By Lisa Edmondson, Nurse, Master Health Coach, Women’s Health and Hormone Specialist
Why Fatigue in Women Often Isn’t Just Fatigue
At Global Health Clinics, we work with women every day who are grappling with more than just tiredness. They are experiencing deep, persistent fatigue that affects every part of their lives—yet they’ve been told it’s normal, expected, or “just part of being a woman.”
This couldn’t be further from the truth.
Many of these women are unknowingly living with hormonal imbalances that disrupt not only physical energy, but also mental clarity, emotional stability, spiritual vitality, and social connection.
Hormones are powerful chemical messengers that regulate the systems that generate energy, manage stress, balance mood, and promote deep rest and recovery. When these messengers fall out of sync—even slightly—the result can be profound, multidimensional fatigue.
The Hormonal System: A Complex, Interconnected Network
Women’s hormones operate within a delicate, dynamic ecosystem. Oestrogen, progesterone, cortisol, insulin, DHEA, testosterone, thyroid hormones (like T3 and T4), and melatonin all play roles in regulating metabolism, sleep-wake cycles, cognitive function, mood, and even immune response.
When one hormone shifts—due to stress, aging, toxins, poor nutrition, over-exercising, or chronic inflammation—it can trigger a domino effect that compromises the entire system. Often, this presents as unexplained fatigue, but the impact runs deeper.
The Five Levels of Fatigue Caused by Hormonal Imbalance
1. Physical Fatigue: A Body That Can’t Recharge
Hormonal imbalance disrupts the very systems that create energy at a cellular level.
- Thyroid Hormones: Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) slows metabolism, reducing mitochondrial activity—the process by which your cells produce ATP (energy). Women may feel sluggish, cold, and gain weight easily.
- Cortisol: Chronic stress causes dysregulation of cortisol. Initially elevated (wired but tired), cortisol may eventually drop, leaving the adrenals depleted. Low cortisol reduces your ability to respond to stress and regulate blood sugar.
- Oestrogen & Progesterone: These reproductive hormones don’t just govern fertility, they also regulate insulin sensitivity, cardiovascular tone, and neuromuscular function. Oestrogen dominance or low progesterone can contribute to inflammation, muscle weakness, disrupted sleep, and pain sensitivity.
- Insulin Resistance: Common in perimenopause and PCOS, this causes blood sugar crashes and “energy crashes,” especially after meals.
2. Mental Fatigue: Brain Fog and Cognitive Overwhelm
Hormones have a direct influence on brain chemistry and cognitive processing.
- Low Oestrogen reduces acetylcholine, a key neurotransmitter for memory and learning. It also affects serotonin, contributing to depressive thoughts or low motivation.
- Low Progesterone reduces GABA, the calming neurotransmitter, making women feel wired, anxious, and mentally exhausted.
- High Cortisol shrinks the hippocampus (the memory centre of the brain) over time, reducing mental sharpness and emotional regulation.
This often presents as brain fog, forgetfulness, difficulty focusing, or mental fatigue after minor tasks.
3. Emotional Fatigue: Anxiety, Mood Swings, and Tearfulness
The emotional toll of hormonal imbalance can be immense.
Women may describe:
- Feeling emotionally volatile or fragile
- Increased anxiety, especially premenstrual
- A sense of overwhelm from minor stressors
- Depression or emotional numbness
When your hormones are out of balance, your nervous system is stuck in a heightened state. Cortisol and adrenaline remain elevated while serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin drop—leaving you less able to connect, cope, or enjoy life.
4. Spiritual Fatigue: Losing Touch With Purpose
Many women describe feeling like they’re no longer “themselves.” There’s a deep loss of connection—not just to their energy, but to their identity and intuition.
Spiritual fatigue can look like:
- Lack of motivation or drive
- Feeling disconnected from your body
- Loss of meaning or purpose
- Apathy or spiritual numbness
When hormones suppress your ability to rest, recover, and feel joy, it becomes harder to hear your inner wisdom or maintain your values. Women often say, “I just don’t recognise myself anymore.”
5. Social Fatigue: Withdrawing and Feeling Misunderstood
When you’re constantly exhausted, anxious, or foggy, relationships suffer. Hormonal imbalance can lead to:
- Withdrawal from friends or family
- Increased irritability and conflict
- Guilt from not showing up fully
- Feeling like no one understands what’s wrong
This can become a vicious cycle: fatigue leads to isolation, which deepens emotional distress and dysregulation.
Rebalancing Hormones with Personalised Functional Insight
At Global Health Clinics, we believe the first step to recovery is understanding your unique biochemical blueprint. That’s why we offer the Metabolic Solutions & Optimize Wellbeing (Premium Plus) 90-Day Hair Analysis Program.
What’s Included in the Program?
We use a cutting-edge epigenetic hair follicle analysis, which examines more than 800 markers influencing your health, including:
- Hormonal stress and adrenal function
- Cellular nutrient status (vitamins, minerals, amino acids)
- Gut and digestive markers
- EMF exposure and toxin load
- Immune system stress
- Mitochondrial energy output
- Emotional stress imprinting
This non-invasive assessment provides a full picture of how your body is adapting (or struggling to adapt) to your internal and external environment.
Why Hair Analysis?
Unlike blood, hair samples reflect a longer-term pattern of how your body has been functioning over time. It offers insights into your adaptive reserves—a concept central to functional and integrative health.
Restoring Energy and Resilience Through a Multisystem Approach
Our treatment philosophy is integrative, science-backed, and deeply personalised. Depending on your unique results, our programs may include:
- Targeted nutrition – supporting blood sugar, liver detox pathways, and mitochondrial function
- Supplementation – herbs, vitamins, and minerals to support adrenal, thyroid, or sex hormone balance
- Sleep support – re-establishing melatonin rhythms and nervous system calm
- Stress management techniques – including breathing, vagal nerve activation, or somatic therapies
- Coaching and education – so you’re empowered, not overwhelmed, by your health
You Don’t Have to Push Through Fatigue Anymore
If you’ve been told your blood tests are “normal” but you still feel anything but well, it’s time to dig deeper. Your symptoms are real, and they are likely signaling a deeper imbalance.
At Global Health Clinics, we specialise in uncovering these root causes and helping women return to a state of clarity, energy, and wholeness.
Book a consultation with us today and begin your journey with the Metabolic Solutions & Optimize Wellbeing (Premium Plus) 90-Day Hair Analysis Program—a proven, advanced approach to reclaiming your vitality and restoring hormonal balance.
Lisa Edmondson is a qualified Nurse, Master Health Coach, and Women’s Health and Hormone Specialist at Global Health Clinics in Takapuna. She combines clinical science with integrative, personalised wellness strategies to help women restore energy, balance their hormones, and thrive at every stage of life.
John Coombs, a respected Holistic Wellbeing Specialist who integrates quantum biology, quantum psychology, and cutting-edge epigenetic diagnostics into advanced whole-person health strategies. With expertise in energy medicine, metabolic science, and emotional-energetic health, John supports clients through individualised assessments and transformative health pathways.
Hester Scott, a compassionate and skilled practitioner of natural medicine and women’s health who brings depth in herbalism, nutrition, and energetic healing. Hester supports clients through tailored protocols that address root-cause imbalances and help women reconnect with their natural rhythm.
Together, Lisa, John, and Hester apply a whole systems approach—addressing physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and environmental influences on health. This collaborative method ensures clients receive comprehensive care, grounded in science and enriched by experience, intuition, and innovation.
At Global Health Clinics, we believe that restoring energy and vitality requires more than symptom management—it requires understanding the whole person. Our integrated model supports women to move from surviving to thriving, with sustainable tools for lifelong wellbeing.
Watch our Global Health series and learn more about Fatigue