If you’ve ever wondered why your body feels so out of sync, or why you feel like you are on an emotional roller coaster during busy seasons of life then this episode is for you! Today we’ll explore the connection between stress and hormones and, of course, share small daily habits you can begin to incorporate today to start feeling like yourself again! You can read the show notes right here or you can listen to episode 9 here.
Welcome back to Small Daily Habits, the podcast where we talk about simple, sustainable habits to build a life filled with health and vitality despite the chaos that if life. I’m your host Christine Miller, certified personal trainer and menopause specialist. Today we’re diving into a topic that impacts ALL of us, especially in today’s fast-paced world: how stress affects your hormones and what YOU can do about it.
Stress and the Hormonal Response
Let’s start with what happens in your body when you experience stress.
When you’re under stress—whether it’s physical, mental, or emotional, your body activates its fight-or-flight response. Also known as survival mode. This response is designed to protect in life threatening situations BUT it’s not where we were designed to live day to day. During this fight-or-flight response your brain sends a signal to your adrenal glands, which then signals the body to release the stress hormone cortisol.
Cortisol acts as emergency fuel that helps to increase your heart rate, boost your blood sugar, and heighten your awareness so you can respond to the threat at hand. This can be great in an actual emergency; however, your body was not meant to live in this state continually. The problem lies in the fact that your body is unable to differentiate between being attacked by a bear and running late for an appointment or work. Our bodies treat any kind of stress the same exact way.
Short Bursts vs Long Term Cortisol Release
Short bursts of cortisol are helpful and gives our bodies the surges needed to help propel us forward in times of high stress. The downside to this response is when stress becomes chronic. Over time, consistent high levels of cortisol keep the body in survival mode and can lead to:
- Disrupted sleep
- Fat storage, especially around your middle
- Hormonal imbalances affecting estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone
This then creates a domino effect that can impact everything from your energy levels to your metabolism and even your mood.
For instance, my sleep is one of my biggest issues in perimenopause and the onset of my perimenopause symptoms also happened to coincide with my move from NH to FL. Isn’t that fun?
I was aware of the changes and added stress but at times it felt out of my control. All I could do was plan ahead, take breaks when needed, ask for help, and make sure I got plenty of self-care in. Once I got settled in Florida my sleep did improve.
Then I started my podcast, and it got worse again. You see where I am going with this. None of us are immune to stress BUT when you are aware of your triggers and you notice them early on, you can take action BEFORE if takes you too far off your path to wellness.
The key is to be aware of these patterns so you can manage the stress before it takes over and really wreaks havoc. When I know I am going through a stressful time, I add more self-care into my routine and support myself the best I can until the stressful time has passed.
Hormones Most Affected by Stress
Let’s break down how stress impacts some key hormones:
1. Estrogen and Progesterone
In women, chronic stress can disrupt the delicate balance between estrogen and progesterone. This is especially true during perimenopause and beyond. When cortisol levels are high you may experience symptoms like irregular menstrual cycles, more severe PMS, or worsened menopausal symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, and mood swings.
2. Insulin
High cortisol levels also mean increases in blood sugar in order to prepare the body for action (fight or flight response). If stress is constant, your body will struggle to regulate blood sugar, which increases your risk for insulin resistance, weight gain, and fatigue.
3. Thyroid Hormones
High cortisol can also interfere with the function of the thyroid. The body starts to struggle to convert T4 (inactive thyroid hormone) into T3 (active thyroid hormone). This may lead to feeling sluggish, gaining weight, and feeling cold all the time.
4. Testosterone
In both men and women, long-term stress can lower testosterone levels. This unfortunately leads to lack of libido, less muscle tone, and decreased overall vitality.
Small Daily Habits to Support Hormone Health
Okay, now that we better understand what’s happening with our hormones, let’s talk solutions. Here are six small daily habits to help your hormones thrive in seasons of stress. Do NOT attempt to incorporate them all at once. Choose one that will serve you best at this point in your life and once that is in place move on to the next one until you have gone through them all.
1. Prioritize Restorative Sleep
This is probably the hardest one to implement (or at least it is for me) but also one of the most important so spend some time figuring this one out. Sleep is when your body resets and allows your body to get back to the rest and digest response. If your body isn’t allowed that opportunity with 6-8 hours of quality sleep IT WILL SUFFER.
If you are just starting out on this journey begin with creating a calming bedtime routine with no screens about 30-60 minutes before bed and a consistent sleep/wake cycle. That means going to bed and waking up at the same time daily. If you have already set these things into place, then take a look at how to release some stress from your life through self-care, therapy, exercise, or whatever you find stress relieving.
Also, take a look at your nutrition and see if you are eating and drinking in a way that supports quality sleep. Eat heavy meals earlier in the day. Eat foods that agree with your body especially before bed and refrain from alcohol and caffeine as it gets closer to bedtime.
2. Eat to Support Your Hormones
If you find yourself struggling with hormones, focus on nutrient-dense foods like leafy greens, healthy fats, and lean proteins. Prepare your meals to keep your blood sugar stable throughout the day. This means including lean protein, healthy fat, and fiber at every meal.
3. Practice Stress Management
Incorporate stress-reduction practices into your daily routine. Practices like deep breathing, yoga, or a 5-minute mindfulness meditation will do the trick. Even a walk in nature will do wonders for your stress response.
4. Move Your Body Intentionally
Exercise is a wonderful stress reliever if you listen to your body and don’t overdo it in times of stress. Too much high-intensity exercise like HIIT workouts or long runs can actually raise cortisol levels. It might feel good in the moment but if you struggle to recover in a normal amount of time for you then you may want to re-evaluate your workouts during this timeframe. At times of high stress focus on strength training with heavy weights and low reps and low-impact movement like Pilates. Also add in a rest day or 2 depending on your body’s needs at this stage in life.
5. Stay Hydrated and Limit Stimulants
Drink plenty of water and be mindful of your caffeine intake. Too much caffeine can spike cortisol and make you feel more anxious. The same is true for alcohol and both can have negative effects on sleep so be mindful with consumption.
6. Build a Strong Support System
Lean on your community, whether it’s friends, family, a coach, or even a therapist. Talking things out and feeling supported can reduce stress significantly.
For me, learning to incorporate all these things into my daily routine has really helped with my perimenopause symptoms. I find that when life feels overwhelming, self-care becomes the MOST impactful for me. I find that even 10 minutes of quiet time—whether journaling, stretching, or just sitting in silence—makes a huge difference.
Takeaways/Up Next:
Here are some of the big takeaways from today’s episode. Stress is an unavoidable part of life. No one is immune but HOW you respond to it is what makes all the difference. By better understanding the connection between stress and your hormones, as well as your stress triggers, you can make more mindful decisions to protect your health.
If you found this episode helpful, I’d love for you to follow my show, share it with a friend, or leave a review. Want to dive deeper into this topic? Check out the Stress Survival Kit and join my private Facebook Podcast Community to engage with fellow Small Daily Habits listeners and share your takeaways each week!
Remember, BIG changes begin with small daily habits. Until next time!
Missed last week’s episode all about how to balance hustle culture with rest and recovery? You can read the show notes here or listen here.
Christine
