The Hustle Was Never Meant for Her: Why Women Need a New Wellness Rulebook

Too many high-performing women are burning out trying to hustle like men. Here’s why honoring your biology is the real power move.

I still remember the exact day I realized I was burning out.

I was in bed, lights off, sobbing—again—while my body trembled like it didn’t belong to me. I was exhausted but couldn’t sleep. I had worked hard, pushed hard, smiled hard, led hard. And suddenly, I wasn’t sure what all the pushing was for anymore.

I thought I was doing everything “right.” I had the systems. The mindset. The vision board. The green juices. I had even cut out gluten.

But the truth was this: I was so tired of trying to be better at being a man.
My body knew before my brain did that something was off. Deep down, I was operating on a model that was never made for me.

The Science Behind the Female Body’s Needs

Let’s talk about hormones—because someone has to.
Most productivity advice is built on male biology. Men have a 24-hour hormonal cycle. Women? We have a 28-day cycle. What energizes and motivates us literally changes throughout the month. Our hormones affect how we focus, how we metabolize food, how we handle stress, and how we feel emotionally.

Yet the wellness industry still pushes one-size-fits-all solutions.

Here’s what no one tells you:

• Doing intense HIIT workouts when you’re in your luteal or menstrual phase can actually raise your cortisol and sabotage your progress.
• Fasting for long hours can mess with your thyroid and blood sugar if your hormones aren’t balanced.
• Lack of sleep affects women more deeply than men—it throws off our mood, focus, and metabolic health.

And the signs show up slowly: anxiety, bloating, irregular cycles, low libido, stubborn weight gain, and autoimmune issues that doctors can’t quite explain.

A New Way to Thrive

Here’s what actually helped me heal:

• I started aligning my work tasks with my cycle. Strategy during ovulation, editing during the luteal phase, rest during menstruation.
• I replaced punishment-based workouts with slow strength, walking, and somatic movement.
• I treated sleep as sacred, not optional.
• I cut out caffeine (yes, it was hard), and my anxiety dropped in half.
• I stopped eating “light” and started eating enough.
• I learned to feel my feelings, not fix them.

I stopped trying to become more productive—and focused on becoming more present.
And the wildest thing? I became more magnetic, more energized, and more powerful than I had ever felt before.

The Permission We All Need

I’m writing this for the women who feel like they’ve tried everything—and are still tired.
You are not lazy. You are not broken. You are not lacking discipline.
You are following a model that was not designed for you.

There’s a reason the old hustle stopped working. There’s a reason your body is speaking louder now.

We don’t need more willpower. We need more wisdom.

Your body is not the problem. It’s the path.
Let it guide you.