How Your Beliefs Affect Stress Hormones: Tips for Feeling Safe in Your Body - Episode 26
Stress and the beliefs we hold about ourselves are deeply interconnected, especially as we enter midlife. Our unconscious beliefs often shape how we respond to stress, fueling a cycle of anxiety and physical strain. In this episode, you’ll learn the ways in which these beliefs—whether conscious or hidden—affect our stress responses, particularly through the release of cortisol, a key stress hormone. If you’re on a path towards change, there are practical strategies to help you reconnect with your body, uncover those limiting beliefs, and start the journey toward healing and balance.
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This episode covers:
(00:00 - 01:160) Understand the impact of beliefs on stress responses and overall well-being.
(01:37 - 02:41) The relationship between beliefs and stress hormones, including the distinction between conscious and unconscious beliefs.
(10:06 - 11:20) The stress hormone cortisol, its role in the body, and how chronic stress can affect physical and emotional health, especially during midlife.
(24:01 - 25:04) Summary of key strategies for managing stress, including mindfulness, journaling, and challenging limiting beliefs.
Understanding Unconscious vs. Conscious Beliefs
Beliefs are more than just thoughts in our minds; they are the stories we tell ourselves about who we are, how we fit into the world, and how we relate to others. These stories don’t just stay in the realm of thought—they influence our emotions, reactions, and behaviors. Beliefs can be conscious or unconscious, each playing a significant role in how we navigate life.
Conscious beliefs are the ones we can easily identify and understand, like believing in the value of hard work or the importance of honesty. These guide our actions in ways we’re aware of. Unconscious beliefs, however, are more hidden, often formed in early childhood when our brains are highly impressionable. These deeply ingrained stories come from the messages we absorbed from family, culture, and experiences. Often, they run in the background, shaping how we see ourselves without us even realizing it. When these unconscious beliefs are rooted in fear or inadequacy, they can activate a stress response in the body, revealing how our beliefs are deeply intertwined with our stress levels and overall well-being.
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How Unconscious Beliefs Trigger Stress Responses and Impact Our Well-Being
Our brains are wired for survival, always on the lookout for potential threats. When we feel threatened—whether the threat is physical or emotional—our brain triggers the fight, flight, freeze, or fawn response. These are natural defense mechanisms meant to protect us from harm. However, your brain doesn’t distinguish between a real danger, like an actual physical threat, and an emotional one, such as feelings of insecurity or inadequacy. Regardless of the type of threat, the stress response is the same, releasing cortisol and other stress hormones.
Unconscious beliefs often fuel this response. For instance, if you unconsciously believe you need to be perfect to be accepted, even a small mistake might feel like a threat. This can cause your body to enter fight, flight, freeze, or fawn mode—becoming defensive, avoiding the situation, shutting down, or seeking approval to feel safe. These reactions are tied to long-held beliefs that we often don’t even realize are affecting us. Recognizing these patterns and understanding how they stem from negative beliefs is key to breaking the cycle of stress.
How Cortisol Impacts Your Body During Midlife and Why Stress Management is Crucial
Cortisol, often called the “stress hormone,” is essential for survival, helping our bodies respond quickly to danger by boosting alertness and energy. However, when cortisol levels remain elevated due to chronic stress, the consequences can be damaging—especially during midlife. This stage of life brings hormonal shifts, such as perimenopause or menopause, which make our bodies more sensitive to stress. As estrogen and testosterone levels fluctuate, cortisol production can become more erratic, leading to physical and emotional challenges.
During midlife, chronic cortisol spikes can increase fatigue, promote weight gain (especially around the midsection), and disrupt sleep by interfering with your natural circadian rhythms. High cortisol levels can also contribute to mood swings, heightened anxiety, and irritability, making it harder to maintain emotional balance. Additionally, prolonged exposure to cortisol raises the risk of chronic conditions like high blood pressure, heart disease, and Type 2 diabetes. The combination of midlife hormonal changes and high cortisol can leave your body in a constant state of stress, depleting both physical and emotional reserves.
Recognizing the role cortisol plays during midlife highlights the importance of addressing unconscious beliefs and stress triggers. By managing stress and uncovering the thought patterns driving these responses, you can protect your health and regain emotional balance. Next, let’s explore how to reconnect with your body and uncover the unconscious beliefs that may be contributing to chronic stress.
3 Simple Ways to Reconnect with Your Body and Uncover Unconscious Beliefs
Uncovering and shifting unconscious beliefs requires reconnecting with your body and becoming aware of the stories that drive your stress responses. Here are three effective techniques to help you get started:
Practice Mindfulness and Breathwork: Mindfulness helps you stay present and observe your thoughts and bodily sensations without judgment. When stress arises, pause and take deep breaths, activating your parasympathetic nervous system to calm the body. Over time, mindfulness enables you to identify the thoughts and beliefs that trigger stress, creating space to question their validity.
Journaling for Self-Reflection: Journaling is a powerful tool to bring unconscious beliefs to the surface. Reflect on situations that triggered strong emotions by asking yourself questions like, "What did I believe about myself in that moment?" and "Where did that belief come from?" As patterns emerge, you'll recognize beliefs that no longer serve you.
Challenge and Replace Limiting Beliefs: Once you’ve identified negative beliefs, challenge their truth. For example, if you believe you’re not good enough, look for evidence to the contrary. Replace that limiting belief with a new, empowering one, such as “I am worthy and enough as I am.” With practice, this rewires your brain and shifts your emotional responses over time.
Final Thoughts
Our beliefs—both conscious and unconscious—play a key role in how we experience stress and manage our well-being, especially during midlife. Conscious beliefs are easy to identify, but it’s the hidden, unconscious ones that often drive our stress responses, leading to cycles of anxiety, fatigue, and physical health issues. The chronic release of cortisol, especially during the hormonal changes of midlife, amplifies these effects, making it crucial to address the root cause: the limiting beliefs we've carried for years. By practicing mindfulness, journaling for self-reflection, and actively challenging and replacing negative beliefs, we can begin to shift these deeply ingrained stories. As we reconnect with our bodies and understand the mind-body connection, we create the opportunity to break free from the hold of stress and live with greater emotional and physical balance.
To learn more about body regulation practices, check out this podcast episode on practices to increase self awareness and lower your heart rate.
Favorite Resources For Emotional Wellness for Midlife Women
The Mindful Muscle Book Bundle is 365 days of meditations and a journal to help you set a positive tone for your day, cultivate mental calm in a chaotic world, stabilize your thoughts, reduce overwhelm and fear and build consistency in developing your mindful muscle.
The Adult Chair: A Guide to Loving Yourself is a straightforward how-to guide on identifying what “chair” you are in emotionally so you learn to navigate and manage your feelings as an emotionally healthy adult.
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