In this episode, Alveena explores the quiet ways chronic stress, unprocessed emotions and survival mode can spill into the body. Through her own experience with insomnia after two miscarriages, she explains how the nervous system can become stuck in fight or flight and why no supplement, sleep hack or lavender spray could fix what was actually emotional and physiological.

Drawing from neuroscience, the biopsychosocial model, chronic stress research and insights from faith, she unpacks how the body speaks through symptoms long before we consciously understand what is wrong. She shares how early morning routines, nervous system regulation and emotional processing helped her recover.

This episode is for anyone experiencing unexplained physical symptoms, burnout, anxiety, insomnia or the sense that their body is shutting down while life looks fine on the surface.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Chronic stress can keep the nervous system stuck in survival mode long after the stressful event ends.
  
  
• Insomnia, palpitations and muscle tension can be symptoms of emotional overload, not medical failure.
  
  
• The biopsychosocial model explains how mind, body and environment interact to create or relieve symptoms.
  
  
• The body often expresses stress before the mind does through headaches, stomach issues and fatigue.
  
  
• Emotional processing can reduce physical symptoms by signalling safety to the nervous system.
  
  
• Faith, rhythm and lifestyle can all support resetting the body’s internal clock and stress response.
  
  

BEST MOMENTS

“My body wasn’t broken. My nervous system was stuck in fight or flight.”

“No sleep spray could soothe a nervous system that was still in shock.”

“It wasn’t a medical emergency. It was the environment.”

“Our bodies speak through symptoms long before we understand what is happening.”

“Unprocessed grief will always find somewhere to go.”

“I realised I wasn’t asking the right questions. I needed to process what had happened to me.”

“Emotional healing can literally bring about physical healing.”

LINKS

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alveena-salim-a98abb49/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/withalveena/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4jamFYZWP2LoOUYDZ8PdsQ?si=23c9dfd7832f4597

ABOUT THE HOST

Alveena is a psychology MSc student, writer and seeker exploring the intersection of mental health, psychology and Islamic spirituality. Her work blends academic insight with lived experience to explore identity, belonging and healing. Through her writing and podcast, she shares personal reflections that bridge science and spirituality, encouraging honest self inquiry and wholehearted living. Grounded yet introspective, she invites others to slow down, reflect and reconnect with who they truly are.

Thank you for listening. If something in an episode touched you, made you think, or just hit different… I’d love to hear it. Alveena

Welcome to Reflections and Realisations.

In today’s episode, Alveena sits with Kausar Tahir, clinical pharmacist and founder of MeNow Health, for a candid conversation about perimenopause, menopause, and the cultural and generational barriers that make it hard for women to talk openly about their health.

Together, they explore the cultural silence around menopause, gaps in medical research, and how faith and societal beliefs shape women’s midlife experiences. You’ll hear about the power of sharing stories, advocating for yourself in healthcare, and supporting one another through life’s big transitions.

This episode is for anyone navigating perimenopause, menopause, or supporting women through these life stages, and is all about breaking taboos, building awareness, and finding strength in community.

Key Quotes
"No one's in competition with anybody else. We can all work together and collectively rise — a powerful movement for our daughters to see."

"They're calling it meno-divorce. But if a woman doesn’t understand what she’s going through, how can she communicate it to her partner? He has no idea what’s happening."
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Links & Resources

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alveena-salim-a98abb49/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/withalveena/

About the Guest

Kausar Tahir is a clinical pharmacist and the founder of MeNow Health, a culturally sensitive health platform supporting women through perimenopause and menopause. Her work focuses on education, advocacy, and breaking the silence around women’s hormonal health.

🔗 Learn more about MeNow Health: https://menowhealth.com/

About the Host

Alveena is a psychology MSc student, writer, and seeker exploring the intersection of mental health, psychology, and Islamic spirituality. Her work blends academic insight with lived experience to explore identity, belonging, and healing. Through her writing and podcast, she shares personal reflections that bridge science and spirituality, encouraging honest self-inquiry and wholehearted living. She invites listeners to slow down, reflect, and reconnect with who they truly are.

Thank you for listening. If something in an episode touched you, made you think, or just hit different… I’d love to hear it. Alveena

In this episode, Alveena reflects on a childhood memory she had buried for decades and how it resurfaced in an unexpected moment with her own daughter. She explores how unresolved experiences shape our automatic reactions, especially in parenting, and how generational patterns can quietly repeat themselves without us noticing.

Drawing from Daniel Kahneman’s system one and system two thinking, as well as concepts from psychology, attachment theory and faith, she explains how much of our behavior comes from autopilot responses rather than conscious intention. Through storytelling and reflection, she shares how slowing down, noticing our triggers and choosing a different response can break generational cycles.

This episode is for anyone who wants to parent more intentionally, understand their emotional reactions or step out of patterns they never chose.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Childhood experiences often shape adult reactions more than we realise.
  
  
• System one thinking creates fast, automatic responses based on old patterns.
  
  
• System two allows us to pause, reflect and choose a different response.
  
  
• Unresolved emotions can become generational loops if we do not bring awareness to them.
  
  
• Attachment patterns from our childhood often influence how we parent.
  
  
• Breaking autopilot requires slowing down, noticing triggers and reframing before reacting.
  
  
• The From Impulse to Intention framework supports intentional parenting and communication.

BEST MOMENTS

“I didn’t realise how much mum’s fall had impacted me until decades later.”

“It wasn’t a random reaction. It was a loop from my own childhood playing out.”

“System one jumps to conclusions. System two chooses wisdom.”

“I wasn’t reacting to my children. I was reacting from something unresolved inside me.”

“My childhood wounds were wearing an adult mask.”

“Sometimes it takes decades to see how old patterns have shaped us.”

LINKS

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alveena-salim-a98abb49/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/withalveena/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@withAlveena

ABOUT THE HOST

Alveena is a psychology MSc student, writer and seeker exploring the intersection of mental health, psychology and Islamic spirituality. Her work blends academic insight with lived experience to explore identity, belonging and healing. Through her writing and podcast, she shares personal reflections that bridge science and spirituality, encouraging honest self inquiry and wholehearted living. Grounded yet introspective, she invites others to slow down, reflect and reconnect with who they truly are.

Thank you for listening. If something in an episode touched you, made you think, or just hit different… I’d love to hear it. Alveena