Who would have thought overthinking could be linked to hormones? If you're a serial overthinker, here's which hormones could be the cause, and what to do about it.
Overthinking has long been associated with anxiety and depression, and is often considered a key personality trait found in people who lack self-confidence. After birth and during motherhood, hormonal changes can leave women feeling like they no longer recognise themselves and overthinking can become part of everyday life. Now, a fresh look at the cause of overthinking has linked it to hormones that have managed to get themselves out of whack.
Hormone health expert Mike Kocsis suggests that dysregulated levels of oestrogen, serotonin, progesterone, cortisol and oxytocin, can all lead to someone becoming a serial overthinker. He explains how each of these play a role in the overthinking process, and suggests strategies for regulating these hormones in an attempt to put a stop to the non-stop carousel of worry.
Hormones associated with overthinking
1. Oestrogen
Oestrogen plays an important role in mood regulation, the most well-known example being pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS). The dip in oestrogen before menstruation can cause emotional mood swings, irritability, and difficulty concentrating, which can lead to an increase in overthinking.
During perimenopause and menopause, oestrogen levels decline significantly and potentially result in symptoms like anxiety and depression. Such hormonal shifts can make it harder to control intrusive thoughts, overthinking, and dwelling on negative thoughts. If you haven’t always been an overthinker, and the tendency to ruminate started at around the time you started perimenopause or menopause, your hormones could be the cause.
2. Serotonin
Serotonin is the so-called 'happy hormone' responsible for regulating your mood and sleep pattern. When serotonin levels drop, you can experience symptoms of anxiety, depression, fatigue, and rumination (or the act of fixating on negative thoughts, emotions, and experiences.)
Low serotonin levels can make it harder for your brain to let go of negative thoughts, creating a vicious cycle of overthinking and unhappiness.
3. Progesterone
Progesterone influences neurotransmitters in the brain. Some, like gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) has a calming effect on the brain, and progesterone binds to GABA receptors which enhances this effect.
But when levels of progesterone fluctuate during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause, the calming effect is disrupted. This can cause mood swings, depression, and anxiety, and the drop in progesterone can also cause cognitive symptoms like brain fog and memory issues, contributing to the overthinking cycle.
"If you haven’t always been an overthinker, and the tendency to ruminate started at around the time you started perimenopause or menopause, your hormones cold be the cause."
4. Cortisol
Cortisol regulates your body's stress responses. It's released after 'fight or flight' hormones like adrenaline, and keeps you on high alert to be able to respond to danger. However, if you experience chronic stress your cortisol levels will constantly be heightened, and this can cause difficulty sleeping, a weakened immune system, and overthinking.
It can make you hyperaware of potential threats - both real and imagined - and it can make it difficult for your brain to switch off and let go of worries. Cortisol can also affect your prefrontal cortex, which is the part of the brain responsible for critical thinking and emotional regulation, making it harder to put your negative thoughts and overthinking into perspective.
5. Oxytocin
Oxytocin produces feelings of calmness and trust - it's the hormone your brain emits when you're bonding with your friends or falling in love. While the 'love hormone' can reduce anxiety, it can also intensify memories, especially stressful ones.
If you have an argument with your partner or a friend, oxytocin can strengthen that memory and make you more likely to replay it in your mind and ruminate on the negativity.
How can you tell if overthinking is hormonal?
Mike Kocsis reveals that overthinking due to hormones is often more persistent and intense than everyday worrying. It can consume your thoughts for hours or even days, rather than coming and going depending on the situation. If the overthinking becomes overwhelming and difficult to manage with techniques that usually help, it could be a sign that your hormones are playing a part.
He suggests tracking your symptoms, including what you're overthinking about, what triggered it, and any other symptoms you're experiencing. Talk to your doctor, who will be able to assess if it's a hormonal issue - from hormone panel blood tests and thyroid function tests to psychological tests that can help rule out things like anxiety, depression, or obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).
Can hormonal overthinking be treated?
Once your doctor has assessed your hormone levels, they might recommend Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). Combined HRT includes both oestrogens and progestogens (or oestrogen only, if you've had a hysterectomy) to raise the levels of these hormones in your body, and this can address symptoms of anxiety, improve mood regulation, and reduce the overthinking.
If HRT isn't suitable, there are other options and things that can help, including:
- Mindfulness: Try meditation and deep breathing which can help calm the mind, and can prevent you from going into an overthinking spiral.
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: CBT strategies taught by a therapist can teach you can help you identify negative thought patterns that lead to overthinking. Writing down your worries and concerns in a journal could help you gain perspective and end the cycle of overthinking.
- Avoiding caffeine and alcohol: Caffeine is a stimulant that can increase your heart rate, leading to feeling of anxiety and making it harder for your mind to relax. Alcohol can initially have the opposite effect and make you feel more relaxed, but as it wears off, it can disrupt your sleep and lead to 'hangxiety', making you overthink everything you did and said the previous night.
- Boost vitamin D: Low levels of vitamin D could be linked to mood swings and anxiety, while it's also been suggested that if the brain is lacking omega-3s, it could induce behavioural and psychiatric disorders.
- Regular exercise: This can help your body release endorphins, the 'feel good' hormones, which fight against stress hormones like cortisol and have mood-boosting effects. Exercise increases blood flow throughout the body, including to the adrenal glands and ovaries; this improved circulation can support the production and raise the levels of hormones like oestrogen and progesterone.
For more on this topic, we look at early menopause causes, and the best foods to include in a menopause diet. The end of the menopause could actually be in sight, as new research reveals it could be delayed to extend a woman's child-bearing years.
