For years, my PMS felt like absolute chaos. The week before my period, I’d be hit with anxiety spikes, restless nights, and even spotting that made me wonder if something was “off.” Every month, I brushed it off as normal—even though it never felt normal. And no one ever connected the dots.
That changed when I learned about progesterone. Suddenly, it was like the puzzle finally made sense.
✨ Progesterone is your calming hormone.
It’s the hormone that helps you wind down, sleep deeply, and feel steady instead of anxious. It also balances out estrogen so your body doesn’t swing too far in either direction.
When progesterone levels run low, you can feel it. PMS becomes more than just a little irritability—it can feel unbearable. You might notice:
✔️ Anxiety and mood swings
✔️ Insomnia or restless sleep
✔️ Spotting before your period
✔️ Fertility struggles
The frustrating part? These symptoms are often dismissed as “just PMS.” But low progesterone is not something you simply have to live with.
What You Can Do About It
The good news is, your body is always giving you clues—and you don’t have to keep guessing or Googling symptoms. There are real steps you can take to bring balance back.
- Understand Your Hormone Markers
- Lab work or at-home testing can give you insight into your progesterone levels (along with other key hormones). Instead of wondering why your cycle feels so off, you’ll have data to work with.
- Support Your Body Naturally
- Nutrition, lifestyle changes, stress management, and targeted supplements can all play a role in encouraging healthy progesterone production. Simple shifts—like eating enough protein, managing blood sugar, and prioritizing sleep—can make a big difference.
- Get Guidance
- Every woman’s body is different, which means what works for one person may not work for another. Having someone walk alongside you to interpret your results and build a plan that fits your life is what takes the overwhelm away.
A Different Way Forward
If your PMS feels unbearable and you’re tired of trying to piece it all together on your own, you don’t have to. Inside my coaching, I help women uncover what their hormone markers (like progesterone) actually mean—and, most importantly, what to do if they’re out of balance.
Because when you understand what your body is telling you, you can finally move from chaos to clarity—and feel like yourself again.
Your hormones don’t just live in your ovaries. They’re in constant conversation with your nervous system, gut, and brain—working around the clock to keep your body balanced. That’s why stress and sleep are two of the biggest players when it comes to hormone health. When your nervous system is calm and your sleep is restorative, your hormones can finally do their job.
One of the simplest ways to support this connection? Essential oils. 🌿
Oils That Support the Nervous System (and Your Hormones)
- Rosemary → Mental Clarity + Brain Fog
- If you’ve ever felt foggy, distracted, or like your brain just won’t “turn on,” rosemary oil might be your new favorite tool. Inhaling rosemary has been shown in studies to improve memory and cognitive function. Think of it as a gentle nudge to your brain when you need clarity.
- Bergamot → Stress + Mood Balance
- Stress is one of the fastest ways to throw your hormones off track. Elevated cortisol (your stress hormone) can disrupt sleep, digestion, and even your cycle. Bergamot essential oil is known for its mood-balancing properties, and research has found it can lower cortisol markers—helping your body move out of “fight or flight” and into calm.
- German Chamomile + Lavender → Restful Sleep
- Sleep is the foundation of hormone balance. Without enough deep, restorative rest, your body doesn’t have the time it needs to regulate hormones, repair cells, and recharge. German chamomile and lavender are a calming duo that can help quiet the nervous system and promote more restful sleep. Diffuse them at night or roll them on your wrists before bed to signal your body it’s time to wind down.
Hormone health isn’t just about your reproductive system—it’s about how your entire body feels and functions. When stress is managed and sleep is prioritized, your hormones have the environment they need to thrive. Essential oils aren’t a magic fix, but they can be a supportive, natural tool in helping your body find that balance.
Sometimes the smallest shifts—like diffusing oils while you work, inhaling rosemary before a big task, or winding down with lavender at night—can create a ripple effect in your energy, mood, and overall hormone health.
Your hormones are always talking to your body. Oils give you a way to support that conversation, so your system feels calm, clear, and capable of doing its job.
When we hear the word “toxins,” most of us immediately think about pesticides in our food, chemicals in our cleaning products, or pollutants in the air we breathe. And while those are important to pay attention to, there’s one toxin that rarely gets the spotlight: stress.
The truth is, stress impacts your body just as much—if not more—than environmental toxins. And unlike cleaning up your pantry or swapping out your skincare, stress isn’t something you can simply avoid.
When your body is under chronic stress, it doesn’t just affect your mood. It throws off nearly every system in your body. Cortisol, your main stress hormone, can become dysregulated, leading to energy crashes, sleep issues, and imbalances in thyroid and sex hormones. Stress also weakens your gut lining, slows digestion, and makes you more sensitive to certain foods. It fuels inflammation, which makes aches, pains, and even skin flare-ups more common. And even if you’re eating clean, stress keeps your nervous system stuck in survival mode, draining the focus and energy you need to thrive.
This is why so many women say, “I’m doing all the right things but still don’t feel like myself.” If stress is the missing piece, no amount of kale or supplements will move the needle until your body feels safe again.
The good news is that life will always come with challenges, but the goal isn’t to eliminate stress entirely—it’s to give your body tools to move through it. Small shifts add up in a big way. Deep breathing, grounding outside, or even five minutes of stillness can help switch your body out of survival mode. Pairing protein, fiber, and healthy fats at meals balances blood sugar and prevents the energy rollercoaster that makes stress harder to handle. Magnesium-rich greens, omega-3 fats, and calming herbal teas are all nourishing foods that gently support your stress hormones. And beyond nutrition, rest matters too. Rest doesn’t just mean sleep—it also looks like downtime, joyful movement, and things that truly recharge you.
Stress is more than just a feeling—it’s a physical toxin your body has to process. By recognizing its impact and supporting your nervous system, you can stop feeling stuck in survival mode and finally start feeling like yourself again. Because wellness isn’t just about what you cut out—it’s about how you support your body through the stress you can’t avoid.
I’d wake up after 8 hours of sleep and still feel like I hadn’t slept at all.
I’d chug coffee, push through the morning, and then—like clockwork—hit that 3PM crash. I told myself I was just “lazy” or “not motivated enough.” But the truth? It wasn’t a lack of discipline. It was my body waving a giant red flag.
If you’ve ever Googled “why am I tired all the time,” hear me: it’s not just stress, and it’s definitely not your fault.
The Hormone Connection
Your hormones are like the body’s internal managers. When they’re balanced, energy feels steady, sleep feels restorative, and focus comes more naturally. But when they’re out of balance, exhaustion creeps in—no matter how much coffee you pour into your mug.
Cortisol (your stress hormone) and insulin (your blood sugar hormone) are two of the biggest players here. If they’re spiking and crashing all day, your energy will do the same. Pair that with low thyroid function, imbalanced sex hormones, or nutrient deficiencies, and you’ve got a recipe for constant fatigue.
Signs It’s Hormonal (Not Just Stress or Laziness)
- You sleep 7–9 hours but wake up groggy.
- You get “wired but tired” at night, unable to fall asleep even though you’re exhausted.
- You crave sugar or caffeine just to get through the day.
- You feel more like yourself at certain times of the month than others.
Sound familiar? These aren’t signs that you’re unmotivated. They’re clues that your body needs support.
What You Can Do About It
The good news is that your energy isn’t gone—it’s just buried under hormone chaos. A few simple steps can make a big difference:
- Balance blood sugar. Pair protein, fat, and fiber at meals to avoid energy spikes and crashes.
- Prioritize real rest. Create a bedtime routine that supports deep, restorative sleep.
- Support stress hormones. Gentle movement, breathwork, or even stepping outside for fresh air can help bring cortisol back in check.
- Track your cycle. Notice if fatigue flares at certain phases—your hormones might be trying to tell you something.
The Bottom Line
Feeling tired all the time isn’t a personality flaw. It’s your body asking for help. Once you understand the signals your hormones are sending, you can finally stop blaming yourself—and start making changes that restore your energy.
Because you don’t need more coffee. You need balance.
Most perfumes are marketed as luxury, self-care, or confidence in a bottle—but the truth hiding behind that label isn’t so glamorous. Most conventional perfumes are filled with endocrine-disrupting chemicals that can quietly wreak havoc on your body. If you see “fragrance” or “parfum” on the ingredient list, that’s usually code for a cocktail of undisclosed chemicals. These compounds can interfere with your hormones, affect fertility, drain your energy, and even impact your mood. If you’re looking for a hormone-safe perfume alternative, the easiest swap is essential oils.
Essential oils are 100% plant-based and actually work with your body instead of against it. They don’t just smell amazing—they can also support hormone balance, calm your nervous system, provide natural stress relief, boost energy, and even help you focus. Think of them as a non-toxic perfume swap that doubles as a wellness tool.
Here are a few of my favorite essential oil blends for mood, energy, and balance:
🌹 Rose + Vanilla + Patchouli → feminine, grounding, and calming
🍊 Bergamot + Frankincense → stress relief and mental clarity
🌿 Peppermint + Orange → natural energy boost without the caffeine crash
What I love most about using oils is how easy and versatile they are. You can roll them directly on your wrists, temples, or neck as a personal fragrance, or diffuse them at home to shift the mood of a room. Want cozy and calming before bed? Diffuse lavender or rose. Need a burst of energy in the morning? Peppermint and citrus are perfect. I keep rollers in my bag so I always have them on hand, and honestly, there are a few blends I never leave home without.
Making the switch to essential oils as perfume is one of the simplest ways to cut back on toxins in your daily life. Small changes add up, and when it comes to protecting your hormones, every little swap matters. Instead of spritzing on synthetic fragrance, you can enjoy scents that not only smell incredible but also support your health, your energy, and your mood.
If you’ve been searching for a safe alternative to perfume, this is it: ditch the endocrine disruptors and let essential oils become your new go-to fragrance—hormone-friendly, natural, and designed to make you feel amazing.
