Stress Lowering Quickies: How to Lower Stress in the Menopausal Transition

Kate Costello, MS, CNS, LDN
1 day ago
4 min read

You may not like quickies in the bedroom, but everyone loves a good stress-reducing quickie! This blog is about how to lower stress during perimenopause. If you don’t have an hour to meditate today, here’s

what you can do in five minutes (and why it works).

When Hormones Hijack Your Calm

I’m certain you have noticed how hormonal changes can alter your stress response. You might find yourself quicker to anger or tears, your fuse shorter, or small things suddenly feel like big ones. Have you caught yourself thinking “who even is this person?!” after snapping at your partner or tearing up at a commercial? You’re not imagining it, your biology is shifting.

Your Body’s Stress Circuit

Cortisol is your body’s stress hormone. It gets a bad rap, but it’s vital for life. Cortisol production is managed by your HPA axis (Hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis), a communication loop between your brain and adrenal glands that controls your stress response, also known as “fight or flight”.

A woman at a desk with her head in her hands stressed.

In a balanced (non-stress) state, cortisol helps:

Maintaining steady blood glucose levels
Regulates blood pressure and metabolism
Suppresses inflammation
Supports sleep-wake cycles

When stress hits, your brain perceives a threat → the hypothalamus signals the pituitary gland → which signals your adrenal glands to release cortisol into your bloodstream.

This triggers changes like:

Increased heart rate
Faster breathing to deliver more oxygen to tissues
Dilated pupils for sharper vision
A surge of glucose for instant energy
Slowed digestion so blood flows to your arms and legs - ready to flee or fight

Chronic Stress in Perimenopause: A Perfect Storm

Here’s where it gets tricky. Chronic stress and the unpredictable fluctuations of estrogen and progesterone during perimenopause can amplify one another, a true feedback loop of tension and fatigue.

As estrogen declines, your body’s ability to regulate the HPA axis weakens. That means our stress bandwidth shrinks; what once rolled off your back can now feel overwhelming.

Meanwhile, progesterone, your calm, stable, feel-good hormone, is suppressed by elevated cortisol. Your baseline stress levels rise, your stress response recovery slows, and nighttime cortisol often spikes, leading to racing thoughts, restless sleep, sugar cravings, and even more stress reactivity the next day.

De-Stress “quickies”

Your nervous system responds well to frequent, small doses of calm. Think of these interventions as “mini-vacations”, a quick trip to your favorite island, a deep exhale of ocean air, a mocktail with a tiny umbrella.

You don’t need a full hour of meditation or a yoga retreat to reset your system. Just five minutes can shift your physiology and mindset. Set a timer for 5 minutes and try any of the following:

Breath

Box breathing (inhale 4, hold 4, exhale 4, hold 4)
Extended exhale breathing (inhale 4, exhale 6–8)
Sigh release — take two deep sighs, let shoulders drop

Movement

wall stretch or shoulder rolls
5-minute walk outside
Wiggle it out: literally wiggle arms/legs to discharge tension, it looks silly, it feels silly, you will laugh, and stress will shift

Even short bursts of movement can lower cortisol, increase endorphins, and improve insulin sensitivity - all key benefits in perimenopause. Regular exercise also helps regulate estrogen metabolism, enhances sleep quality, and reduces anxiety and hot flashes.

Sensory

Splash cold water on face (vagus nerve stimulation)
Use essential oils, hand lotion, or herbal tea as grounding cues
Step outside for fresh air and sunlight

Mindset

Write down one thing you’re grateful for
Reframe: “This is stress” → “This is my body protecting me.”
Repeat a calming phrase: “I can meet this moment.”

Nutrition Quickies

Stress and blood sugar dysregulation go hand-in-hand. A few nutrition quickies

Eat within 1 hour of waking to avoid cortisol and blood sugar spikes
Protein-focused meals are ideal
Add protein + fat to the afternoon snack
Hydrate, even mild dehydration increases cortisol

Check out this blog for more information about blood sugar regulation and peri/menopause.

You don’t have to overhaul your life to manage stress in perimenopause. You just need consistent little signals that tell your body it’s safe to relax.