For months, I have skimmed the daily news the next day, not the same day; it is less stressful for my psyche, and there are more than enough triggers to fire up one’s stress response. Now that I am retired, I have been considering my current life status across physical, mental, and spiritual dimensions.
Chronic stress is deadly to the body as it places us in a constant state of flight or fight readiness, and our battle shows up as tension, fatigue, physical illness, burnout, maladaptive coping, i.e. alcohol usage, smoking, sedentary lifestyle. There are multiple demands of family, work, aging, midlife crisis, i.e. injury, relationship changes, precarious employment status, etc.
You know you’re stressed when your body manifests fatigue; if you don’t heed it, you become sick, and this is, in effect, enforced stopping. In essence, your cognitive abilities are overridden by the body, and it takes unilateral action. Managing your stress is a life skill needed for long-term effectiveness and requires you to establish life and career skills. The human body is an amazing, resilient machine that draws on reserves to sustain a demanding lifestyle.
Your body is a repository of information about your current health status; you need some courage to be honest with yourself–have you chosen a diet that is sugar-laden, salty, incomplete, missed meals, and, in addition, you may have cultivated some coping strategies that also detract from optimal health. Self-destructive habits, like substance abuse of any kind, from drugs to food, and smoking, mask your health state, not manage it.
Another area to be aware of is the role of cortisol, a hormone with an essential role in your body. There has been increased focus on the effects of raised cortisol in women in the perimenopausal and menopausal phases of life.
Cortisol is:
| Main stress hormone in the body: glucocorticoid type of steroid hormone | Responsible for “fight or flight” readiness Regulates wake and sleep cycle |
| Raises blood sugar | Benefits the brain to have increased sugar |
| Regulates vital signs | Keeps blood pressure and heart rate stable |
| Metabolism factor | Manages how the body uses carbs, fats, & protein |
| Inflammation | Keeps swelling & inflammation down |
| High or Low levels | Too much cortisol over a long time can cause high blood pressure, weight gain, and weak bones Too little cortisol can cause extreme tiredness, low blood pressure, and weight loss |
Long-term chronic elevated cortisol especially affects women over 50 years old and is an insidious process; ongoing stress, poor sleep, and hormone shifts become significant factors in one’s health.
- Brain fog
- Destroys muscle,
- Expands waistline,
- Disrupts sleep,
- Accelerates cognitive decline
How to Recover & Live Your Best Life
Reviewing various solutions, including Harvard research: optimism and purpose are linked to healthier immune markers in adults over 50; having faith (religious affiliation) in your toolkit for life; women have measurably LOWER baseline cortisol than women driven by anxiety, comparison, or fear. The literature defines the impact of hope and optimism.
- Women with the highest optimism had 50–70% greater odds of reaching exceptional longevity — not from medication or surgery, from the orientation of their heart toward the future
- High optimism linked to 11–15% longer lifespan — across studies spanning 10 and 30 years
- 2025 research: hope uniquely predicts purpose, consistency, and significance more than any other positive emotion
- 25,000 adults tracked over 14 years: hope predicted better health, greater resilience, faster recovery, and significantly less loneliness
So to thrive requires committing to yourself, by investing in yourself as a friend; next time we’ll explore some more strategies- think about your current mindset: what do you need to shift to thrive? Namaste.
Categories: Uncategorized
Paula M
Retired Registered Nurse (Non-practicing) Storyteller, Healer, Scribe, Transformational Leader
Life of a Nurse 
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