Why Everything Feels Like Too Much Right Now
(and What Your Hormones Have to Do With It)
A client of mine, Rachel, sat across from me during a session, her shoulders tense, her breathing shallow, and her eyes tired in a way she said felt unfamiliar. She told me:
“I used to thrive under pressure. I loved being the one people depended on. Now the smallest thing sends me over the edge.”
This is a story I hear again and again. Women who once carried entire departments, families, and communities on their backs suddenly feel overwhelmed by tasks they once handled effortlessly.
They think they’re losing their edge.
They think they’re becoming too emotional.
They think something is wrong with them.
What’s really happening is far more human — and far more biological.
How Menopause Rewires Your Stress Response
Estrogen and progesterone aren’t just reproductive hormones. They play significant roles in mood, neurotransmitter function, and cortisol modulation. As levels fluctuate, the brain’s ability to regulate stress — mentally and physically — becomes compromised.
Signals that used to whisper now shout.
Minor stressors feel major.
Your system reacts faster and hits harder.
This shift doesn’t mean you’re losing resilience.
It means your nervous system needs updated support.
The Midlife Stress Loop
The menopause stress cycle often looks like this:
Hormones shift and cortisol rises more easily.
Stress sensitivity increases, and emotional reactivity spikes.
Poor sleep amplifies cortisol.
Hot flashes intensify stress.
Stress worsens cognitive function.
It becomes a loop that reinforces itself until you learn how to interrupt it.
And it can be interrupted.
Three Nervous System Resets That Work
These strategies aren’t about perfection. They’re about consistency and compassion.
1. Respond after breathing
Before you reply to an email, address a conflict, or make a decision, breathe slowly. Inhale for four seconds, hold briefly, then exhale for six. A longer exhale activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which naturally lowers stress.
2. Drink water before caffeine
Hydration first reduces cortisol spikes and prevents the jittery crash that can happen when coffee hits a dehydrated system. You don’t have to give up caffeine; just give your nervous system a buffer.
3. End your workday with real light
Before heading home or shifting into evening mode, step outside for two minutes. Natural light helps your brain reestablish its rhythm and can reduce evening anxiety.
You Are Not Losing Yourself
This chapter of life isn’t about decline.
It’s about recalibration.
Your stress response is changing, and it deserves new tools and new compassion. You’re not breaking down — you’re adjusting to a different internal landscape.
When you understand what your body is trying to tell you, everything becomes more manageable, more grounded, and more hopeful.
You’re not losing your edge.
You’re learning a new one.