By the time most women realize their nervous system is running in overdrive, they’re already deep into exhaustion. But it doesn’t have to get that far.
In midlife, the stakes get higher — our hormones shift, recovery slows, and our bodies start sending louder signals when something’s off. The problem? Most of us have been living at high speed for so long that we don’t notice those early signs until they get loud.
This week, I want to pull back the curtain on the subtle (and not-so-subtle) ways our nervous system gets taxed — so you can recognize them before you crash.
I’ll go deeper into recovery strategies and emotional resilience in Sunday’s newsletter — if you’re not on the list yet, you can join here.
The Hidden Strain We’re Not Talking About Enough
For high-achieving women — especially in the chaos of perimenopause — it’s rarely just one thing that tips the scales. It’s a slow layering of stressors, lifestyle habits, and emotional load that chips away at our resilience until our body finally says, “Enough.”
I’ve watched too many women in my world — brilliant entrepreneurs and athletes — get sidelined for months (or years) by adrenal fatigue. They didn’t “burn out” overnight. They ignored the early warnings because they were so used to running on empty.
The Common Culprits — and Why They Matter More Now
So what are the biggest culprits taxing our nervous system in midlife? Here are a few that might surprise you:
Reliance on Caffeine
Coffee is the secret fuel for many of us — but it’s also a nervous system stressor. While a morning cup of coffee can be a comforting ritual, when that one cup turns into three or four just to keep functioning, it’s a sign that your nervous system is already running on fumes.
Caffeine spikes cortisol, masks fatigue, and tricks your body into pushing harder than it should. Over time, that “fake energy” comes at a high cost: adrenal fatigue, disrupted sleep, and an even greater dependence on the very thing draining you.
High-Intensity Workouts
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) can be an effective tool in certain seasons of life — but in midlife, it often works against us. While these workouts push the heart rate up and burn calories quickly, they also spike cortisol, raise inflammation, and put significant stress on the nervous system. At this stage, our bodies don’t recover as quickly as they once did, so the repeated stress can actually slow recovery, disrupt hormonal balance, and keep us in a state of fatigue rather than building resilience.
I know this firsthand — I used to own a CrossFit gym and competed both locally and regionally. I loved the competition and the challenge, but years of regular high-intensity training left a mark on my body.
About ten years ago, I transitioned my main training to bodybuilding-focused strength work, but I still kept a fair amount of high-intensity interval training in the mix. Then, about two years ago, I finally removed all HIIT work from my routine — and the difference in my recovery and energy since then has been night and day.
Technology in the Bedroom
Besides never having a television in my bedroom, I’ve been good about keeping my phone out of my bedroom for years, shutting it down completely at night. But the iPad? That’s where I started to slip recently. Evening Netflix binges or late-night scrolling kept my nervous system activated long after I thought I was “winding down.” That’s because screens stimulate the brain, delay melatonin production, and keep us in a low-level fight-or-flight mode.
Technology tip: If you insist on taking your iPad to bed (I haven’t broken my habit completely yet) consider adding a blue light screen filter or wearing blue light glasses, to reduce eye strain and minimize sleep disturbance. I use both. I’ve even added a blue light screen protector to my phone, which let’s face it, we are all looking at all day long.
Lack of True Rest
Many of us confuse “time off” with “rest.” Scrolling social media, running errands, or multitasking at home doesn’t count — your nervous system is still being bombarded with stimulation. True rest means giving your brain and body a break from constant input: quiet time, nature, meditation, journaling, even just lying down without your phone.
Without this kind of reset, the nervous system stays stuck in overdrive — and the result is poor sleep, irritability, and a sense that no matter how much “time off” you take, you never really recharge.
Unresolved Emotional Stress
This is a topic you won’t hear many high achieving women talk about, but it’s one that many of us have been secretly battling. In fact, this has been a primary focus for me in 2025 (more to come on this!)
Unresolved emotional stress — whether from work, relationships, big life transitions, or even old wounds from childhood — doesn’t just “go away.” If it’s unaddressed, your nervous system stays in a subtle fight-or-flight state. Over time, this can show up as sleep problems, chronic tension in the body (especially in the neck, shoulders, or gut), digestive issues, irritability, depression, or feeling “stuck” in patterns you can’t seem to break.
This isn’t just mental — research shows that unresolved trauma literally gets stored in the body. That’s why we see so many women in midlife suddenly hit a wall with fatigue, anxiety, or mysterious health symptoms. The nervous system has been carrying an invisible load for years.
👉 I’ll be going deeper into how I am personally working on releasing these stored emotional traumas — both physically and emotionally — in this week’s newsletter. If you’re not subscribed, you can join here so you don’t miss it.
Why This Matters More in Midlife
Midlife isn’t the time to see “how far you can push.” It’s the time to start listening — to your body, your emotions, your recovery. Some warning signs of an overstressed nervous system are often subtle: disrupted sleep, slower recovery from workouts, irritability, brain fog, a constant feeling of being “on,” or an increasing lack of desire or motivation.
Catching these signs early means you can make small, powerful shifts before you end up in months-long recovery from adrenal fatigue.
Your nervous system is the command center for your body. When it’s stuck in “fight or flight,” everything else is compromised:
Sleep
Hormones
Recovery
Focus
Mood
And here’s the kicker — in perimenopause and beyond, we don’t bounce back like we used to. What you could push through at 30 can derail you at 45.
The Bottom Line
You don’t have to wait until you hit full burnout to make changes. Spot the patterns early. Make adjustments now. Your body — and your future self — will thank you.
Because when you protect your nervous system, you’re not just preventing burnout — you’re building the foundation for energy, clarity, and vitality in the years ahead.
I’ll be sharing specific nervous system recovery strategies in this Sunday’s newsletter.
