Mental Health and What Your Hormones Have To Do With It
Hey MOBsters, It’s Leah here, Mobster, Mum and the founder of The House Of Hormones.
Last week was Mental Health Awareness Week, and while we are all being surrounded by inspirational quotes and mindfulness reminders, I want to talk about something that often gets left out of the mental health conversation ....... your hormones.
As a psychologist and the CEO of The House of Hormones, I spend my days talking to women who feel tired, irritable, anxious, or overwhelmed, and many of them blame themselves. “Maybe I just cannot cope,” they say. But the truth is, when you are a mum juggling a business, a family, and about seventy five tabs open in your brain at all times, your mental health is not just about mindset. It is also about biology.
Your Hormones and Your Headspace
Hormones are chemical messengers that influence everything from your sleep to your stress response. When they are out of balance, your brain feels the impact.
Oestrogen helps regulate serotonin, the feel good brain chemical. If your oestrogen is low (such as postpartum or around perimenopause), you might feel flat, anxious, or tearful.
Progesterone has a calming, soothing effect on the nervous system. When it drops before your period, you may feel snappy, tense, or emotionally fragile.
Cortisol, your stress hormone, is supposed to help you manage pressure. But chronic stress (hello motherhood and business life) can keep it elevated, leaving you anxious, tired, and emotionally drained.
These changes are not in your imagination, they are in your body, and they play a huge role in how you feel.
The Mental Load Is Hormonal Too
If you are a mum who builds, chances are you carry a mental load that rivals any corporate executive. Remembering appointments, planning meals, running your business, and worrying about everyone’s wellbeing can throw off your hormonal balance, especially if you are not getting enough rest or constantly feeling under pressure.
This week is a perfect time to ask yourself: How am I, really? Not just mentally, but hormonally.
What Can You Do?
Here are three hormone friendly ways to support your mental wellbeing:
Track your cycle – Knowing your hormonal rhythms helps you work with your body, not against it. If you notice that anxiety or low mood appears at the same point each month, that is a signal worth exploring.
Eat for hormone health – Foods rich in magnesium, B vitamins, and healthy fats support mood and hormone production. Think avocado, leafy greens, oily fish, nuts, and some dark chocolate for good measure.
Prioritise rest – Whether it is ten minutes with a cup of tea in silence or an early night, rest reduces cortisol and helps your body reset. It is not a luxury, it is essential.
wellbeing is not just about mindset. It is about the whole person, your brain, your body, and yes, your hormones. Being a mother and a builder of dreams is powerful, but it is also demanding. If you feel off, do not brush it aside. Look at your hormones too.
You are not broken, MOBster. You are brilliant, strong, and sometimes simply biochemically exhausted. There is support for that and, you deserve it.
To your mental and hormonal health,
Lots of Love Leah
Mobster & The House of Hormones Founder
xxxx
About Mums Who Build (The MOB)
Mums Who Build is a thriving community for entrepreneurial mums and those returning to work after maternity leave. Built on three pillars—Wellbeing, Connection, and Financial Fitness—we offer free weekly Big MOB Mum Meet-Ups, expert-led workshops, and our premium MOB+ membership. Whether you’re seeking hormone-friendly mental health strategies, business-building support, career networking, or financial confidence tips, join like-minded mums to access the resources, peer support, and actionable advice you need to build the life and future you want in motherhood.
