I was on a treadmill that was set just a bit above the speed I could cope with and there was no way of turning it down. Comparing notes on our crazy symptoms it in turn led to us discussing a recent article published on Rushing Womans Syndrome, Adrenal Fatigue and the effects on the body and minds of those of us effected by excessive and constant stress.
Before I elaborate on the article let me ask you a few questions....
1. Do you just love your coffee and feel deprived or anxious if you cant get your daily fix?
2. Do you crave sugar, especially during that mid afternoon slump or close to the arrival of "that time of the month?"
3. Often answer 'stressed' or busy' when asked how you are and feel as though there are never enough hours in the day to get everything done?
4. Dont get enough sleep, or when you do you dont feel as though it's restorative?
5. You spend no time in solitude, feeling as though there is no 'me time'. Catch yourself feeling as though that would be selfish or a luxury you just don't have time for?
6. Often suffer from digestive complaints such as bloating or IBS?
7. Check emails, facebook and messages whilst visiting the bathroom?
8. Laugh less often than you used to?
If you answered yes to most of the above, then I kindly suggest my frined that you keep reading....
Always one to do my due dilligence and research, I came across an interesting website www.drlibby.com. Dr Libby Weaver is a biochemist and nutritionist based between New Zealand and Australia who found an increasing number of women presenting exhibiting all very similiar symptoms or complaints. Rushing Womens Syndrome was coined to describe the cascade of hormonal changes that occur when a person experiences stress for extensive time periods and has the ability to manifest itself in various ways from unexplained weight gain, to fatigue and mood swings. As further described by the Mayo Clinic, it is the long term activation of the stress response system and the subsequent exposure to constant levels of cortisol and other stress related hormones that can potentially disrupt nearly all of your bodies processes, increasing your risk of various health problems incuding anxiety and depression, digestive complaints, heart disease, sleep problems, weight gain and concentration impairment.
Certain amounts of stress are necessary and even normal. This response system was a brilliant evolutionary boon when running from ravenous predators, however despite our day to day living generally lacking such evasive requirements, our bodies still lack the ability to differentiate between preventing being somethings next meal and back to back meetings, coupled with emails, cooking dinner, keeping up to date on the washing, transporting kids to all of their after school activities etc. This constant feeling of being "on the go" combined with the lack of effort focused on rest and recovery leads to a body constantly flooded with stress hormones and struggling to cope. Anne Clark, the author of Running on Empty describes this state of living as being a "human doing" rather than a "human being" and whilst in short burtst having that "doing hat" on is somewhat beneficial, living like this long term and in a constant manner tends to turn you into more of a machine rather than a someone. She states that life isn't about just exisiting, rather more importantly it should be about experiencing and reflecting and describes life as joy and living as being in an 'aware state'.
Many of us are happy to take medications to combat sleep, digestive and mental health issues and yet do not look at adjusting lifestyle situations and time demands as a means to leading a happy, healthy and more fulfilled life. It may not be the quick fix that we all desire, however some simple alterations to daily living can have an amazingly profound effect on our health and mindset. Dr Libby suggests looking at various lifestyle alterations to assist the body regain biochemical balance and include eating more wholefoods, participating in yoga and meditation, prioritising sleep and relaxation and having that daunting yet honest discussion with ourselves regarding the impact of alcohol and caffiene. If taking simple steps each and everyday could gradually reduce your stress levels and the stress hormones constantly circulating your body would you do it? Are you worth it? Rather than viewing personal time out as selfish and a luxury, start viewing it as looking after yourself. You are worth it. You deserve it, and so does your family. Don't get caught on the treadmill. Step off, sit down, preferably in the sunshine and just be. Life is to precious to waste it being so "busy". xxx
