The Rest Reset: How to Balance Hormones Naturally by Slowing Down

The Rest Reset: How to Balance Hormones Naturally by Slowing Down

Can I hold your sweet face and tell you something?

You don’t need to push harder to feel better. I know somewhere along the way, you were told that doing more would finally make you feel whole. If you’ve been trying to balance hormones naturally by eating less, moving more, or pushing through, you’re not alone.

But friend, that constant pressure?

That’s what’s keeping you stuck.

Sometimes, what your body really needs is not another plan—but permission to pause.

Here’s the truth I want you to hear today: trying harder isn’t always the answer. Sometimes, your body doesn’t need more effort. It needs more rest.

This month, inside my NOURISH health coaching program, we’re exploring rest. Not just naps and sleep (though those are great), but the deeper kind of rest: the cellular, hormonal, nervous system rest that brings your body back into balance and helps it release what it’s been holding on to.

One of the ways we begin to understand our need for rest is by tuning into our biofeedback—the built-in signals your body is already giving you every day. Things like:

Stress levels
Sleep quality
Mood
Hunger cues
Energy patterns
Cravings

These are your body’s way of saying “something’s off” or “something’s working.” But so oen, we ignore them, get used to them, or power through them.

This is an invitation to begin paying attention—to listen to the signals your body is sending, and to meet what you notice with nourishment, not pressure. It’s a call to reclaim your God-given rhythm of restoration. A moment to pause. To breathe. To listen deeply. To receive rest as both a spiritual practice and a biological necessity.

The Cost of Pushing Too Hard for Too Long

When we ignore our body’s signals and keep going despite exhaustion, our systems pay the price. Constant output triggers our stress response system, especially the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight mode).

The result?

Chronically elevated cortisol levels
Disrupted hormones (especially estrogen, progesterone, and thyroid)
Poor sleep, insulin resistance, and fatigue
Slowed metabolism and weight loss resistance

A 2008 review in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism confirms that chronic stress raises cortisol, which negatively impacts glucose regulation and hormone balance (PubMed PMID: 18370704).

When cortisol stays high, your body holds on to fat, especially around the midsection. Your sleep quality suffers. Your cravings increase. You may even feel wired and tired at the same time.

Sound familiar?

The Science of Rest and Recovery

Rest isn’t optional. It’s a biological necessity.

During sleep, your body releases growth hormone to repair tissue, your brain clears out toxins through the glymphatic system, and your metabolism resets.

Research shows that deep, consistent sleep supports:

Hormonal repair and detox (PubMed PMID: 24136970)
Lower inflammation and cortisol
Improved insulin sensitivity and fat metabolism

And rest isn’t limited to sleep. When you create margin—taking pauses throughout your day—you activate your parasympathetic nervous system (your “rest and digest” state). That helps:

Improve digestion
Lower blood pressure
Calm anxious thoughts

Even just 2–5 minutes of intentional breathing or quiet between tasks can help reset your nervous system and bring you back to center (PubMed PMID: 9432722).

Why It’s So Hard to Prioritize Rest

We live in a world that equates productivity with worth. We’re told to keep going, keep doing, keep performing. Add in the roles many women carry—successful professional, caregiver, provider, planner, peacekeeper—and rest can feel like a luxury we can’t afford.

But here’s what I want to say: you’re not weak for needing rest. You’re wise for honoring it.

Many of our patterns come from survival. From seasons when rest wasn’t an option. From messages we absorbed that said rest = laziness. Let’s show those stories compassion—and then write a new one.

Reclaiming Rest – Small Shis for Nourishment

Reclaiming rest doesn’t mean you have to overhaul your life. It just means noticing your body’s cues and creating small, doable pauses throughout your day.

Look for:

Tired eyes
Shallow breathing
Sugar cravings
Snappiness or overwhelm

Then try one of these this week:

Set a no-screen wind-down time 30 minutes before bed
Pick one night this week to eat outside and be in bed by 10
Take a 10-minute lying down break during the day (no phone!)
Schedule a Sabbath hour this weekend—rest without guilt
Use your biofeedback (energy, sleep, cravings, mood) to track how rest is helping

These rhythms are at the heart of NOURISH: helping you build a sustainable lifestyle of energy, clarity, peace, and purpose.

A Faith-Based Reframe – The Sacredness of Rest

Jesus said, “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

Not a nap. Not another checklist. But rest.

Sabbath is not a rule to keep—it’s a rhythm we were made for.

When we rest, we trust. We step out of striving and into receiving. We honor the truth that our worth doesn’t come from our productivity but from our Creator.

Rest is not a reward. It’s your design.

Your Next Step Toward Rest

What would it look like to reclaim rest this month?

Here’s a journaling prompt to take into your week:

Where in my life is my body asking for margin? What’s one small way I can create it?

With you in the quiet,

Ann

About the Author

Ann Hackman is a Certified Health Coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) and a NASM Certified Personal Trainer with advanced training in hormone health and metabolism. She’s the creator of NOURISH—a faith-infused, science-backed health coaching program designed to help women restore energy, balance hormones, support metabolism, and feel at home in their bodies again. Ann combines practical strategies with deep compassion, guiding women to make small, sustainable changes rooted in nourishment, grace, and truth.