By Kirstie Vesseur, Registered Clinical Nutritionist (CNA), Legacy Nutrition, NZ and Australia.
A curt email, a change of plans, a raised voice in the next room. Things you used to brush off now hit you hard, and it takes hours to come back down. You look at other people coping and wonder what happened to the version of you who could handle it all.
If you feel more sensitive to stress than you used to, it is not a character flaw. It is a physical state shaped by your nervous system, hormones, nutrients and the load you have carried, often for years. In clinic I see this all the time in capable, busy women who have simply run their reserves low. The encouraging part is that capacity can be rebuilt.
If you are struggling or having thoughts of harming yourself, please contact your GP. In New Zealand, call or text 1737 any time to talk to a trained counsellor. In Australia, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Why am I so sensitive to stress?
A stress response that has lost its rhythm
Your HPA axis (hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenal glands) runs your stress response. Under pressure it releases cortisol and adrenaline, then settles back to baseline. Cortisol normally peaks soon after waking and falls through the day.
Long-term stress can flatten that daily rhythm, and poor sleep, illness and under-eating may add to the load. A large review of 80 studies found a flatter daily cortisol pattern was linked with poorer mental and physical health, including low mood and fatigue. That is a link rather than proof of cause, but it fits what many women describe: flat in the morning, wired at night and slower to settle after a stressful moment. I write more about this in why your body isn't healing.
Shifting progesterone
Your body converts progesterone into allopregnanolone, a brain chemical that strengthens the effect of GABA, your main "settle down" signal. Some women are especially sensitive to the normal rise and fall of these hormones across the cycle, which is one reason stress tolerance can drop in the week before a period.
In perimenopause, ovulation becomes less regular. Some cycles produce little progesterone while oestrogen swings high and low, and many women notice their fuse gets shorter. If the week before your period feels like a crisis, read PMDD: the nutrition and supplements that actually help.
Magnesium and stress
Magnesium helps quieten excitatory signalling in the brain and is involved in regulating the stress response. Research suggests stress increases the magnesium you lose in urine, and low magnesium may in turn make you more reactive to stress. Much of this evidence comes from small or animal studies, but it is a plausible loop for busy women who eat on the run.
How quickly you clear adrenaline
An enzyme called COMT helps break down adrenaline, noradrenaline and dopamine. It relies on methylation (through a compound called SAMe) and on magnesium to work. Common gene variants change how active COMT is, although research links to stress and anxiety are small and inconsistent. A gene result is a clue, not a diagnosis. If you have had DNA testing, read slow COMT symptoms in women.
Blood sugar, hunger and thyroid
When blood glucose drops too low, your body releases adrenaline, cortisol and glucagon to bring it back up, which can feel like shakiness, a racing heart and irritability. True low blood sugar is uncommon in people without diabetes, but research shows that being hungry is linked with more anger and irritability. "Hangry" is real. Skipping meals and running on coffee makes stress harder to handle.
Your thyroid matters too. An overactive thyroid can cause anxiety and nervousness, and an underactive thyroid can cause low mood.
What testing can help
Stress sensitivity is not a medical diagnosis. Please talk to your GP, who can check your mental health and rule out medical causes. Useful tests to ask about:
Thyroid function. A standard check often includes TSH only. Free T4, free T3 and thyroid antibodies give more detail.
Ferritin, B12, folate and vitamin D.
Magnesium. Serum magnesium is the standard test, but it can look normal even when body stores are low, so your symptoms and diet matter too.
Fasting glucose and HbA1c, if blood sugar swings are part of your picture.
In clinic I sometimes add a DUTCH test (dried urine) to map cortisol rhythm and hormone patterns, and nutrigenomic testing for COMT and MTHFR variants. These are functional tests rather than medical diagnostic tests, and genes show tendencies, not destiny.
What to eat when stress hits hard
Protein at breakfast, within an hour or two of waking. Aim for 25 to 30 g: three eggs with spinach and a slice of wholegrain toast or a little smoked salmon, 3/4 cup high-protein (strained) Greek yoghurt with berries and a small handful of pumpkin seeds, or a smoothie with a scoop of protein powder.
A whole hand of protein at every meal, such as a chicken breast, a salmon fillet or three eggs, and no gaps longer than four to five hours. Keep a planned snack on hand: a boiled egg, a handful of nuts, or hummus with vegetable sticks.
Magnesium-rich foods every day. A small handful (30 g) of pumpkin seeds gives about 150 mg of magnesium, 30 g of almonds about 80 mg, half a cup of cooked spinach about 78 mg and half a cup of black beans about 60 mg. Avocado, wholegrains and dark chocolate add more.
B vitamin foods for methylation: eggs, leafy greens, legumes, salmon and red meat.
Caffeine: one to two cups, after food and before midday. In one study, a large dose of caffeine (about four cups' worth) taken six hours before bed cut sleep by more than an hour, and people did not notice.
For simple, high-protein meals that make this easier, browse Legacy's Kitchen.
Supplements that may help
Supplements work best on top of the food foundations, not instead of them. Check with your GP or pharmacist before starting any supplement if you take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a health condition. Please do not stop or change any prescribed medication.
Magnesium glycinate (bisglycinate): 200 to 350 mg of elemental magnesium in the evening (check the label for the elemental amount). 350 mg a day is the upper limit for magnesium from supplements in New Zealand and Australia, so count any magnesium in your multivitamin. The evidence for stress and anxiety is promising but low quality. Avoid it if you have kidney disease unless your doctor advises it, and ask your pharmacist about timing if you take thyroxine, osteoporosis medicines (bisphosphonates) or antibiotics such as doxycycline or ciprofloxacin, as magnesium can reduce how well they are absorbed.
L-theanine: 200 mg once or twice a day (up to 400 mg). This amino acid from green tea may help some people feel calmer and sleep better, though the trials are small and the evidence is early.
Ashwagandha (withania): trials have used 300 to 600 mg of root extract a day for six to 12 weeks and found less perceived stress, although the certainty of the evidence is low. It is not for everyone. Avoid it in pregnancy and breastfeeding, if you have or have had liver problems, if you have a thyroid condition, or if you take prescription medicines unless your GP or pharmacist agrees. The TGA warns of a very rare risk of liver injury: stop and see a doctor if you notice yellow skin or eyes, dark urine, nausea or vomiting, loss of appetite, unusual tiredness or stomach pain.
Methylated B vitamins, only where testing or genetics suggest a need.
Train your nervous system back to calm
Regulation practices are not a nice extra. Pick one or two and do them daily.
Cyclic sighing. Two short inhales through the nose, then a long, slow exhale through the mouth, for five minutes a day. In one small trial this lifted mood and slowed breathing more than mindfulness meditation over a month.
Slow breathing. In for four, out for six, for three to five minutes. The long exhale is the key.
Time in nature. 20 to 30 minutes in a park, garden or bush. In one study this was the most efficient "dose" for lowering cortisol.
Yoga nidra or a body scan before bed.
Connection. Some studies link loneliness to altered cortisol patterns. Time with people who feel safe, a hug or a laugh all count.
Fewer stimulants. Coffee and energy drinks used to prop up a tired body keep adrenaline high.
My free 7 Day Nervous System Reset walks you through simple daily practices. You might also like your nervous system is talking: are you listening?
Frequently asked questions
Is stress sensitivity the same as anxiety?
They overlap but are not the same. Stress sensitivity means a lower threshold and slower recovery. Anxiety involves ongoing worry or fear, sometimes without a clear trigger. They often share drivers, and if anxiety is affecting your daily life, please talk to your GP.
Can hormones make me more sensitive to stress?
Yes, for some women. Shifts in progesterone and allopregnanolone before a period, and the less predictable hormones of perimenopause, can lower your stress threshold.
How long does it take to rebuild stress resilience?
Everyone is different. Some women feel a difference within weeks of steady meals, better sleep and daily regulation practice. After a long stretch of high stress, recovery often takes months. Small, consistent habits tend to work better than a big overhaul.
Where to start
If your stress threshold has dropped and you are tired of just getting through, it is worth understanding why. My free guide, 5 Reasons You're Snapping at Your Kids (and It's Not You), is a gentle place to begin.
Want help with this one-on-one? See how I work with women on women's hormone support, or browse all my services.
This article is general education, not personal medical advice. Please talk with your GP before starting supplements or changing medication.
References
Adam EK, et al. Diurnal cortisol slopes and mental and physical health outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2017. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5568897/
Pickering G, et al. Magnesium status and stress: the vicious circle concept revisited. Nutrients. 2020. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/12/3672
Boyle NB, et al. The effects of magnesium supplementation on subjective anxiety and stress: a systematic review. Nutrients. 2017. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/9/5/429
NHMRC. Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand: Magnesium. Accessed 2026. https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/nutrient-reference-values/nutrients/magnesium
Hidese S, et al. Effects of L-theanine administration on stress-related symptoms and cognitive functions in healthy adults: a randomized controlled trial. Nutrients. 2019. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/11/10/2362
Therapeutic Goods Administration. Medicines containing Withania somnifera (withania, ashwagandha): safety alert. Accessed 2026. https://www.tga.gov.au/safety/safety-alerts/medicines-containing-withania-somnifera-withania-ashwagandha
Balban MY, et al. Brief structured respiration practices enhance mood and reduce physiological arousal. Cell Reports Medicine. 2023. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9873947/
Hunter MR, et al. Urban nature experiences reduce stress in the context of daily life based on salivary biomarkers. Frontiers in Psychology. 2019. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00722/full
