As a lifelong professional woman myself, here’s what I used to do: plan a vacation, then push myself to the brink of burnout and stress until the day I left. IF this sounds familiar, grab a tea, let’s talk about cortisol and stress in women. May you receive the AH-HA moment that your body needs, in this article.
So you’re not scared of hard work, and might even have an “earn your rest!” mentality. This is not a bad thing. And likely when you look around at your life, it’s pretty good. This is what fuels the adrenal loop even more. The cortisol addiction. That satisfaction from all your hard work!
Here is what I know now. That work/crash cycle is the definition of dysregulation which could be ok if it didn’t affect the rest of your life such as health and relationships.
As a As a Women’s Health Coach who tends to attract high-performing woman, I understand it is easy to normalize (and glamorize) being in overdrive. You’re praised for your resilience, your ability to multitask, and your ability to keep looking like little-miss-got-her-life-together. I get it!
This is why lifestlye shifts are important
Here’s what I see in the world of corporate women’s and female entrepreneurs:
- Women who are “on” 12 hours a day/5-6 days /week; and go through cycles of feeling disconnected from their body.
- Sleep that doesn’t feel restorative.
- Constant output with little/no space to receive.
- Health, weight, and body image issues
Being a Personal Trainer for so many years in another life, I learned that when cortisol (the body’s primary stress hormone), stays elevated for too long, it affects everything from metabolism to mood.
AND…This has been the way in which you have created an epic life for yourself after all. So how to change it?
The Shift in Biology & Biochemistry
Aside from Cortisol and stress in women, being in masculine energy (problem solving, leading, being structured and focused) all day, is not a vibe from a health OR energetic standpoint. We drain our nutrients, hormones, and creative energy. And energetically when it comes to relationships, it throws our natural polarity and openness off.
So no, the answer isn’t pushing harder or adding more structure, it is small shifts in your current lifestyle to restore your rhythm. Don’t wait for the “right” time. It is never going to come, and before you know it you’re 40/45/50 and realizing your biochemistry has been severly affected.
Tangible Tips to Shift Out of Burnout
These are the exact tools I teach inside my ‘Find Your Best Fitness’ Coaching Program, and the practices I personally rely on:
1. Set an End-of-Day Alarm (Yes, really.)
Photo by omid armin on Unsplash
Rather than working yourself to the edge and using time off to recover, try this:
Set an alarm 30 minutes before your ideal workday end.
It’ll feel odd at first, but it is a nervous system cue that your energy is valuable, and best of all it helps you focus more during your working hours.
2. Mineralize to reduce the effects of stress!
So, you can’t finish early (a convo for another time), so time to become intentional with how you care for your body! Be THAT person. Go the extra mile.
Stress and cortisol in women burns through your body’s minerals and nutrients. Begin to rebuild with high quality, trace minerals, magnesium-rich foods, Vitamin D3, a Greens powder, and hydration. This is the foundation of Metabolism Optimization Coaching, restoring what depletion has taken.
Check out this blog: Top 3 Nutrition Tips for High Achieving Women
Check out the best bits from interview with Functional Nutrition Practitioner: Vitamins, Minerals, Bone Health and More
Book a Nutrition Analysis, where we go over it ALL (including digestion)
3. Create a Daily “Big 5” List (Big cortisol lowering hack)!
One of the most effective measures I have ever adopted from The Perfect Week Formula by Craig Ballantyne. Five clear priorities each day provide focus, reduce reactivity, and prevent overwhelm from setting in. After all, being a Nervous System-informed, Women’s Health Coach, we know, the Nervous System LOVES a plan.
4. Revel in Pleasure + Laughter (yes even in meetings) to antidote stress
Pleasure and laughter are antidotes to stress! So whether it is embellishing the taste of your morning beverage and feeling it in the depths of your womb, or remembering to crack a joke and find humor amidst the chaos, the oxytocin and dopamine release brings balance into the body!
In conclusion, you don’t need to wait for the vacation to exhale, you need a reminder that it is safe (and more effective) to your rhythm and slowly balance the cortisol and stress with gentle women’s health lifestyle protocols.
As a Women’s Health Coach in Vancouver, I help high-performing women reclaim their energy, clarity, and confidence through Health and Fitness Coaching, Metabolism Optimization, and Holistic Fitness Programs that actually work for women. No HIIT, no calorie deficits.
GROUP TRAINING PROGRAM STARTING SEPT 2025: Boost Your Metabolism. This is for professional, generally high-achieving women 30-50. Come on in! See program details and get on email list.
PM me on IG or Linkedin “Find Your Best Fitness” or fill out this coaching interest form to learn about my 3-month program that’s helped 100’s of women.
See some client messages here. Receiving those are the best part of my days!
In the meantime, reflect back on the 4 suggestions, and see what you get to start implementing to feel more like YOU.