How Stress affects your hormones: And more importantly, what you can do about it!

Did you know that stress doesn’t just affect your mood — it can also have a serious impact on your hormones?

We’ve all felt stressed at one point or another... or perhaps it's daily, hourly, or minute to minute! Whether it’s work deadlines, family responsibilities, or unexpected life events, stress can creep into our lives and, over time, start wreaking havoc on our health. For women in particular, stress and hormones are closely intertwined, and when things get out of balance, the effects can ripple throughout your body.

The Stress-Hormone Connection

When you're stressed, your body releases cortisol—commonly known as the "stress hormone." While cortisol is helpful in short bursts (like during a workout or in a real emergency that gives you that 'fight or flight' feeling), long-term stress can keep your cortisol levels elevated. Over time, this can lead to hormonal imbalances and inflammation that affect everything from your energy levels to your weight... sleep... even mood! The American Psychological Association is also a great resource to check out if you're looking to dig more into some of the effects of chronic stress.

So, obviously this sounds important, but how does it actually affect your hormones? Well, hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and even testosterone can be thrown out of balance by constantly elevated cortisol and the resulting inflammation. As you may know, these hormones play a major role in regulating your menstrual cycle, reproductive health, and ultimately your overall well-being. If you're feeling overwhelmed, experiencing irregular periods, mood swings, or weight gain, stress and your hormones might be to blame and might be something worth looking into with your healthcare provider.



Hormonal Imbalance Symptoms

When stress starts to mess with your hormones, you can experience a wide range of symptoms, including:

• Fatigue and low energy levels
• Weight gain, particularly around your midsection
• Mood swings & anxiety
• Difficulty sleeping, waking up often throughout the night
• Irregular menstrual cycles
• Decreased libido

If you’re nodding along, you’re not alone. Many women  that we see in our office in Green Cove Springs, and beyond experience these common symptoms without ever realizing stress could be the real culprit!

How Hormone Therapy Can Help

This is where hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can come to the rescue! We are maybe a little biased over here at Unique Health, but that is because we have seen the results over and over again! HRT can help restore hormonal balance by supplementing the body with bioidentical hormones that match those naturally produced by your body. For women dealing with stress-related hormonal imbalances, hormone therapy can be game changing, and complimenting HRT with small healthy lifestyle changes can make this treatment really go the extra mile.

By balancing key hormones like estrogen and progesterone, HRT can:

• Improve mood and reduce anxiety
• Support better sleep QUALITY (not just getting to sleep, but staying there and getting the proper amounts of deep sleep)
• Boost energy levels and combat fatigue (getting some extra ZZZ's can work wonders with this too!)
• Help support healthy weight management
• Help regulate menstrual cycles

A tailored approach to hormone balancing not only can allow your body to function at its best, but can actually help your body respond to stress and manage it in a healthier way. Hormone replacement therapy doesn’t just treat the symptoms—it gets to the root of the hormonal imbalance, helping you feel more like yourself again.

Lifestyle Tips to Support Hormonal Health

Of course, HRT is just one part of the solution, and working with your healthcare provider can help you determine if there are other factors that may be contributing to your hormone imbalance or stress. Other labwork may be recommended to make sure that vitamin levels are sufficient, inflammation isn't present, or other factors that can certainly contribute to both stress and hormones levels! As we age, a healthy lifestyle is truly the key to supporting long-term hormonal balance. Here are a few of our favorite tips for ongoing longevity:

1. Prioritize Sleep: We know, we know. It's so hard right?! So many things to do and so little time! But, making it a habit makes it easier. Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep each night. Set that TV timer. Plug in your phone on the other side of the room. Set a bedtime alarm to remind you to GO TO BED! We also love these great sleep tips from the National Sleep Foundation!
2. Stay Active: Regular exercise helps keep cortisol at a healthy level, and boosts the production of feel-good endorphins. No time? No problem. Fit it in where you can. Take a walk on your lunch break, do some squats between phone calls in your cubicle, take the stairs instead of the elevator. Little changes add up to BIG results!
3. Balanced Diet: Eating whole foods rich in fiber, healthy fats, and protein can help stabilize your blood sugar and hormone levels. Consider incorporating hormone-balancing foods like flaxseeds, avocados, and leafy greens into your diet. Having a tough time fitting in all the cooking? Try a meal prep day on the weekends and make a hearty pot of soup that can last you through some of the week. Try to focus whole foods rather than anything that comes in a wrapper. Make meals that include at least 3 food groups in a balanced way. The more you practice this, the easier it gets we promise!!!
4. Mindfulness: Practices like meditation and deep breathing can help reduce stress and prevent it from wreaking havoc on your hormones. Not a big yoga fan? Spend more time outdoors or start a new hobby that requires you to be outside in nature. Declutter your schedule as best you can to have time to just breathe before running on to the next thing. Do your best to put down the phone and be in the present with the people around you! Practicing mindfulness can be a great way of self-regulating, which can affect how you respond to stress to begin with! Harvard Health also has some great ideas on mindfulness that you might want to check out!
5. Talk to a Healthcare Provider: If you aren't getting answers as to why you have terrible fatigue, can't sleep at night, and your libido is terrible, it's time to check those hormones! It's also important to consult with a healthcare professional who specializes in hormone therapy, so that you don't have an appointment where you're told "You should relax a little more and get some more sleep". At Unique Health, you will find that we take these symptoms seriously and will work to get to the bottom of them.

More about Unique Health

Located right on Branscomb Road in Green Cove Springs, Unique Health is here to give you access to personalized care that can help you address these challenges. We offer comprehensive solutions to common aging problems such as healthy weight management, men's hormone health, hormone imbalances, sleep and stress issues, and low libido. Hormone replacement therapy is available locally and we always customize our approach to treating hormone imbalances with every patient. Whether stress is the primary cause or just a contributing factor, getting to the root cause of your symptoms and helping you restore your quality of life is what it's all about for us.

If you're struggling with stress and noticing its impact on your hormones, or have questions about hormone replacement therapy as a potential therapy option for you, give us a call or feel free to contact us through our website. We look forward to seeing you soon!