When I wrote Rushing Woman’s Syndrome in 2011, it was born from a growing concern I couldn’t ignore. After more than 16 years in clinical practice, I had started to see a new pattern emerging in the women I worked with – and it wasn’t just physical symptoms. It was a relentless inner urgency. A constant feeling of not having enough time. A deep exhaustion masked by outward capability. Women were pushing through fatigue, juggling responsibilities, caring for others, striving to meet expectations – all at the expense of their own wellbeing.

Many of these women were deeply wired – and tired. Tired yet wired. And it was affecting their hormones, nervous systems, digestion and ultimately, their joy in life. I had never before seen such a widespread disruption to the female reproductive system and sex hormone balance. This compelled me to name and write about what I observed: a behavioural pattern I called Rushing Woman’s Syndrome. In the last 14 years, the relentless pace of living has only seemed to get faster. 

This isn’t about pointing fingers or placing blame – far from it. What I wanted back in 2011 (and still want now) was to help women recognise what stress was doing to their biochemistry and to offer compassionate, practical ways to reclaim their health and vitality.

We live in a world that tells women they can do anything – which is beautiful and true. Yet, in reality, many have ended up doing everything. We’ve made significant strides in the workplace, but progress in the home has not kept pace. Research shows that when both partners work full-time and have one child, women still do twice the housework and three times the childcare. This “double shift” has left many women constantly switched on, with little opportunity for rest or recovery.

This perpetual urgency can wreak havoc on our biology. Rushing Woman’s Syndrome describes what science calls sympathetic nervous system dominance. It’s when the “fight or flight” arm of the nervous system stays switched on, and the “rest, digest, repair and reproduce” mode struggles to activate. And the consequences of living in this state extend far beyond just feeling busy.

One of the key players here is adrenaline – a hormone that tells every cell in your body that your life is in danger. It doesn’t differentiate between real physical threat and your perception of pressure – whether it’s from caffeine, a packed calendar or constant self-expectation. When adrenaline dominates, it disrupts sleep, increases sugar cravings, and makes it difficult to burn body fat for energy, instead encouraging your body to rely on glucose. The result? More cravings, more frustration and more self-criticism when willpower inevitably gives way to physiology.

But it doesn’t stop there. The interference of stress hormones with sex hormones is, in my view, one of the most significant health challenges facing women today. Many women now experience premenstrual syndrome (PMS), PCOS, endometriosis or a debilitating menopause – conditions that affect not only the body, but also a woman’s emotional wellbeing, relationships and sense of self.

Progesterone is a particularly important hormone here. It’s calming, anti-anxiety, anti-depressant and helps us excrete fluid. Yet progesterone production takes a back seat when the body prioritises stress hormone production. The adrenals – those small glands that sit above the kidneys – make both stress hormones and small amounts of progesterone. But when they’re overwhelmed by adrenaline and cortisol, progesterone falls away. And that matters – not just for reproduction, but for mood, fluid retention, weight balance, sleep and emotional stability.

In the second half of the menstrual cycle, progesterone should peak. But for many women, it’s almost undetectable – and this hormonal imbalance is the basis of many PMS symptoms: heavy, painful periods, tender breasts, mood swings, irritability and sadness. Women describe it as chaos – and it can feel like that.

I always remind the women I work with: this may be common, but it’s not normal. These symptoms aren’t your body failing – they’re messages. They’re signs that your body is asking for something different. A new way of eating, drinking, moving, thinking, believing or perceiving.

And yet, with all this knowledge, so many women still feel stuck in the cycle. Why do we keep going this way? Often, it’s because we care. Deeply. We want to do right by the people in our lives. But deeper still, many of us carry an old belief – one that says we are not enough as we are. So we strive. We rush. We do everything we can to ensure others see us as valuable, capable, lovable – often at the cost of our own health.

My concern isn’t only the physical toll this takes – it’s the way it disconnects women from their own beautiful hearts. From their worth. From the truth that they are already enough, just as they are.

The way we eat, drink, move, think, believe and perceive all shape our experience of urgency – and how deeply embedded it becomes. As a scientist and health advocate, I encourage women to create more opportunities for their parasympathetic nervous system to activate – the calm, nourishing arm of the nervous system that promotes true healing. From this state, everything works better – your hormones, your digestion, your thyroid, your metabolism.

Bring awareness to your patterns. Get curious. Explore what led you here, gently and without judgment. This is the first step in retiring from the rush.

You are precious. Life is precious. Please treat yourself accordingly.