Stress Relieving Tips for Menopausal Women

Lifestyle |
7 min read

Written By

Jessica D. Buck

Published

November 01, 2025

Medically reviewed by

Alyssa Dweck MS, MD, FACOG, MSCP, Chief Medical Officer

Menopause is a whole-body transformation that can impact how you feel, think, and live your life on a day-to-day basis. As estrogen levels decline, it’s not uncommon for stress and anxiety to feel heightened, even in situations that once felt manageable.¹ Your body is getting used to a real change that is happening beneath the surface, which may make your emotional landscape feel unpredictable.

Hormonal changes during menopause directly influence mood-regulating neurotransmitters like serotonin and GABA, which means your stress response may be more sensitive than before.² The good news is that you can get things back into balance. With small, intentional changes, you can help your body and mind relax. Here are a few tips to achieve stress relief in menopause.

Why Do I Have More Anxiety in Menopause?

There’s a biological reason why you might notice your stress feeling more intense lately. During menopause, the natural decline in estrogen impacts how your brain regulates mood and responds to stress. Estrogen plays a key role in supporting neurotransmitters, like serotonin and GABA, which are basically your body’s support to staying “calm and steady”.³ When levels dip, it’s possible that you’ll feel more reactive or anxious than usual.

At the same time, menopause may disrupt sleep, trigger hot flashes, and bring major perspective shifts when it comes to personal identity and relationships, all of which may compound stress and make your emotional balance feel harder to maintain.^4,5 When your body is already managing hormonal fluctuations, even minor stressors may feel magnified, as your capacity for resilience is dampened.⁶

Over time, this may raise cortisol levels, which is the body’s main stress hormone. This can keep you in a constant state of alert and drain your energy reserves.⁷ It’s important to note that not all stress is bad stress, however—our bodies need cortisol to mobilize and function daily.⁸ However, when your body cannot shift from activated fight or flight, to easeful, relaxed states, your body starts to feel more consistently distressed.⁹

This ongoing pressure on your system is known as allostatic load, or the cumulative “wear and tear” caused by chronic stress.¹⁰ Think of it like a kitchen sink: when small amounts of water flow in, the sink can drain easily. But when the faucet is running nonstop, thanks to hormonal shifts, sleep loss, and everyday demands, the sink starts to overflow. That overflow is what anxiety, fatigue, and overwhelm can start to feel like in your body.

The first step toward relief is understanding that these sensations are your body’s way of adapting to change, not a personal shortcoming.¹¹ By recognizing what’s happening in your body and mind, you can take small steps to regulate your system before it reaches that tipping point.

Coping with Menopause Symptoms

Menopause stress management starts with recognizing your body’s signals early to meet your needs more effectively.¹² That might mean noticing when your shoulders tense, when your breath becomes shallow, or when your thoughts start to race. When you notice these subtle sensations rise, it’s best to observe and meet what is happening internally first. Then, if these sensations start to feel like too much to manage, try grounding practices, like journaling the excess thoughts, slowly exhaling with pursed lips, or even taking five minutes to step away from stimulation to help bring your nervous system back into a state of perceived safety.¹³

This sense of safety has both physical and psychological benefits. When your brain registers that you are safe, it downshifts from a state of threat, driven by the sympathetic nervous system, into one of regulation and repair.¹⁴

These moments of calm also help restore a sense of agency, which is the feeling that you can influence your internal state even when external factors are unpredictable. Science shows that agency activates brain regions linked to resilience and emotional stability, helping to counteract those feelings of helplessness or loss of control that hormonal changes may trigger.¹⁵ Even small acts of self-regulation remind your body that it’s not powerless.

Try reframing self-care as the daily maintenance of things that restore your sense of connection to yourself, rather than needing to grasp for something extra outside yourself. Small, consistent moments of regulation help your body adapt to change and make it easier to respond to life’s demands with steadiness instead of reactivity.¹⁶

Nourish Your Mind and Body, Naturally

Movement and proper nourishment are two incredibly effective ways to regulate stress and support your body through hormonal change.¹⁷ Activities like walking, yoga, and tai chi help to lower cortisol, boost endorphins, and may be beneficial for releasing physical tightness that often builds up when anxiety runs high.^18,19

Strength training is especially important during this stage of life, as it helps preserve muscle mass and bone density, both of which naturally decline with age and lower estrogen levels.²⁰ Pilates can further enhance the mind–body connection, improving posture, core stability, and body awareness, which in turn supports emotional regulation.²¹ And, if you enjoy running or higher-intensity workouts, pairing them with proper rest and recovery may help prevent cortisol overload and keep your energy balanced over time.²²

Even 15 minutes of intentional movement may make a noticeable difference in your mood and energy.²³ The key is to choose forms of movement that feel good to you, not ones that feel like punishment. Enjoyable movement activates the brain’s reward system, increasing serotonin and dopamine, which are the same neurotransmitters that support mood, motivation, and emotional resilience.²⁴ When movement feels nourishing rather than forced, you’re also more likely to exercise consistently and experience long-term, stress-relieving benefits.²⁵

The same principle applies to what you eat. A balanced diet can help stabilize mood and buffer your stress response during menopause and beyond.²⁶ Prioritize foods that keep blood sugar steady, like whole grains, leafy greens, nutrient-dense proteins, and healthy fats.²⁷ Nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, found in salmon, walnuts, and flaxseed, and magnesium, found in dark chocolate, spinach, and pumpkin seeds, support brain health and can help to calm the nervous system.²⁸ It’s wise to consider limiting stimulants, such as caffeine and alcohol, as doing so may also reduce anxiety and improve sleep quality.²⁹

Make Sleep a Priority

Just as movement helps regulate mood, consistent and restorative sleep gives your body the resilience it needs to cope with stress.³⁰ Sleep disturbances are common during menopause, often due to hormonal fluctuations, night sweats, or heightened anxiety at night. Yet quality sleep remains one of the strongest preventative measures against emotional and physical strain.³¹

Try creating a simple nighttime routine that signals to your body it’s time to rest by dimming the lights, avoiding too many screens, stretching gently to release tension, or practicing deep breathing with extended exhales before bed. Keeping your bedroom cool and comfortable may make a noticeable difference. Even small improvements in sleep quality may help you wake up more centered and ready to handle daily stressors with greater ease and confidence.

Seek Social Support & Connection

Research shows that too much isolation may amplify stress, while meaningful connection may help reduce stress.³² It may be beneficial to reach out to friends who can understand what you are going through. Joining a community group with people who enjoy similar hobbies or exploring online spaces where women share similar experiences could be helpful for you if you’ve been feeling more lonely lately. Research also shows that when you feel connected, your body releases oxytocin, which is a natural stress reliever that supports emotional well-being, resilience, and a sense of belonging.³³

Stress during menopause is real, but it’s also manageable. By tuning into your body and supporting it with movement, nutrition, restorative sleep, and connection, you can navigate this transition with more peace, confidence, and self-trust. With awareness, practical strategies, and a supportive network, you can move through this stage feeling grounded, resilient, and more present in your life.

If you find you’re struggling more significantly with managing stress, anxiety or depressed moods during menopause and beyond, it’s always best to seek out the support of a healthcare provider or mental health specialist to help you feel more like yourself again.

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