If you have been doing everything right: eating well, training consistently, prioritising sleep but still feel exhausted, anxious, and like your body is working against you, there is a strong chance that cortisol is a significant part of the problem.

Cortisol is not the villain it is often made out to be: it is a vital hormone that your body genuinely needs. During menopause, however, it has a tendency to become chronically elevated in ways that amplify almost every other symptom you are already dealing with. Understanding what it is and what drives it is one of the most useful things you can do for yourself during this transition.