Is Burnout Wrecking Your Hormones? Here’s How to Know—and What to Do About It
I used to think I could outsmart my stress.
I was working out, eating generally healthy and doing fun bio-hacking things like red light therapy, sauna and green juices. I was healthy! Or so I thought.
No matter how much I was taking care of myself, I was also going out a lot, staying up late, doing the most at work and saying yes to everything.
And I eventually started to feel flat. No motivation. Really painful periods. Fertility challenges. And a TON of gut problems.
Spoiler: It wasn’t a lack of effort. It was burnout—and it was showing up in my health.
If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing all the “right” things but still feel off, this one’s for you.
Root-Cause Education: How Burnout Impacts Hormones
Let’s talk science—but make it digestible.
Your hormones are governed by a delicate network called the HPO axis (hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis). It’s like your body’s internal hormone director, constantly coordinating signals to keep things like ovulation, energy, and mood in check.
When you’re under stress—emotional, physical, or even undernourishment—your brain sends an alert to your adrenal glands: “We feel threatened. Make more cortisol, stat!”
Here’s where things get tricky: cortisol and progesterone (your calming, period-supporting hormone) share the same building block—pregnenolone. When stress levels rise, your body starts to “steal” pregnenolone to make more cortisol, leaving progesterone in short supply. This is known as the pregnenolone steal.
What does this look like in real life?
Short luteal phases or skipped ovulation
PMS that makes you feel like a different person
Hormonal acne, breast tenderness, bloating
Mood swings or anxiety in the week before your period
Fatigue that caffeine can’t touch
Your hormones aren’t broken—your body is prioritizing survival over reproduction.
The fix? We stop treating stress like a personality trait and start supporting the body before it crashes.
Why We Should Be Talking About This More
Even when we don’t “feel” stressed, our body could be experiencing stress. Oura rings and other wearables are bringing more attention to this but here’s some common things I see with my clients that don’t feel stressful to them but are likely causing their body to give off stress signals internally.
Skipping meals —> body thinks food is scarce —> stress response
Worrying about anything —> brain can’t differentiate real vs. perceived stress —> stress response
Blood sugar swings —> body does a lot of work in the background to bring things in balance —> stress response
Intense workout —> muscle tears (even the good kind), heart rate up —> stress response
Staying up late —> body doesn’t get the recovery it needs —> stress response
All of these little habits that don’t feel like a big deal are adding to your body’s stress. Burnout doesn’t always feel dramatic. Sometimes it just feels like…
You can’t fall asleep, or stay asleep—even when you’re bone tired.
Your patience is gone by 9am.
You’re wired and tired at the same time.
You keep trying to start that workout plan, but you never have the energy to follow through.
You feel “off,” but every lab comes back “normal.”
These are all signs that your body’s stress response is overworked and may need support.
Practical, Bite-Sized Solutions
You don’t need a 30-step morning routine. You need habits that help your body feel safe, nourished, and supported.
Eat to Rebuild, Not Restrict
Prioritize protein, fat, and fiber at every meal to stabilize blood sugar and calm the nervous system.
Don’t skip breakfast—especially if you drink coffee. Eat within 60–90 minutes of waking.
Snack smarter: if you’re hungry between meals, combine protein + fat to keep cortisol balanced.
Rest Like It’s a Health Strategy
Treat rest as productive, not passive. Quality rest helps restore progesterone and balance cortisol.
Give yourself permission to slow down—especially in your luteal phase (usually the 10–14 days before your period).
Schedule buffer time into your calendar so every minute isn’t accounted for.
Track Ovulation (So You Can Work With Your Cycle)
Use a basal body thermometer and track cervical mucus to know when you ovulate.
The week after ovulation (your luteal phase) is when your body is producing the most progesterone and needs more support, not more hustle.
If you're not ovulating, your body may already be in burnout mode. This is your sign to focus on nourishment and recovery.
Utlimately…
Your hormones are not sabotaging you. They’re trying to communicate what your body needs: more nourishment, more rest, and less pressure to “push through.”
Burnout isn’t solved with another supplement. It’s healed through daily decisions that tell your body it’s safe to shift out of survival mode and back into balance.
If you’re ready to stop guessing and start healing, I’m here to help you rebuild from the inside out. This is what we do inside our 1:1 hormone support program—where we combine data with daily life to make real, lasting progress.
Your body isn’t broken. It’s just burned out—and it’s time to restore.