Embrace the Swing

Joy tends to feel blurry after 40. We feel like losing control, losing temper, and losing the capacity to handle it all. Low mood seems to permeate our entire life and a deep feeling of fatigue kicks in, as weight gain worsens and mood continues to spiral down. 

Until recently, I couldn’t figure out how to swap back to my bouncing energy.  I was dragging myself down and letting my mood direct my life. During that time, I’ve noticed that listening to my brain was making me feel more down and depressed.

And then I learned this down state does not last!

Your brain is like a drama queen. It is here to protect you from any danger, being real or imaginary. Now if you let it guide your choices, your brain will come back to patterns he knows. When a situation matches this pattern, the brain processes the experience as familiar, safe, comfortable, even if the familiar is pain, low mood or depression. 

To stay on the bright side during these menopausal years, let’s bounce back to what your rational mind to lift our mood up:

–    Nourish your brain for good mood

All the brain chemicals for good mood, especially serotonin, are made out of nutrients from wholefoods.

With the quick fix sugar, the serotonin machinery derails and you are left with carb-craving and unhappiness. 

Nurture your brain every day! Three times a day! Your brain is dynamic, adaptable, and repairable. 

–    Master your mind for good mood 

Stress, over time, can change your brain.

Many studies show the benefits of mindfulness practice to improve stress resilience – your aptitude to deal with stress – and help with low mood, performance and memory.

Regular mindfulness practice also enhances your ability to keep your healthy eating habits in the long run. Are you ready to take on board a mindfulness practice? This practice does need to be big.  Check my Eating Meditation booklet. 

–    Have a plan in place 

For not turning back to the past when life looks grey, the best way is to look at the future.  

Building a plan requires to envision the future when life is joyful. The plan becomes a piece of mind for you to navigate life your terms. 

Let me know how you go with nourishing your brain, your mind and having a plan ready. You can find me in my Facebook group “Empower, Light and Energized after 40”. 

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This blog is meant to educate and should not be used as a substitute for personal medical or psychological advice. The reader should consult his or her physician or clinician for specific information concerning specific medical conditions. All reasonable efforts have been made to ensure the information presented is accurate, however, new findings may supersede some information presented. As every single individual circumstances will be different, no individual results should be seen as typical.