Love Yourself Take Care Of Your Body
By The Health Coach Group – Revised by Dr. Melanie Gray
I love the idea of giving up the need to be skinny. But let’s be real—if you’re not feeling well, constantly exhausted, or carrying extra weight that makes your joints ache, it’s not just about body image. It’s about burnout, hormonal shifts, and the deep message your body is trying to send: “Take care of me.”
Midlife women, especially those navigating perimenopause or postmenopause, often find themselves in a health crisis they didn’t see coming. It’s not just the hot flashes or belly fat—it’s the emotional exhaustion, sleep disruptions, and the overwhelming sense that your body is working against you. This isn’t vanity—it’s survival.
Cathy’s Story (Still Relevant Today)
Cathy’s journey through each decade is a powerful testimony. Her story mirrors what so many of us go through—when youthful confidence gives way to the pressures of adult life, stress eating, hormonal chaos, and the slippery slope of quick fixes like fasting or diet pills. She reached surgical menopause in her 30s—decades earlier than most—and felt the impact immediately. Weight gain. Inflammation. Mood swings. Burnout.
What Cathy didn’t know back then—but many of us do now—is that menopause and burnout are intertwined. The hormonal drop in estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone doesn’t just affect our physical health—it zaps our ability to regulate stress, sleep deeply, and recover emotionally. Add career demands, caregiving roles, and societal pressure, and no wonder midlife feels like a storm.
Burnout Isn’t Laziness—It’s a Physiological Breakdown
Burnout is more than stress. It’s a state of emotional, physical, and mental depletion caused by prolonged exposure to unrelenting demands—and menopausal shifts only worsen it. In fact, research shows that hormonal changes can reduce resilience to stress, making burnout symptoms (like brain fog, fatigue, and mood swings) more severe for midlife women (Melo et al., 2022).
But here’s the good news: the same self-love that once made us straighten our hair or dress up for fun can now be the fuel to heal from the inside out.
What We Know Now—And What You Can Do
Hormones affect everything. Estrogen influences mood, sleep, metabolism, and brain health (Taylor et al., 2021). When levels drop, our ability to cope shrinks too.
Weight gain isn’t just calories in vs. out. It’s about inflammation, stress hormones (like cortisol), and insulin resistance, especially in menopause (Thurston et al., 2020).
You can recover. Lifestyle interventions—like strength training, anti-inflammatory eating, and emotional self-care—can reverse burnout symptoms (Saxbe & Repetti, 2023).
You are not broken. You are becoming. Midlife can be a turning point—when we stop chasing thinness and start pursuing vitality.
The Shift Toward Nourishment, Not Punishment
Cathy’s realization is one many of us reach: health isn't about punishment, it's about partnership. She stopped eating to be skinny and started eating to feel alive. That’s the shift we all need. It’s not “cheating” to have a free meal, but it is self-betrayal to ignore our need for rest, nourishment, and movement.
You can’t do intermittent self-care. Your nervous system needs consistency. Your bones need weight-bearing exercise. Your mind needs quiet. And your heart needs you to stop hating your body for reacting to a life it’s barely surviving.
A Final Word of Encouragement
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be strong, vibrant, and lean. But those are byproducts of loving yourself. The more you nourish your body with whole food, rest, movement, and boundaries—the more it gives back.
So love yourself. Take care of your body. Not because you want to be who you were at 25—but because you want to thrive at 55.
References
Melo, M. C. A., Silva, A. M. R., Callahan, S., & do Nascimento, B. C. (2022). The role of hormonal transitions in women’s vulnerability to stress and burnout: A systematic review. Journal of Women’s Health, 31(4), 463–472. https://doi.org/10.1089/jwh.2021.0312
Taylor, C. M., Geller, S. E., & Wallace, M. L. (2021). Estrogen’s impact on the brain and behavior: Implications for menopausal health. Menopause, 28(3), 283–291. https://doi.org/10.1097/GME.0000000000001712
Thurston, R. C., Santoro, N., Matthews, K. A., et al. (2020). Adiposity and menopausal symptoms among midlife women. Obesity, 28(2), 366–373. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.22677
Saxbe, D., & Repetti, R. L. (2023). Recovery from burnout: The role of rest, self-compassion, and neuroendocrine health in middle-aged women. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 46(1), 45–59. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-022-00267-7
North American Menopause Society (NAMS). (2024). Menopause and mental health: Addressing burnout, cognition, and emotional wellbeing. Menopause Journal Clinical Updates, 31(1), 1–8. https://www.menopause.org
Melanie Gray Phd. RN
Helping high-achieving women move from overwhelm to clarity, reclaim their energy, and rise with confidence—one breakthrough at a time."
www.MelanieGrayphdRNTheConfidenceCoach.com
