What if everything you’ve been told about “fixing” your hormones is completely backwards?
If you’re struggling with low energy, painful or irregular cycles, PMS, mood swings, sleep disturbances, weight gain, hair loss, sugar cravings, digestive issues, low libido, feeling overwhelmed and burnt out and have been trying all the things to fix your hormones…You may be looking at it all wrong.
Most of the clients I see, as well as friends I speak to, tell me they’re anxious, they’re either struggling to fall asleep or waking up in the night, their cycles are irregular or painful, they can’t lose weight no matter what they do, their moods are all over the place, they’re cold all the time, or experiencing worsening of allergies. They are overwhelmed and feel incapable of dealing with stress anymore.
So what happens next? Depending on their age, they’re speak to their practitioner and are then often offered the pill, HRT, antidepressants, or anti-anxiety medication. And listen — these interventions can absolutely have their place if you’re stuck in a hole and can’t function. They can be helpful. I’m not dismissing that.
But here’s the problem. The way we are trying to fix hormones is by treating them in isolation.
The pill to “regulate cycles.”
HRT to fix peri-menopause and menopausal symptoms.
Antidepressants or anti-anxiety medication for anxiety.
And not just in the medical world – if you look around , you’ll also see hundreds of supplements marketed for “hormone balance.” And the likes of magnesium and ashwagandha for stress.
Even in the ‘alternative’ or wellness space, we’re still asking: “What can I take to increase or decrease this hormone?” ‘ what can i take to relax and help me sleep? ‘What can i take to improve my libido.
But here’s the shift I want you to make. I heard this quote on a podcast which stuck with me, and I have been quoting ever since to clients and students: Hormones are the result of life’s processes — not the cause.
They are chemical messengers. They respond to the input we give them. I don’t say this to shame or blame. If we look at it with this viewpoint, it all becomes empowering!
You are not burnt out because you have an ashwagandha or a magnesium deficiency.
So we have to ask: What are the life events, habits, behaviours, thought patterns, and stressors sending a constant “danger” signal to the body?
Because here’s the thing: Female physiology requires safety in order to reproduce.
When the body senses danger — whether that’s emotional stress, under-eating, over-exercising, lack of rest, chronic pressure — it will downregulate reproduction as a protective mechanism.
Cue the period changes, mood swings, fertility issues and perimenopause symptoms that feel unmanageable.
And to make things worse, during perimenopause and menopause, we naturally begin to experience more anovulatory cycles. This lowers protective hormones like progesterone – our pro-metabolic, pro-thyroid, calming, anti-inflammatory hormone. And low progesterone in relation to oestrogen can cause many of the symptoms mentioned before; and amplify symptoms that perhaps we could cope with more easily in our younger years.
But there’s another layer to this.
Modern society is built around a male physiology.
Men operate largely on a 24-hour circadian rhythm — they reset daily – every morning to be precise. If you know, you know!
Women operate on a roughly 28-day infradian rhythm. No two days in a female cycle are the same. Our energy, focus, ability to socialise, hunger – it all fluctuates. And yet we’re expected to wake up every day with the same “9–5 energiser bunny” output.
There’s a disconnect.
So when women try to force themselves into this constant-output model, the body adapts – remember: hormones are messengers responding to the input!. Sometimes we even see shifts like higher testosterone levels in high-achieving, driven women — often associated with PCOS patterns.
Now, I’m realistic, and I know we can’t remove ourselves from modern society. But awareness changes everything.
When you understand that your hormones are responding — not betraying you — you stop asking:
“What’s wrong with me?”
“What supplement do I need?”
“How do I fix this hormone?”
And you start asking:
Why is my body sending this message?
What signals am I giving it every day?
How am I living?
Where is the lack of safety?
That’s where real change begins.
If this topic resonates with you, I’ve created a self-led online programme called The Midlife Reset. It brings together everything I teach my one-to-one clients and my students, and we go much deeper — step by step — with live group support included. It is available for immediate access now on the Aura Fem Health App.
Or if you’d like more bespoke advice, why not book a discovery call to see some bespoke diet and lifestyle changes can help you flourish!
