"Not letting your body Dictate your mood is A superpower-- harness it & become more bold & beautiful"

Emotional regulation isn’t about avoiding stress or always being in a positive state. It’s about learning how to manage your emotional responses to life’s ups and downs, especially in everyday moments.

Here are some of the most common myths as to why women over 40 may not prioritize emotional regulation:

1. "It's Too Late for Me to Change"

Many women over 40 believe that emotional habits formed over decades are too deeply ingrained to alter. They might think it's impossible to learn new ways of regulating emotions after years of coping with stress, frustration, and negative self-talk. However, science proves otherwise. Neuroplasticity—the brain's ability to form new neural pathways—remains active well into adulthood, meaning it's never too late to change emotional habits.

2. "Emotional Regulation Won’t Help My Physical Appearance"

There's a misconception that emotional regulation is strictly a mental or internal process and doesn’t affect physical beauty. Many women over 40 focus on external beauty routines, thinking things like skincare, diet, and wardrobe are all that matters. In reality, chronic stress and emotional instability can lead to skin problems, weight gain, and accelerated aging due to increased cortisol levels and inflammation in the body (American Psychological Association, 2017). Addressing emotions directly impacts physical appearance.

3. "I Don’t Have Time for That"

Between careers, family, and other responsibilities, many women over 40 feel like emotional regulation practices, such as mindfulness, movement or meditation, take too much time. The myth here is that emotional regulation requires hours of commitment, when in fact, even brief practices like 10 minutes of detox routine or micromoves can have significant effects on emotional balance and physical well-being.

4. "I Should Be Strong Enough to Handle Stress"

There's often a belief, especially for women who’ve been managing multiple roles for years, that feeling stressed or emotional means they’re not strong or capable. As a result, emotional regulation might be seen as unnecessary or a sign of weakness. However, emotional regulation isn't about denying stress; it’s about managing it in a healthy way that fosters resilience, mental clarity, and improved beauty outcomes.

5. "Regulating Emotions is Just 'Fluff' or Self-Help"

Some women over 40 view emotional regulation as a trendy or overly simplistic concept that belongs more in self-help books than in real life. They might not realize that emotional regulation has a strong scientific basis and is linked to improved mental and physical health. Research shows that emotional balance can lower blood pressure, reduce inflammation, and even improve hormonal balance—key factors in how women look and feel as they age (Harvard Health Publishing, 2018).

By debunking these myths, women over 40 can better appreciate the transformative role emotional regulation plays in both their inner well-being and outer beauty.

Think of your body like a garden, and your emotional state as the soil. Emotional regulation is like tending to that soil. When you nurture and care for it—removing the weeds of negative emotions and watering it with calmness and positivity—you create the perfect environment for beauty to flourish naturally. Just like a well-tended garden, when your emotions are balanced and healthy, your beauty will bloom effortlessly and radiantly.

Imagine...

As life gets busier and our bodies go through natural changes, emotional regulation can feel like a constant challenge. However, with a few practical techniques, you can take control of your emotions and enhance your overall well-being. Here are five tips, framed in everyday scenarios, that can help women over 40 regulate their emotions more effectively:

1. Morning Mindfulness Practice: Setting the Tone for the Day

Scenario: You wake up feeling anxious about the day ahead—whether it’s dealing with work, family obligations, or your to-do list. It’s easy to jump straight into your day, but doing so can leave you feeling scattered and reactive.

Tip: Take 5-20 minutes each morning to practice calm.  Sit quietly and focus on your breath, do a MicroMove, detox routine, silent release, and/or read the Bible. This simple intentional act of calming helps the nervous system build a memory of calm, and gives you space to set a positive tone for the day.

How It Works: These practices allow you to disengage from the "fight-or-flight" response that often takes over when we wake up stressed. Most of our worries upon waking are not life-threatening but our body can interpret them to be bigger than they actually are making you feel more tense and anxious. Studies show that mindfulness practices can reduce the production of cortisol, the body’s stress hormone, which leads to a calmer, more grounded start to your day (Davidson et al., 2003). By regulating emotions first thing in the morning, you’re less likely to let minor stressors snowball into bigger emotional reactions throughout the day.

2. Reframing Negative Thoughts: Turning Challenges into Opportunities

Scenario: You’re running late for an appointment, and suddenly, traffic is at a standstill. Frustration starts to build, and you can feel yourself getting stressed. Normally, this might ruin your mood for the rest of the day.

Tip: Use cognitive reframing to turn this moment into a positive or neutral experience. Ask yourself, “What can I control in this situation?” Perhaps it’s an opportunity to listen to a podcast or practice gratitude for the extra time to breathe and relax.

How It Works: Cognitive reframing is a technique from cognitive-behavioral therapy that helps you challenge automatic negative thoughts and replace them with more constructive ones. By reframing how you perceive stressful situations, you shift from feeling out of control to feeling empowered. Research shows that people who regularly practice cognitive reframing experience less emotional distress and better overall emotional regulation (Beck, 2011).

3. Breathing Exercises During Overwhelm: Instant Calm in the Moment

Scenario: It’s mid-afternoon, and your inbox is overflowing with emails. You feel your heart rate rising, and stress levels begin to spike. In this moment, it’s tempting to push through, but that often leads to emotional burnout.

Tip: Take a few deep, slow breaths and do the silent release. Take five deep breaths, inhaling for four counts and exhaling for six counts. Focus on your breath and let go of everything else for a moment. Do the silent release right there as you are sitting in a chair.

How It Works: Deep breathing and the silent release activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for calming the body after a stress response. It reduces cortisol levels and signals to your brain that you’re safe, leading to an immediate sense of calm (Steffen et al., 2017). This simple technique can quickly lower stress in the middle of a busy day, preventing emotional overwhelm.

4. Physical Movement to Release Emotional Tension

Scenario: You’ve had a frustrating argument with a friend or partner, and you feel angry or upset. You know stewing in these emotions will only make you feel worse, but you can’t seem to shake them off.

Tip: Go for a brisk walk, do a quick Detox Routine, Strength Training Workout, or even dance to your favorite song. Squeezing muscles and/or movement is one of the most effective ways to release emotional tension stored in the body.

How It Works: Movement and workouts help to regulate emotions by allowing the body to release built-up stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. Exercise also stimulates the production of endorphins, which naturally elevate mood and reduce feelings of anger or sadness (Hoffman & Hoffman, 2008). Whether it’s a 10-minute walk or a full workout, moving your body helps reset your emotional state.

5. Create an Evening Gratitude Ritual: Unwinding with Positive Reflection

Scenario: At the end of a long, tiring day, you find yourself replaying everything that went wrong, whether it’s a work issue or a family problem. This negative loop can affect your sleep and leave you feeling emotionally drained the next day.

Tip: Before bed, write down three things you’re grateful for that happened during the day, no matter how small. This shifts your focus from what went wrong to what went right.

How It Works: Gratitude practices have been shown to improve emotional regulation by shifting your brain’s focus away from negative emotions and toward positive ones. Regular gratitude practice increases feelings of happiness and decreases stress, making it easier to manage emotions over time (Emmons & McCullough, 2003). By ending your day with gratitude, you promote emotional balance and better sleep.