Stress, Adrenal Health, and PMDD

Nurturing Your Body’s Response to Reduce Symptoms

Living with PMDD is more than a monthly cycle of emotional and physical upheaval—it is also deeply connected to how your body handles stress. From my own experience and from years of supporting women globally as a naturopath, trauma-informed emotional healing practitioner, and Family Constellations facilitator, I’ve seen that adrenal health plays a central role in how PMDD symptoms manifest.

The adrenals, small glands perched above the kidneys, produce hormones like cortisol and DHEA that help regulate stress, energy, and inflammation. When they are overworked—through chronic stress, trauma, poor sleep, or sustained emotional intensity—the body’s ability to respond to the normal hormonal fluctuations of the menstrual cycle diminishes. This can make PMDD symptoms more intense, prolonged, and difficult to manage.

The Stress–PMDD Connection

Many women with PMDD report feeling emotionally hijacked, exhausted, and irritable in the luteal phase. While fluctuating progesterone and estrogen levels are central, an overtaxed nervous system and fatigued adrenals can amplify these responses. Essentially, your body interprets hormonal changes as additional stress when the adrenals are already burdened, heightening emotional and physical symptoms.

One client, a woman in her early thirties, had always struggled with extreme irritability and fatigue premenstrually. When we looked beyond her diet and supplements to her chronic stress load—long work hours, unresolved emotional trauma, and poor sleep—we focused on supporting her adrenal function through gentle pacing, nutritional support, and targeted nervous system regulation. Within a few cycles, she reported that her premenstrual mood swings were shorter and less intense.

Supporting Your Adrenal Health Naturally

1. Stress Regulation

The first step is learning to regulate the nervous system, not force it. Mind-body practices such as slow breathing, meditation, restorative yoga, or short grounding exercises help reduce cortisol spikes. Even three to five minutes of intentional breathing during the day can shift your nervous system from overdrive to a calmer state.

2. Sleep and Recovery

Sleep is non-negotiable for adrenal health. I encourage clients to create consistent sleep patterns and bedtime rituals, including low lighting, minimal screen exposure, and gentle wind-down practices. Herbs like chamomile or passionflower can provide calming support when used mindfully.

3. Nutrition for Adrenal Support

Balanced blood sugar is essential. Regular protein-rich meals, healthy fats from nuts, seeds, and avocado, and anti-inflammatory plant foods help stabilise energy and mood. Magnesium-rich foods, like leafy greens and pumpkin seeds, support muscle relaxation and nervous system resilience, while adaptogens such as Ashwagandha or Holy Basil can gently support adrenal function.

4. Emotional and Trauma-Informed Support

Chronic stress often has roots in unresolved emotional trauma. Trauma-informed therapies, including Family Constellations and gentle emotional processing, can help release long-standing tension in the nervous system, which in turn reduces adrenal strain. I’ve witnessed clients experience profound shifts when emotional and physiological support are combined: mood swings soften, energy stabilises, and the body feels safer navigating hormonal changes.

5. Micro-Resets During the Day

Practical micro-strategies—brief walks, grounding in nature, mindful tea breaks—act like small adrenal “resets.” These interventions may seem minor, but cumulatively they help your nervous system regulate and prevent PMDD symptoms from escalating.

Shifting Perspective

Supporting your adrenals isn’t about rigid routines or perfection. It’s about creating environments, habits, and practices that allow your nervous system to respond more flexibly to both stress and hormonal changes. By prioritising adrenal health, you can reduce the intensity of PMDD symptoms, improve emotional regulation, and reclaim a sense of agency over your body.

In my clinical experience, women often find that integrating stress regulation, nutritional support, sleep optimisation, and gentle emotional healing transforms how their cycles feel—not overnight, but consistently over time. The body is always capable of adapting; it simply needs space, support, and recognition.

Camilla Brinkworth is a naturopath, trauma-informed emotional healing practitioner, and Family Constellations facilitator specialising in PMDD. Through PMDD Naturopath and Camilla Clare Holistic Health, she supports women globally to reduce PMDD symptoms through integrative naturopathy, adrenal and nervous system support, plant-rich nutrition, and mind-body therapies.