Hey Rebel,
Today, for our Spooky to Sparkly series, I want to share a very personal and vulnerable experience that led me to create this email series.
For years I lived on stress and adrenaline like they were food groups. At my old social work job I’d power through back-to-back meetings, tell myself I’d eat later (and commonly didn't feel like eating from the stress), and by 3 p.m. I was tired, numb, and wondering why I couldn’t handle it like everyone else. That comparison message I sent to myself didn't help with this whole mess either, by the way.
Then the holidays hit and I’d finally crash like the kind of tired that a nap, pie, or three days off couldn’t touch. I slowed down enough during holiday breaks for my body to be able to start screaming SOS to me. I thought I was just bad at self-care, but really I was depleted in self-love for myself.
I put everyone else's needs above my own....until one day my body said, that's it! Enter a phase of my life I didn't ever expect...(vulnerable moment to share, but so worth it to normalize what a lot of women are experiencing).....panic attacks, medications to force my body into a medicated safety bandaid, and crying spells that were unpredictable and ruthless.
Maybe you’ve done it too by powering through, smiling at the chaos, telling yourself you’ll rest later. We’re taught to push, to prove, to keep everyone else fed while we run on caffeine and cortisol. But the truth is, our bodies eventually collect the bill. And mine came due very loudly.
The Burnout Buffet is what happens when we start mistaking motion for meaning. When stress feels safer than slowing down, and caring for everyone else feels easier than facing how empty we’ve become. It’s the season of life where exhaustion becomes identity until your body finally says, no more.
The Burnout Buffet serves it all:
🥄 A spoonful of skipped meals
☕ A mug of overcommitment
🧁 A slice of self-neglect wrapped in I’m fine
🍷 A pour of people-pleasing with a chaser of exhaustion
🍬 And a handful of sugar, caffeine, or chaos to keep you going.
But beneath all of it, your hormones are starving for rhythm, rest, and reassurance.
What's the Answer?
Think rhythm > restriction.
- Eat something with protein + produce + pleasure every 3-4 hours.
- Pair caffeine with food, not as food.
- Add one mini-reset a day: 3 deep breaths before you scroll, a 10-minute walk after lunch, a real bedtime.
How about some free tools to help you take the steps that I could have used back then? How about some self-love? Because you matter, people do need you, and you are worthy of rest, care, and support!
Your Free Tools This Week
The Blood Sugar Buddy
A cheat-sheet of snack combos and what to grab when cravings hit. Use it to pair food with mood so you stabilize energy instead of chasing it.
The Burnout Buffet Checklist
A quick visual guide showing habits that are perfect for pinning on the fridge or screenshotting for your phone. Use it to notice what’s secretly draining your energy during holiday chaos.
Download one (or both!) below because your hormones and nervous system will thank you.
🎙️ Podcast News!
That’s Not Very Ladylike 💋 is a podcast about unlearning the rules we were raised on and getting honest about the ones that no longer fit.
It’s raw, reflective, and sometimes a little uncomfortable… because questioning what’s “ladylike” in 2025 is exactly how we start leading differently.
Every episode begins with “Ladies Don’t…” and dives straight into the expectations women were handed and how they’re shifting in today's climate.
We’ll unpack the stories that made us shrink, smile, stay quiet, or play nice… even when it was costing us our health. Some episodes might make you cringe, nod, or wonder if I’ve completely lost my mind but I promise, they’ll make you think.
This is about being brave. Because questioning what isn’t “very ladylike” anymore is how we start paving the way for healthier, freer women coming behind us.
Stay tuned as the first episode drops before Thanksgiving, and I cannot wait to share them with you. Since you are on my email list, you will get access 2 days before the general public!
Want to see some of the topics that we will be breaking down?
- Ladies Don't Talk About Sex After 40
- Ladies Don't Hate Their Jobs That They're Lucky to Have
- Ladies Don't Leave the Church
- Ladies Don't Break Up Friendships, They Ghost and Feel Guilty
- Ladies Don't Make Men Feel Uncomfortable Even When They Should
Final Thought
I used to think rest was a reward for working hard. Now I know it’s fuel for everything that comes next. Every bite of protein, every pause to breathe, every cup of water is you understanding that you don't have to earn this anymore.
This Week's Question
I know I’m not the only one who’s been there with the pushing through until something inside finally broke the silence. Have you ever had one of those moments when your body told the truth before you could?
Hit reply and tell me. I read every single message, and I’d love to hear your story. 💛
Stay Loud. Raise Hell! - Even Through the Holidays!
Tracey
That Hormone Girl
P.S. My collective space, The UNregulated Space, is open and for women who are tired, pissed off, and finally ready to raise a little hell. If you’ve been looking for a space to support your hormones and meet other women like you, you can sign up for as low as $39/month (find the link to the space in the black bar at the top of the email.).
