Ever since menopause entered my life, everyday decisions have started to feel strangely high-stakes. Suddenly, everything seems worth scrutinizing. What I eat. How I exercise. How I manage even the tiniest bit of stress.
It makes sense. This stage of life brings profound changes that affect nearly every system in the body—including metabolism, digestion, hormones, cardiovascular health, and emotional well-being. Sometimes it feels like all that internal machinery is working overtime to keep me afloat while I sabotage it with small daily choices.
Lately, however, I’ve become especially interested in what happens during the first hour of the day. Sara Tabares, director of Spain-based personal training company Performa, recently convinced me that a little movement immediately after waking can completely change how the day unfolds. “I’m not talking about an intense workout; just doing a 15-minute mobility routine will give you more energy and mental clarity for the rest of the day.”
She also says that physical activity increases blood flow to the muscles and brain, raises alertness, and reduces drowsiness. But perhaps most importantly, it shifts your mindset. “It feels like the first victory of the day, because it helps reinforce healthy habits that then lead to better decisions in every area of my life: I move more, eat better, manage stress better.” It’s also, she adds, a form of self-care—“like giving yourself a hug.”
Follow your gut, literally
Another reason I’ve stopped moving through my mornings on autopilot? I recently learned that our gut bacteria also follow circadian rhythms.
Dr. Silvia Gómez Senent, a digestive health specialist and microbiome expert at Womanhood Clinic in Madrid, explains that the microbiota responds to environmental cues much like our hormones, metabolism, and immune system. “What we do during the first few minutes of the day has a greater impact than we imagine,” she says.
One of the most powerful signals is exposure to natural light. “Light synchronizes the brain’s central clock and, through it, regulates cortisol, melatonin, body temperature, and metabolism,” says Gómez Senent. That synchronization extends to the gut, influencing intestinal motility, mucin production, bile acids, and the behavior of beneficial bacteria. “When we live disconnected from natural light and are heavily exposed to artificial light at night, that choreography between the body and the microbiota becomes disrupted,” she explains.
When I mention that one of my worst habits is checking my phone the second I wake up, Gómez Senent calls this “immediate digital stress”—a habit that triggers an early state of alert. This micro-stress increases cortisol and adrenaline, directly affecting the gut-brain axis. Over time, chronic stress can alter bacterial diversity, increase intestinal permeability, and promote low-grade inflammation.
Instead, she recommends simple habits: hydrate, get sunlight, and take a few moments to breathe before diving into the day.
“The problem isn’t one stressful morning—the body is equipped to adapt—but living in a state of constant arousal,” she says. “The microbiota interprets this environment as a biological threat signal.” When that stress becomes chronic, the result can show up as bloating, digestive issues, fatigue, and even food-related anxiety.
The microbiome and mental clarity
A few years ago, I was diagnosed with a microbiome imbalance. Beyond the expected digestive symptoms, I noticed something surprising: brain fog. My thoughts felt slow and cloudy.
According to Gómez Senent, research increasingly shows that the microbiota influences not only digestion, but also cognition, mood, and mental performance.
“The gut and the brain are constantly connected via the gut-brain axis, a biological highway involving neurotransmitters, the immune system, the vagus nerve, and substances produced by the gut bacteria themselves.”
