PCOS And Stress: Tips For Women To Reduce Stress With PCOS | Fitelo

Do you know how PCOS and Stress are related? You have probably heard of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which is currently a serious issue in females. In India, the prevalence of PCOS ranges from 3.7 to 22.5%. But when it comes to managing PCOS and coping with it, lifestyle choices are what matters the most. However, stress is one of the major factors of PCOS. Let’s learn more about PCOS and stress management, how they are co-related, and how stress can be reduced to manage PCOS.

What is PCOS?

A hormonal condition known as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is prevalent in females of reproductive age. PCOS syndrome interferes with ovulation and the ovaries.

 Its primary attributes are:

• Cysts in the ovaries 
• Excess to male hormones
• Irregular menstrual cycle
• Weight gain

Causes of PCOS

Doctors are unsure of the actual cause of PCOS. However, according to the study, high levels of male hormones stop ovaries from producing eggs and hormones. However, the remaining causes of PCOS are as follows:

• Hereditary

PCOS is frequently thought to run in families. Thus, it is possible for PCOS to be passed down to future generations if one family member has it.

• Insulin Resistance 

Women with PCOS frequently have insulin resistance, which implies that their body cells can’t utilize insulin efficiently. Therefore, it leads to a rise in insulin levels which further leads to an increase in the production of male hormones.

• Inflammation

Also, PCOS in women causes inflammation. Thus, being overweight can worsen inflammation, which raises the level of androgen.

Symptoms Of PCOS

PCOS symptoms and signs frequently appear around the time of a teen’s first menstruation. Sometimes PCOS appears later. For instance, after a significant weight increase or because they had problems getting pregnant.

The most common signs are:-

• Irregular menstrual cycles
• Infertility
• Abdominal pain
• Overgrowth of hair on the face, chest, stomach, and thighs
• Weight gain
• Acne
• Change in voice.
• Irregular menstrual periods.
• An increase in muscle mass

Since we already know that stress occurs whenever our bodies experience a certain kind of pressure mentally. Let’s learn more about stress and how it relates to PCOS. So, here we go:

What is Stress? How PCOS and Stress Are Related?

• Everyone experiences stress, which is a typical human reaction. Your body exhibits both physical and emotional signs when you go through changes or challenges.
• However, prolonged activation of the stress results in physical wear and tear on the body when a person is under long-term stress. It has an impact on people’s mental and physical health.

So let’s learn how too much stress can affect your hormones and worsen PCOS.

Relation Between PCOS and Stress

• During a difficult situation, the stress hormone cortisol is released by the body. Cortisol is produced by our adrenal glands, which are situated close to our kidneys. Cortisol is a hormone that drives fast reactions under pressure.
• Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, or DHEAS, is another hormone whose production is stimulated by ACTH. A male sex hormone called DHEAS is present in both males and females.
• But when there is excess secretion of ACTH, it leads to a high level of DHEAS in women and girls which is responsible for the symptoms like excessive growth of body and face hair.
• It is widely known that stress can make PCOS symptoms worse. Moreover, stress is a significant factor in PCOS. Many forms of stress have an impact on PCOS.
• According to certain studies, stress can cause irregular or completely stop a woman’s menstrual cycle, in addition to other physical signs of hormonal imbalance.

Tips To Overcome PCOS and Stress

Below are a few tips that can help you overcome PCOS and Stress:

1. Lifestyle Modifications

It basically refers to the things you can all change, such as your diets or daily routine that will help you in weight loss. However, these are essentially behavior adjustments or habit alterations, like meal planning, and avoiding junk food that can help to overcome PCOS.

2. Healthy Diet For PCOS and Stress

It is crucial to your well-being. You can avoid many chronic illnesses by eating a proper and healthy diet. Regarding PCOS, a nutritious diet is crucial because it will help you lose weight and improve your insulin sensitivity.

Here are a few food items to avoid if you have PCOS. These tips are suggested by a professional dietitian.

3. Daily Movement

It keeps you physically active and healthy while also having a positive impact on your mental state. In addition, it also releases particular neurotransmitters that improve your mood, inspire you, give you joy, and make you happy. You can try yoga for weight loss, or any other form of physical activity.

4. Adequate Sleep 

A person’s life depends heavily on getting enough sleep. Both your body and mind become relaxed as a result. You should give your body and mind the correct amount of rest if you want to function effectively.

5. Practice Mindfulness To Beat PCOS and Stress

Being in present will help you stay in the moment. Moreover practicing mindfulness will make you conscious of your environment by forcing you to focus on the here and now. It aids in managing overactive thoughts that enter your mind.

6. Deep Breathing

When you focus on deep breathing, you activate your body’s inherent capacity for relaxation. More oxygen is delivered to the brain and hence the area of the nervous system makes you feel relaxed.

Stress Management Techniques To Overcome PCOS

The different stress management techniques that can be a great stress buster:

 7. Mindset Change

Although it’s the most difficult path to take, it’s also the most significant in your stress management journey. Negative thoughts and feelings mainly occur due to low esteem. Therefore you need to feel confident and change your perception of yourself first.

8. Be Positive

Constantly worrying about your physical appearance, can leave you feeling lousy and frustrated. So it is preferable to change your attention to the positive things. Try to concentrate on the things that make you happy and for which you are grateful. It will not only lessen your tension but also help you focus on positive rather than negative areas of your life.

9. Stop Comparison

Nowadays the constant urge to compare yourself to others has become common, whether it’s the virtual or real world, we keep comparing ourselves to others. However, try to embrace who you are as you are because everyone is unique and has attributes that should be embraced. Avoid beating yourself down just because of someone else.

10. Connect With Others 

Make an effort to be in the company of friends and role models who value and support self-acceptance. Avoid those who make you feel bad about yourself and undermine your self-worth.

11. Build Hope

Hope is an optimistic, upbeat frame of mind in which we anticipate positive outcomes. You can recover more quickly from life’s setbacks if you have the ability to maintain hope.

12. Express Yourself 

Holding your thoughts back and not talking about them can also cause stress. Sharing your problems with others is far better than keeping them to yourself. Moreover, when you talk about your problems, you will feel better and more at ease. Try to maintain a journal or a personal notebook to pen down your thoughts in case you do not wish to share them.

Our Inspiring PCOS Transformation Stories

At Fitelo there is a customized plan for every individual depending on their health and body issues. Here is a glimpse of how for years Fitelo is been helping women to overcome PCOS.

Frequently Asked Questions 

How does PCOS affect mental health?

PCOS is a hormonal disorder that leads to infertility, obesity, acne, abundant facial hair, etc in women. All these symptoms can make women stressed and hence result in serious mental health problems like anxiety, sadness, and eating disorders.

What are the ways to overcome PCOS and stress?

There are many ways to overcome PCOS and stress. Little and healthy changes in lifestyle, proper diet, adequate sleep, yoga, and by using breathing and stress management techniques, we can beat PCOS and stress.

Bottom Line

PCOS and Stress can interfere with a woman’s menstrual cycles and make it more challenging to conceive. High quantities of male hormones can also cause undesirable symptoms, such as unwanted body and facial hair development. All these symptoms can make them feel stressed. The initial PCOS treatments that doctors advise are lifestyle modifications and stress management, and they frequently have positive results. Moreover, weight loss can reduce PCOS symptoms and increase the likelihood of conception.

Contact Us Today

Are you struggling with the same? Then your search to find the right guidance ends here. Our weight loss experts, mental coaches, and yoga experts have helped thousands of clients globally to attain a healthy lifestyle and stress-free life. So, contact us today and start your healthy journey with us.

Disclaimer

This blog is for information purposes only. If you find any of the above symptoms, please contact mental health professionals, or even you can book a consultation with us.