
Why Stress Feels Harder the Older You Get (Your Brain Explained) with Dr Paul Taylor
Stronger Bolder WiserShow Notes
Life has never been easier.
We can order food in seconds. Scroll endlessly. Avoid discomfort at every turn.
And yet… so many women feel exhausted, flat, overwhelmed and more stressed than ever.
Why?
Today I’m sitting down with Dr Paul Taylor, neuroscientist, exercise physiologist, and author of Death by Comfort and The Hardiness Effect, to talk about exactly that.
We’re talking about dopamine, cortisol, menopause, strength, HRT, our kids screentime and how we can re-train out brains to be able to not only handle stress again, but thrive.
Key moments:
0:00 - Dr Paul Taylor’s background and why his life experience shapes how he teaches resilience
8:19 - Why modern life feels harder even though it’s more comfortable than ever before
18:27 - The long-term impact constant comfort and screens are having on our kids’ resilience
22:23 - What it means that teenagers today are projected to spend over 62 years of their lives on their phones
29:43 - What life can look like when you choose challenge instead of comfort
34:09 - How the way you interpret stress determines whether it weakens you or strengthens you
42:29 - The relationship between menopause, emotional regulation and cortisol
47:34 - Practical ways women can step off the stress rollercoaster and take back control
50:52 - The mindset Dr Paul adopted when he was diagnosed with a congenital heart condition
53:56 - Five simple ways to start building resilience so you can handle the next challenge better
1:02.06 - Why getting clear on your family values helps you act bravely even when you feel anxious
1:08.00 - Why strength training is non-negotiable for women who want to age well
1:13:00 - Rapid fire questions
Books mentioned:
Death by Comfort - Dr Paul Taylor
The Hardiness Effect - Dr Paul Taylor
Enchiridion - Epictetus
Want more of Paul? Follow him on IG @paultaylor.biz or visit his website www.paultaylor.biz
Listen to the Hardiness Podcast on Apple or Spotify.
Let me know what you thought of this episode and see the behind the scenes over at https://www.instagram.com/sarahrusbatch/?hl=en
Join my latest Alcohol Free Challenge here and find out more about my other programs here https://sarahrusbatch.com/
If you want to join a space where women feel safe to be seen, ask the questions they don’t always say out loud and connect with others going through the same as you,join my free Facebook group, Women’s Wellbeing Collective here.
And if changing your relationship with alcohol is something you want to explore further, you can find my book Beyond Booze on Audible, Spotify, Kindle and Amazon. Click the link here.
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Taking 30 days off alcohol in midlife rarely feels the way social media promises. Boredom, flatness and broken sleep often come first, and none of it means you're doing it wrong.In this video I share the five most unexpected things women discover in their first 30 days without wine, from the 5 to 7pm boredom to the friend who suddenly goes quiet. I explain why your brain can feel flat once alcohol stops lighting up your dopamine reward centre, and why sedation is not the same as restorative sleep. Most importantly, I explain why all of it settles.Key Topics Covered- Why boredom hits hardest between 5 and 7pm when you stop drinking, and why taking alcohol out means adding something in, like an evening walk, a class or a hobby.- Feeling flat after quitting alcohol: how years of drinking dysregulate your dopamine receptors, and why it evens out with time.- What to do when friends get weird about you not drinking, and why talking to your closest friends first helps.- Why sleep without alcohol can get worse before it gets better, and how to ride the emotional rollercoaster of the early weeks.Timestamps What Happens When You Stop Drinking For 30 Days (00:00) Thing 1: Boredom Between 5 And 7pm (00:40) Thing 2: Feeling Flat After You Stop Drinking (02:01) Thing 3: When Friends Get Weird About You Not Drinking (02:44) Thing 4: Why Sleep Gets Worse Before It Gets Better (03:37) Thing 5: Feeling Emotional Over Nothing (04:40) Free Support To Change Your Drinking (05:20)Also Watch My Previous Episodes:- Seven Signs You Are a Grey Area Drinker- Six Reasons Successful Women Are Quietly Quitting Alcohol- Three Reasons Women Cannot Metabolise Alcohol as Effectively as Men***Struggling to know what to do when stress, boredom or big emotions hit?Download my free guide "100 Things to Do Instead of Drinking", a toolkit for sitting with those feelings instead of reaching for a glass of wine.Get your free guide → https://bit.ly/4qOiGUw***Sarah Rusbatch is an accredited Health and Wellbeing Coach and one of Australia's leading experts on grey area drinking. Her podcast, Stronger, Bolder, Wiser, is the go-to space for women who are questioning their relationship with alcohol, navigating life alcohol-free, or simply curious about what life could look like on the other side of the bottle. If this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who needs to hear it. And if you haven't already, subscribe so you never miss an episode, and leave a review to help more women find this community.Find out more about my other programs here: https://sarahrusbatch.com/If you want to join a space where women feel safe to be seen, ask the questions they don't always say out loud and connect with others going through the same, join my free Facebook group, Women's Wellbeing Collective here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/342319476897067And if changing your relationship with alcohol is something you want to explore further, you can find my book Beyond Booze on Audible, Spotify, Kindle and Amazon. Click the link here: https://sarahrusbatch.com/beyond-booze
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