This hormone nearly burned me out

The stress signals your body’s been sending (and why it matters)

Coach Tee
August 01, 2025

Hey

Can I tell you something I wish I had learned way earlier?

You can look like you’ve got it all together career climbing, gym crushing, multitasking like a pro, and still be getting silently wrecked by this one hormone: 👉 CORTISOL.

I ignored it for years. Pushed through 12-hour shifts, fueled by caffeine, stress, and perfectionism. I thought I was strong for not slowing down… Until my body forced me to.

My wake-up call? Sleep was garbage. My belly bloated no matter what I ate. I couldn’t focus. I was snapping at people I loved.

The problem wasn’t willpower. It was that my cortisol was running the show, and it was exhausted.

😮 Surprising Cortisol Fact: Did you know that chronically high cortisol levels can shrink your brain? Specifically, the part that controls memory, learning, and emotional regulation (your hippocampus). So, if you’ve been feeling forgetful or foggy, it’s not “just life.” Your hormones might be calling for help.

📉 What Cortisol Imbalance Can Look Like:

Wired at night, sluggish in the morning
Belly fat that won’t budge
Mood swings or snapping over little things
Constant need for caffeine just to function
Sleep issues, cravings, anxiety

Sound familiar?

✨ What I Do Now to Stay Balanced: There’s no “magic fix,” but these three shifts changed everything for me, and now for my clients too:

✅ Start the day with food (not coffee). Especially protein + healthy carbs. It tells your body “You’re safe.” No starvation stress needed.

✅ Walk daily, especially after meals. A simple walk lowers cortisol, stabilizes blood sugar, and clears mental clutter. (Even better if you leave your phone at home.)

✅ Protect your wind-down time. Blue light, emails, and scrolling at night? That’s cortisol fuel. I shut it down an hour before bed. Try it.

My Go-To Cortisol-Busting Recipe

This smoothie is quick, delicious, and full of ingredients that support stress recovery.

Cortisol-Calm Chocolate Smoothie

1 cup almond milk
½ frozen banana
1 scoop chocolate protein
1 tbsp almond butter
1 tsp maca powder (supports adrenal function)
1 tsp raw cacao (magnesium-rich!)
Handful of spinach
Ice

Blend and enjoy ✨

Want to go deeper?

If you’re nodding along to all of this and thinking “Yep, this is me” you’re not alone. That’s exactly why I created Power Hour

It’s a 1:1 session designed to help you uncover what your body’s been trying to tell you, before burnout becomes your baseline.

Whether it’s sleep, stress, hormones, or energy, you’ll walk away with clear steps and zero fluff. Because you deserve a health strategy as powerful as you are.

A Final Note, From Me to You

If you’re feeling “off” lately, trust that signal. Your body’s not broken it’s burned out from carrying the load.

You don’t need to do more. You need to restore.

And that’s exactly what I help high-performers like you do, without sacrificing success.

Let’s stop normalizing burnout and start building health that fuels the life you want.

You can always hit reply and tell me what you’re going through
I read every message

With love + real rest

Tee
Registered Nurse | Health Performance Coach Founder, NuLeaf Nutrition