Did you know Green smoothies won’t fix what negative thinking is breaking?
In other words, your thoughts could be the very thing triggering your hot flashes, gut issues, hormonal problems, and that stubborn belly fat?
It’s not just about what you eat or how you sleep—your mindset is silently shaping your hormones and your digestion every single day.
Let’s dig into something that’s often overlooked in our wellness journeys: your thoughts. Yes—your thought patterns can actually impact your hormones, your digestion, and your overall health more than you might think. Your mental and emotional health is so key to overall health. And since May is mental health awareness month, I thought this tied in so well with what we’ve been talking about the last few weeks – possible causes of health issues.
THOUGHT PATTERNS & MIND-BODY LINK
Our brains and our bodies are deeply connected. If you’ve ever had butterflies in your stomach when you were nervous, or a headache after a stressful day—you’ve experienced the mind-body connection.
As we age—especially during perimenopause and menopause—our bodies become more sensitive to stress. And a lot of that stress doesn’t come from outside… it starts in our thoughts. The beliefs we carry, the self-talk we engage in, and the mindset we adopt each day sends messages to our body.”
STRESS, CORTISOL & HORMONES
Did you know stress doesn’t start in your body – it begins in your mind? When we’re stuck in anxious, fearful, or negative thought loops, our brains interpret that as danger. And what happens? The stress hormone cortisol increases. High cortisol over time can throw off other hormones—like estrogen, progesterone, and even thyroid hormones.
This can lead to things like:
- Sleep problems
- Weight gain, especially around the middle
- Mood swings
- More intense hot flashes
- Worsening of other symptoms
Your body is trying to keep you safe—but your thoughts are signaling that something’s wrong even when it’s not.
Constant stress thinking = constant cortisol = hormone chaos!
* No matter how clean your diet is, your body is in survival mode if you’re stressed all the time. No amount of kale can fix cortisol chaos caused by your mindset.
GUT HEALTH & THE BRAIN-GUT CONNECTION
“And your digestive system feels this too. There’s this amazing nerve called the Vagus nerve—it’s like a superhighway between your brain and gut.
When your mind is calm, your gut gets the signal to digest, absorb, and eliminate. But when you’re worried or replaying negative thoughts? Digestion slows. This can lead to bloating, gas, constipation, or even IBS flares.
Your gut literally listens to your brain’s mood.”
REFRAMING THOUGHTS TO HEAL
The good news? You can train your brain to think differently—and your body will respond.
Try these simple steps:
- Start your day with an affirmation before you even get out of bed such as: ‘God made my body and is healing my body and mind. I am safe.’
- Pause for 1 minute of deep breathing when you feel overwhelmed. Use the 4-7-8 or 5-5-5 box techniques.
- Practice gratitude daily—it helps shift your mindset and calms the nervous system. When you get up, say out loud or write down 3 things you’re grateful for.
- Have you found the gold yet today? This is simply looking for at least one thing that you can celebrate or be happy about each day. I recently began doing this after reading the book Holy Habits by Noah Herrin. I’ve done it a couple of ways. One – when I lie down at night, I think of this one thing. Or another way I’ve done it is to set an alarm on my phone for 4 pm or after. It reads “Have you found the gold today?” These can be simple like noticing your flowers are blooming OR seeing a hummingbird OR celebrating a birthday OR walking a little further on your morning walk OR talking to a friend. This doesn’t have to cost anything!
These small shifts help balance your hormones, support your gut, and help you feel better overall —because you’re turning off that chronic stress response.
Your thoughts are powerful. They can be part of the problem—or part of your healing. When we align our mindset, our emotions with our wellness goals, everything begins to shift.
And this is something I work on with my clients in my private health coaching program. It is key to helping with all health issues and goals. If you’d like to see how I can work with you, schedule a free 20-minute consult by clicking here. No pressure – we can talk and see what you need.
Remember, you can’t always control what happens, but you can choose how you respond.
I am a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach and help women over 40 who have fatigue, hot flashes, digestive issues (like bloating, GERD, constipation), brain fog, weight management problems, as well as thyroid and autoimmune conditions. Together we work as a team and focus on nutrition and lifestyle factors to help you have more energy, think clearer, and fit into those favorite jeans again. You can do this! You just might need some help from someone who’s been there herself and worked with clients – helping guide, support, and encourage you each step of the way. Contact me here to set up a free strategy session to see how we can work together. — Leah Cheshire, NBC-HWC
