In modern times, life has so much more to offer. Compared to earlier times when gender roles were more limited, we now have the opportunity and freedom to pursue our dreams regardless of our gender and to do whatever we want with our lives. At the same time, life has also become more challenging and stressful, with an increase in the roles and duties which we are expected to perform. More married women now work a full time job and juggle taking care of the family as well, and the husbands also do contribute to domestic duties after a tiring day of work.
When life gets too intense, we may find it difficult to cope and our body may start to show us symptoms like depression, mood swings, headaches , fatigue, trouble concentrating and sleep problems etc., which could be a sign of hormonal imbalance (1). Research has shown that high levels of daily psychological stress are linked to lower estrogen levels in young women (2). And in men, managing stress levels can help improve symptoms of low testosterone (3). Our internal system which has the natural ability to adjust and regulate itself thus becomes imbalanced and is unable to deal with the outward stressors which we experience.
To lead a more fulfilling life, we need to learn how to manage our stress. First we can examine what are our stressors and try to reduce them as much as possible. Then we can proceed with helping our internal system to come back to balance by itself. Though there are many who take hormone supplements, this can be quite risky in the long run as hormone levels in the body naturally fluctuate and it is difficult to know the appropriate dosage to consume, also by being dependent on an external source, ultimately it prevents the body from producing the hormones naturally.
To balance our hormones naturally, one way is to help stimulate the brain through our behavioural response to produce the hormones. When women work too hard doing all the planning and organising in her day job, her masculine side increases and hence suppress the feminine side. She feels that there is too much to do and feels overwhelmed. In this case, she needs to balance herself by coming back to her feminine side. She will find herself feeling much better after sharing her feelings at the end of the day with someone and also if she knows that she will be receiving support from others. Women require support to feel less stressed! On the other hand, when men participate in too much nurturing activities like helping to look after children the whole day, his masculine side decreases and he may feel less motivated in his life. So to balance himself he would need to come back to his masculine side. Thus spending some time by himself or with his guy friends would be beneficial. By coming back to our respective sides accordingly, the body naturally responds by bringing our hormones back into balance which helps us to reduce stress(4).
Another way to balance hormones that we recommend here is the practice of Sahaja Yoga meditation, where one can learn how to effectively balance our internal system of energy channels & centres, using the healing energy which lies within each one of us. By practising this meditation technique regularly, you will find yourself to be calmer and feeling less stressed, as your negative emotions and overthinking tendencies reduce. This intelligent energy works on the parasympathetic nervous system, the system for bringing the body back to a calm state from a stressful one, and also it knows how to balance our unique blend of feminine and masculine nature, hence bringing our hormones back to balance, in the way that it should support a healthy and happier life.
References:
(3) https://www.everydayhealth.com/hs/low-testosterone-guide/managing-stress/
(4) Gray, John. Beyond Mars and Venus: Relationship Skills for Today’s Complex World. BenBella Books, 2017.