The Science and Hidden Cost of Rushing

How Constant Hurry Disrupts Hormones, Fertility, Digestion, Weight, Inflammation, Autoimmune Health, and Emotional Wellbeing

Summary

Many people in Ireland describe life as a constant rush — juggling work, family, deadlines, and endless to-do lists. But the body isn’t designed for constant speed. When you live in hurry mode, your stress hormones rise and stay high. This affects everything from digestion and fertility to mood, inflammation, and long-term health.

Through integrated Counselling, Psychotherapy, Clinical Hypnotherapy, Clinical Medical Hypnotherapy, Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT®), and Registered Nutritionist Services, you can calm both body and mind — restoring balance in hormones, fertility, digestion, and emotional resilience.

Appointments are available ONLINE and in person in Limerick, Cork, and Dublin.

1. Rushing: The Modern Stress Trap

In Ireland, and world wide, it’s common to hear, “I’m just rushing all the time.” Society and cultural rhythm rewards busyness -but biology tells us a different story.

The body reads constant rushing as threat. It releases cortisol and adrenaline, which keep you alert and productive for a while. But when stress never ends, these hormones turn against us.

Chronic rushing can cause:

  • Hormone imbalances and fertility issues
  • Digestive problems like IBS and reflux
  • Weight gain and inflammation
  • Fatigue, anxiety, and emotional burnout
  • Skin flare-ups and autoimmune symptoms

You may feel constantly wired but tired — running on adrenaline by day, but unable to rest at night.

2. What Happens Inside Your Body When You’re Always in a Hurry

The stress response is designed for short-term survival — not long-term living. When you’re under pressure, the brain releases cortisol and adrenaline to raise blood sugar, heart rate, and focus.

Short bursts help you meet a deadline. But chronic activation raises inflammation, weakens immunity, and disrupts hormones.

This constant activation:

  • Suppresses thyroid function, slowing metabolism
  • Reduces insulin sensitivity, raising cravings and fatigue
  • Weakens digestion and nutrient absorption
  • Affects reproductive hormones and fertility
  • Triggers anxiety and poor sleep

Somatic Therapy — body-based awareness — helps reverse this stress pattern. By calming the body through breathing and muscle relaxation, it signals safety to the nervous system and steadies hormone rhythms.

3. Hormones, Fertility, and Stress: A Delicate Balance

Hormones are your body’s internal communication system. They regulate energy, mood, fertility, and metabolism. Stress interferes with that messaging.

Cortisol, the main stress hormone, helps you survive short-term danger. But when constantly high, it:

  • Raises blood sugar and belly fat
  • Worsens PMS and menstrual irregularities
  • Reduces thyroid hormone conversion
  • Disrupts ovulation and sperm production
  • Lowers libido and emotional connection

In women, stress may delay or stop ovulation, shorten luteal phases, and worsen symptoms of PCOS, endometriosis, and perimenopause.
In men, it can reduce testosterone, sperm count, and fertility.

Emotional and somatic therapies help normalise cortisol, supporting hormonal balance and natural fertility. Integrating emotional processing, nutrition, and relaxation creates a physiology that welcomes conception.

4. Stress, Digestion, and the Gut–Brain Connection

The gut and brain are in constant communication via the vagus nerve — a two-way pathway linking emotional and digestive health.

When stressed, blood flow moves away from digestion towards muscles. This can cause:

  • Bloating, reflux, or heartburn
  • IBS-type symptoms
  • Constipation or diarrhoea
  • Food sensitivities
  • Poor nutrient absorption

The microbiome — your gut bacteria — also changes under chronic stress, which affects serotonin and mood regulation. Research shows the gut–brain link can amplify anxiety or low mood (Mayer, Nat Rev Neurosci, 2011).

Somatic approaches and hypnotherapy can calm the vagus nerve, restoring healthy digestion and easing IBS or reflux linked to emotional stress.

5. Stress, Weight Gain, and Emotional Eating

If you’ve ever noticed weight changes during stressful times, you’re not imagining it.

When cortisol stays high, the body stores fat — especially around the waist — as a form of protection. Stress also raises insulin, which encourages energy storage and sugar cravings.

Emotional factors make this worse: rushing often leads to fast eating, caffeine dependence, skipped meals, or comfort foods. Over time, this blunts fullness signals, increasing appetite and fatigue.

Therapy that addresses both emotional triggers and somatic awareness helps restore control — not through restriction, but through calm metabolism and balanced eating rhythms supported by my Integrative Psychotherapy and Registered Nutritionist Services.

6. Inflammation: The Silent Signal of Stress

Chronic stress quietly raises inflammatory molecules such as CRP and IL-6 (Slavich & Irwin, Psychol Bull, 2014). These molecules are linked with:

  • Joint and muscle pain
  • Skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema
  • Fatigue and brain fog
  • Headaches and migraines

High inflammation also worsens insulin resistance and makes weight loss harder.
Relaxation therapies, nutrition, and emotional release lower inflammation markers and restore resilience.

7. Autoimmune Conditions and Chronic Stress

Stress doesn’t cause autoimmune conditions, but it can make them worse. People with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis, coeliac disease, or psoriasis often find flare-ups linked to stressful periods.

Research shows emotional stress influences immune balance through cortisol and inflammatory pathways (Song et al., JAMA, 2018).

Combining Counselling, Psychotherapy, Hypnotherapy, and Nutrition supports the nervous and immune systems simultaneously — easing flares and improving energy and mood.

8. Wired but Tired: When Stress Disrupts Sleep

The most common symptom of chronic rushing is feeling exhausted during the day but alert at night.
Cortisol should be highest in the morning and lowest at bedtime — but constant stress reverses this pattern.

You may notice:

  • Reliance on caffeine to start the day
  • Afternoon energy crashes
  • Night-time overthinking
  • Poor-quality, restless sleep

Addressing both emotional overload and body rhythms helps re-sync the stress hormones and sleep-wake cycle. Clinical Hypnotherapy and RTT® are particularly effective for restoring restorative sleep.

9. Emotional and Somatic Integration: Restoring Balance

The body holds emotion. Chronic stress often appears first as muscle tension, gut discomfort, or breath restriction. Emotional suppression — “just getting on with it” — keeps the nervous system in vigilance.

Somatic Therapy reconnects physical sensations with emotional awareness. As clients learn to feel and release stored tension, cortisol drops and calm returns.
Paired with Psychotherapy and RTT®, this process helps restore both emotional clarity and physical balance.

When the emotional, somatic, and nutritional layers are aligned, recovery feels natural — not forced.

10. How Integrated Therapy Works

Claire Russell’s integrated approach brings together:

  • Counselling & Psychotherapy to understand emotional patterns and perfectionism and improve mental health.
  • Clinical Hypnotherapy & Clinical Medical Hypnotherapy to reprogram the subconscious mind for calm and focus and resolve issues.
  • Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT®) to uncover root causes of issues as well as urgency or self-pressure, self confidence and self worth. Qualified Advanced Rapid Transformational Therapist – one of the first fully qualified and personally trained by Marissa Peer as an Advanced RTT in 2018
  • Registered Nutritionist Services to stabilise hormones, weight issues, mental health, improve GUT & Digestion, and support fertility. MNTOI  MSc. BSc. DipNT
  • Somatic Therapy to help the body release stored stress, trauma, PTSD, through awareness, emotional release and breathing.

This whole-person model supports both body and mind — helping clients move from survival mode to steady wellbeing.

Appointments are available ONLINE and in person in Limerick, Cork, and Dublin.

Reclaiming Your Natural Rhythm

Calm doesn’t mean doing less. It means doing things at the right pace – adapting for you and your lifesytle
Start with small pauses:

  • Take one deep breath before responding to messages.
  • Eat meals slowly, chew properly and thoroughly, Eat without screens.
  • Walk without rushing.

Each pause tells your body: “I’m safe now.” Over time, your hormones, digestion, health and mood will follow.

Ready to Restore Balance?

You don’t have to keep living in survival mode.
If you’re struggling with Hormone changes, Fertility stress, Digestion or Gut issues, Autoimmune symptoms, Fatigue or CFS, Anxiety, Weight Loss or Weight gain, there is a clear, evidence-based path back to balance.

Book your private consultation with Claire — ONLINE or in-person in Limerick, Cork, or Dublin.
Together we’ll create a plan that supports your mental health, your energy, emotional, somatic, and physical wellbeing.

Explore Counselling, Psychotherapy, Clinical Hypnotherapy, RTT®, and Registered Nutritionist Services to discover which approach suits you and your life best.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can rushing and stress really cause Hormone problems?
Yes. Chronic stress keeps cortisol high, disrupting oestrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and thyroid hormones — affecting fertility, metabolism, and mood.

2. Why does stress affect Fertility in both men and women?
High cortisol signals to the body that it’s unsafe to reproduce. This lowers testosterone in men and suppresses ovulation in women.

3. How does stress affect Digestion?
Stress slows digestion, reduces stomach acid, and alters gut bacteria, leading to bloating, reflux, or IBS.

4. Can stress cause weight gain even if I’m eating well?
Yes. Cortisol increases fat storage, particularly around the waist, and raises cravings for sugar and caffeine.

5. Why do I feel tired all day but can’t sleep at night?
Chronic stress flips cortisol’s natural rhythm. It peaks at night instead of morning, causing restlessness and poor sleep.

6. How does therapy help physical symptoms of stress?
By calming the nervous system, therapy reduces cortisol, balances hormones, and supports digestion and immune function.

7. What is Somatic Therapy?
It’s a gentle, body-focused therapy that helps you recognise and release physical tension and from Trauma that’s linked with emotional stress.

8. What emotional signs show I’m over-stressed?
Irritability, overthinking, perfectionism, anxiety, and emotional numbness are common. Many people feel constantly “on edge.”

9. How can stress worsen Autoimmune conditions?
Chronic cortisol disrupts immune regulation, increasing inflammation and triggering flares in conditions like Hashimoto’s or psoriasis.

10. Can stress affect skin or hair?
Yes. Cortisol and inflammation can worsen acne, eczema, or hair shedding. Calming stress often improves skin health naturally.

11. How does Hypnotherapy and Clinical Medical Hypnotherapy work for stress and anxiety?
It helps the subconscious mind release unhelpful patterns of urgency or fear, creating calm and confidence from within.

12. What is RTT® and how is it different?
Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT) combines hypnosis, cognitive reframing, and neuroscience to resolve root emotional causes of chronic stress. Claire is a fully qualified Advanced Rapid Transformational Therapist certified in 2018, and personally trained by Marisa Peer

13. Can Emotional stress and Mental Stress affect Gut health?
Yes. The gut-brain axis means emotions directly influence digestion, appetite, and absorption.

14. How long does recovery from Chronic Stress take?
You’ll usually notice sleep and digestion improving within weeks; deeper hormone and energy changes take several months.

15. Can therapy support Fertility alongside IVF or medical treatment?
Absolutely. Calming the stress response improves IVF success rates and natural conception chances.

16. Does stress increase inflammation and pain?
Yes. Stress hormones activate inflammatory pathways linked with joint pain, migraines, and fatigue.

17. Can online sessions work as well as in-person therapy?
Yes. Online therapy and hypnotherapy are just as effective for managing anxiety, sleep, and chronic stress.

18. What is emotional regulation?
It’s your ability to feel emotions safely without being overwhelmed. Therapy helps you build this balance.

19. How does nutrition affect stress and hormones?
Balanced meals stabilise blood sugar, supporting calm cortisol levels and steady mood and energy.

20. What happens if stress continues long term?
It can lead to burnout, hormone imbalance, immune suppression, and chronic inflammation — but it’s reversible with support.

21. How does Somatic Therapy help Anxiety or Panic?
By grounding attention in the body — breath, muscle tension, posture — it teaches the brain safety and reduces panic responses.

22. Can stress cause fertility-related hormonal imbalance?
Yes. Stress disrupts luteinising hormone, oestrogen, and progesterone, all of which are vital for ovulation and implantation.

23. Is it normal to feel physical pain during stress?
Yes. Muscle tension, jaw clenching,  gut cramps and other symptoms are common somatic expressions of emotional overload.

24. What’s the link between cortisol, fatigue, and mood?
Too much cortisol at the wrong time depletes energy and serotonin, causing tiredness, anxiety, affects sleep, insomnia and low motivation.

25. When should I seek professional help?
When stress affects sleep, digestion, fertility, or emotional stability. Early therapy and Nutritional Help prevents burnout and restores long-term health.

Scientific References

McEwen BS. Stress, adaptation, and disease: Allostasis and allostatic load. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1998. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.1998.tb09546.x
Chrousos GP. Stress and disorders of the stress system. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2009. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrendo.2009.106
Cohen S, Janicki-Deverts D, Miller GE. Psychological stress and disease. JAMA. 2007. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/207223
Steptoe A, Kivimäki M. Stress and cardiovascular disease. Nat Rev Cardiol. 2012. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrcardio.2011.245
Juster R-P, McEwen BS, Lupien SJ. Allostatic load biomarkers of chronic stress. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2010. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2009.10.002
Segerstrom SC, Miller GE. Psychological stress and the immune system. Psychol Bull. 2004. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.130.4.601
Slavich GM, Irwin MR. From stress to inflammation and depression. Psychol Bull. 2014. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0035302
Dantzer R, et al. From inflammation to sickness and depression. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2008. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn2535
Tracey KJ. The inflammatory reflex. Nature. 2002. https://doi.org/10.1038/416003a
Kivimäki M, Steptoe A. Stress and metabolic risk. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2018. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41574-018-0068-3
Dallman MF. Stress-induced obesity and emotional brain. Physiol Behav. 2010. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2009.12.018
Adam TC, Epel ES. Stress, eating, and the reward system. Physiol Behav. 2007. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2007.01.036
Spiegel K, et al. Sleep debt and endocrine function. Lancet. 1999. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(99)01376-8
Taheri S, et al. Short sleep, leptin, and ghrelin. PLoS Med. 2004. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.0010062
Chida Y, Steptoe A. Cortisol awakening response. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2009. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2009.05.004
Kudielka BM, Kirschbaum C. Sex differences in HPA response. Biol Psychol. 2005. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2004.11.009
Mayer EA. Gut–brain communication. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2011. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3071
Cryan JF, Dinan TG. Microbiota and brain. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2012. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3346
Ford AC, et al. Irritable bowel syndrome. Lancet. 2017. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(16)31548-5
Brondel L, et al. Eating rate and satiety. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.2009.28503
Song H, et al. Stress-related disorders and autoimmune disease. JAMA. 2018. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2018.7039
Evers AWM, et al. Stress and psoriasis. Br J Dermatol. 2010. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2133.2010.09812.x
Palomba S, et al. PCOS and complications. Reprod Biol Endocrinol. 2015. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12958-015-0028-2
Nepomnaschy PA, et al. Cortisol and early pregnancy loss. Epidemiology. 2006. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.ede.0000239681.65550.6a
Janevic T, et al. Stress and semen quality. Fertil Steril. 2014. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2014.04.021
Thayer JF, Lane RD. Neurovisceral integration model. Biol Psychol. 2000. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0301-0511(99)00005-3

Educational Disclaimer

This article is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always consult your GP or healthcare provider before changing any treatment or medication. The Testimonials provided are the personal experiences and personal opinions of individual clients, please note that results vary from person to person, depending on individual health.