Extra moody, struggling to sleep or can’t stop overthinking? Your hormones may be out of whack – how to spot the signs
WHEN your hormones are out of balance, it’s not just your physical health that’s affected.
It can also have a significant impact on your mental wellbeing – including your ability to regulate your thoughts, experts say.
Consider yourself a serial overthinker? While this could well be down to anxiety or a panic disorder alone – it can have a hormonal cause.
And feeling extra moody or struggling to sleep? That too may mean there’s an imbalance at play.
There are more than 223million posts related to ‘overthinking’ on TikTok, and Google searches for how to stop doing it have risen by 227 per cent in the last month.
Here, hormone health expert Mike Kocsis reveals why hormones could be to blame for your rumination, and how to stop your thoughts running wild for good.
OESTROGEN
Oestrogen plays an important role in mood regulation.
“The most well-known example of this is PMS, where the dip in oestrogen before menstruation causes emotional mood swings, irritability, and difficulty concentrating, which can lead to an increase in overthinking,” Mike, from Balance My Hormones, said.
“During perimenopause and menopause, oestrogen levels decline significantly, which can lead to symptoms like anxiety and depression.
“These hormonal shifts can make it harder to control intrusive thoughts, overthinking, and rumination (dwelling on negative thoughts).
“If you haven’t always been an overthinker, and the tendency to ruminate started at around the time you started perimenopause or menopause, it could be a sign that it’s down to your hormones.”
SEROTONIN
Serotonin, the ‘happy hormone’, regulates your mood and sleep pattern.
“When serotonin levels drop, you can experience symptoms of anxiety, depression, fatigue, and rumination,” Mike said.
Rumination is the act of fixating on negative thoughts, emotions, and experiences – playing them over and over in your head.
Low serotonin levels can make it harder for your brain to let go of negative thoughts, creating a vicious cycle of overthinking and unhappiness, Mike added.
PROGESTERONE
Progesterone influences neurotransmitters in the brain, like gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA).
GABA has a calming effect, and progesterone binds to GABA receptors, which enhances this effect.
“But when levels of progesterone fluctuate during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause, the calming effect is disrupted,” Mike said.
“This can cause mood swings, depression, and anxiety, and the drop in progesterone can also cause cognitive symptoms like brain fog and memory issues, contributing to the overthinking cycle.”
CORTISOL
Cortisol regulates your body’s stress responses.
It’s released after ‘fight or flight’ hormones like adrenaline, so you can continue to be on high alert and be able to respond to danger.
“However, if you experience chronic stress, your cortisol levels will constantly be heightened, and this can cause difficulty sleeping, a weakened immune system, and overthinking,” Mike said.
“It can make you hyper-aware of potential threats – both real and imagined – and it can make it difficult for your brain to switch off and let go of worries.”
Cortisol can also affect your prefrontal cortex, which is the part of the brain responsible for critical thinking and emotional regulation, making it harder to put your negative thoughts and overthinking into perspective, Mike added.
OXYTOCIN
Oxytocin promotes feelings of calmness and trust.
It’s the hormone your brain emits when you’re bonding with your friends or falling in love.
While the ‘love hormone’ can reduce anxiety, it can also intensify memories, especially stressful ones.
“If you have an argument with your partner or your best friend, oxytocin can strengthen that memory and make you more likely to replay it in your mind and ruminate on the negativity,” Mike said.
How to get your hormone levels checked
Ten of the most common signs of a hormone imbalance are:
- Mood swings
- Heavy or painful periods
- Low libido
- Insomnia and poor-quality sleep
- Unexplained weight gain
- Skin problems
- Fertility problems
- Headaches
- Weak bones
- Vaginal dryness
If you’re concerned that you might have a hormone imbalance, speak to your GP.
They may recommend a hormone test, and you might be referred to an endocrinologist.
Tests are also available privately, and prices range from £30 to several hundred pounds.
A blood test is the most reliable way to determine your hormone levels, so be wary of websites claiming to be able to provide information in other ways.
Source: NHS and Hormone Health
HOW TO TELL IF IT’S HORMONAL, NOT JUST STANDARD OVERTHINKING
Overthinking due to hormones is often more persistent and intense than everyday worrying, Mike said.
“It consumes your thoughts for hours or even days, rather than coming and going depending on the situation,” he added.
“If your overthinking becomes overwhelming, and difficult to manage with techniques that usually help, it could be a sign that your hormones are playing a part.”
The hormones expert recommends tracking your symptoms.
“This includes what you’re overthinking about, what triggered it, and any other symptoms you’re experiencing,” he added.
“Talk to your doctor, who will be able to assess if it’s a hormonal issue – from hormone panel blood tests and thyroid function tests to psychological tests that can help rule out things like anxiety, depression, or obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).”
How to stop hormonal overthinking
Once your doctor has assessed your hormone levels, they might recommend hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
“Combined HRT includes both oestrogens and progestogens (or oestrogen only, if you’ve had a hysterectomy) to raise the levels of these hormones in your body, and this can address symptoms of anxiety, improve mood regulation, and reduce the overthinking,” Mike said.
But if HRT isn’t suitable, there are other options and things that can help, according to Mike.
Mindfulness practices, like meditation and deep breathing when you feel triggered can help calm the mind, and can prevent you from going into an overthinking spiral.
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) strategies that a therapist can teach you can help you identify negative thought patterns that lead to overthinking.
Writing down your worries and concerns in a journal could also help you gain perspective and end the cycle of overthinking.
Avoiding caffeine and alcohol could be helpful.
Caffeine is a stimulant that can increase your heart rate, leading to feelings of anxiety and making it harder for your mind to relax, Mike said.
Alcohol can initially have the opposite effect and make you feel more relaxed, but as it wears off, it can disrupt your sleep and lead to ‘hangxiety‘, making you overthink everything you did and said the previous night, he added.
Studies have suggested that low levels of vitamin D could be linked to mood swings and anxiety, and other studies suggest that if the brain is lacking omega-3s, it could induce behavioural and psychiatric disorders.
Supplements could potentially reduce anxiety symptoms that are leading to overthinking.
Regular exercise can help your body release endorphins, the ‘feel good’ hormones, which fight against stress hormones like cortisol and have mood-boosting effects.
Exercise increases blood flow throughout the body, including to the adrenal glands and ovaries.
This improved circulation can support the production and raise the levels of hormones like oestrogen and progesterone, according to Mike.