07/01/2026
Always feeling “on edge” is often framed as anxiety, poor stress management, or personality.
In practice, it’s more often a regulation issue.
When the nervous system stays in a heightened state for long periods of time, the body adapts by staying alert. Cortisol remains elevated. Blood sugar becomes harder to stabilise. Sleep quality drops. Everything starts to feel louder and harder.
This is especially common in women over 40, where hormonal shifts reduce resilience to ongoing demand.
Nothing here means your body isn't working anymore.
It means it’s been compensating for longer than it should have had to.
