Today on the Woman's Doctor, I discuss the detrimental effect stress has on our hormones and equip you with simple tools to mitigate stress’ effect on your physical and emotional health. Stress cannot be eliminated, at times, stress is even necessary but constant unmanaged stress leads to dangerous cortisol imbalances that can affect your mood, cravings, sleep and mindset.   While cortisol is dangerous in excess, it is a crucial hormone that your body needs, especially in the morning. Simply exercising in the morning sun can improve your cortisol levels allowing you to manage stress better, sleep better and improve adrenal function. Taking inventory of your daily habits around food, exercise and sleep is a crucial step to rebalancing your hormones.    The mind also heavily influences  your hormone production. Negative self talk and unresolved trauma can inhibit your body’s natural symbiosis. Without effectively addressing these traumas you become less of your authentic self and your mental and physical health will inevitably suffer. Embracing the essential you by reparenting yourself, journaling and allowing laughter back into your life is sometimes all your body needs to repair itself.       Takeaways: [3:20] Unmanaged and ongoing stress creates hormonal imbalance and high cortisol  [4:40] DHEA hormone converts to estrogen and Testosterone and is essential  after menopause [6:00] Increased cortisol can exasperate  inflammatory skin disorders like acne and eczema  [10:00] Negative self talk impairs your ability to handle normal stress that comes with living [11:40] Adult children of alcoholics and how to reparent yourself in a loving way [14:40] Unresolved traumas will continue to resurface if you never address them [16:40] The difficulties and stress of life takes you away from your authentic self [17:35] Excess sugar intake interferes with adrenal function and cortisol production [19:00] Exercise and sunlight, early in the morning helps balance your cortisol levels [20:25] Journaling and free form writing helps you to release negative mindsets  [24:00] Immersing yourself in nature reduces cortisol, blood pressure and improves your mood [25:00] laughter boosts your dopamine levels and decreases pain [26:00] Incorporating a spiritual practice to connect to your higher purpose alleviates suffering       Mentioned in This Episode: Natural Beauty Reset Clean Skin from WIthin   Twitter: “Ideally we want our cortisol levels to go up in the morning and low at night but if our cortisol levels are still high at night, then we have a hard time easing into sleep.” [6:25]   “Ultimately when we calm that inner critic and we have that loving parent, it actually impacts our neurotransmitters, our hormones,our cortisol levels…” [14:29]   “What are the things that are part of our true essence,our true nature that we want to return to because a lot of what we’re exposed to in our lifetime, takes us away from our true nature.” [16:40]   Podcast Disclaimer:  https://resources.thespadr.com/the-womans-doctor/#disclaimer