How Changing My Space Changed My Headspace

New Digs, Who Dis? How Changing Space Changed My Headspace

You know those people who say “location doesn’t matter” or “happiness comes from within”? Cute. But also? Kind of wrong.

Because after recently packing up my life, lugging 47 boxes of stuff I swore I was going to “declutter,” and officially moving downtown—I can confirm: change of scenery matters. A lot.

And not just for the Instagram aesthetic (though let’s be honest, these city sunset shots? Chef’s kiss). I’m talking energy shift, mindset reset, and a level of “Oh hey, I’m a whole new woman now” that I didn’t know I needed. Here's a new hill I'll die on: Changing your space can actually change your headspace (and no, you don't need to move to get the same results.)

Let me set the scene…

I Moved Downtown… And Started Walking Like a European

No more car-to-gym-to-grocery-to-couch circuit. Nope. I’m walking everywhere now. Morning strolls for matcha. Midday grocery runs. Evening people-watching while pretending I’m the main character in an indie film. If my shoes had Apple Watch stats, they’d be filing for a union.

It’s movement without the pressure. No cardio tracker yelling at me. No “get your steps in” guilt-trip. Just natural, effortless motion built into my day. It’s wild how something so simple can feel so revolutionary when you’ve spent years building your life around gym sessions and sedentary in-between.

But here’s the plot twist: that unsexy, unglamorous walking? It’s helping manage my blood sugar in a way no treadmill sprint or HIIT burnout ever did.

Cortisol is the Quiet Hero of Midlife Metabolism

Here’s a wake-up call we don’t talk about enough: over 1 in 3 adults in the U.S. has pre-diabetes—and most don’t even know it. Women in midlife are especially vulnerable because of hormone shifts, declining muscle mass, stress, and (let’s be real) decades of diet culture wreckage.

Add in skipped meals, caffeine-as-breakfast, and cardio overkill, and boom—your blood sugar’s on a rollercoaster that even Six Flags would find unsafe.

I’ve been living with Type 1 diabetes for years, so I see blood sugar responses in real-time. But you? You might just feel tired, foggy, irritable, or like your cravings are driving the bus. That’s not lack of willpower—it’s blood sugar dysregulation waving a big red flag.

If You’re in Midlife, You Need to Care About Cortisol and Blood Sugar (Even If You’re Not Diabetic)

Why? Because estrogen helps regulate insulin. And when estrogen dips (hello perimenopause), insulin resistance can rise. That’s how you can be “eating clean” and still gaining weight.

It’s not your fault. But it is your responsibility to respond.

And that starts with stabilizing blood sugar—not by cutting all carbs, but by eating smarter and moving more naturally.

Movement That Feels Effortless (and Kinda European)

Want to support insulin sensitivity, reduce your risk of pre-diabetes, boost digestion, and feel like a civilized human again?

Then let’s talk about walking.

→Not the 10,000-steps-a-day-or-you-fail walking.

→Not the fitness tracker-obsessed, power-lapping-your-living-room walking.

I’m talking about natural, unforced, move-through-your-day-like-a-functioning-human walking—which I’ve been doing nonstop since moving downtown. Because when your new home base puts everything within reach—coffee shops, grocery stores, your favorite overpriced smoothie spot—you stop seeing movement as a “task” and start seeing it as normal. Wild concept, I know.

Walking: The Underrated Fitness Plan 

Since settling in, I’ve been walking more than I ever did with a gym membership and a meticulously planned workout split. Why? Because walking isn’t a chore when it’s baked into your day. I’m not strapping on a Fitbit like it’s a life alert. I’m just living—and in doing so, I’m moving more.

Want to support your hormones, stabilize blood sugar, boost digestion, improve insulin sensitivity, reduce cortisol, and lower inflammation?

Walk. After. Meals. Seriously.

If I could get every woman in midlife to go on a 10-minute walk after lunch, I’d probably start a cult. No treadmill required. Just feet, some fresh-ish air, and maybe a little Beyonce in your earbuds.

This Isn’t About Burning Calories 

Look, we’ve been conditioned by diet culture to associate movement with punishment. Burn off the pizza. “Earn” your wine. Walk faster, harder, longer because it counts more.

But what if we ditched that mentality? Walking isn’t about calorie burn. It’s about blood flow, stress relief, joy, connection- oh, and hey, YES - it supports hormones, stabilizes blood sugar, boosts digestion, reduces cortisol, improves insulin sensitivity.... crazy, I know.

It’s a form of low-stakes, high-reward movement that gets the job done without wrecking your adrenals or blowing out your knees. Honestly, I walk because it makes me feel human again. And when you’re moving through the city—dodging pigeons, smiling at strangers, stopping to smell a flower you’re pretty sure is just a weed—it reconnects you with life in a way a gym treadmill never could.

New Place, New Energy. How changing your space can change your headspace.

This space feels right. Bright light. High ceilings. Less “clinical wellness” and more “cool-girl energy with room for protein powder and healing.” There’s something powerful about being in an environment that makes you want to show up for yourself. And in this space, I’m not just managing hormones—I’m managing insulin, which frankly deserves more spotlight than any influencer green powder.

You don’t need to move downtown to shift your metabolic health. You just need to stop skipping meals, lift heavy things a few times a week, walk after dinner, and yes—make your environment less chaotic and more supportive. Don’t underestimate the power of shifting your space when your energy is stuck. Sometimes your habits aren’t broken… your environment just sucks.

You need consistency, intention, and a hell of a lot more grace. Walking delivers all three. It’s the base layer of movement that supports everything else—your strength training, your recovery, your mindset. So yeah, I’ll keep walking to the market for that overpriced almond milk. I’ll keep wandering down new streets just to see where they go. I’ll keep letting my body move the way it was designed to. Because it’s working. And because I feel good. And if that’s not the ultimate wellness flex, I don’t know what is.

Let’s get one thing straight: your environment matters more than your willpower. You can have all the motivation in the world, but if your space is working against you, staying “on track” feels like trying to do squats in quicksand. You end up frustrated, exhausted, and blaming yourself when really, you just need a better setup.

Why My Move Changed More Than My Address 

Since moving downtown, everything shifted. I’m walking more because it’s convenient. I’m cooking more because my kitchen feels like a place I want to be. I’m sleeping better because I ditched the blue light and added blackout curtains that could block out a solar flare. Little changes in my space made it easier to be the person I want to be.

Environment = behavior catalyst. And that goes both ways. If your kitchen is cluttered, your fridge is empty, your schedule is chaotic, and your phone is your bedtime companion? Of course it’s hard to feel good.

How to Create a Health-Supportive Space (No Move Required) 

You don’t need a new zip code to make a shift. You just need to audit your space with honesty and adjust like a grown-ass woman: Make water stupid easy to access. Big water bottle. Visible. Cold. No excuses. Put protein in plain sight. Keep high-protein snacks and prep visible so you’re not tempted by crackers and regret. Use lighting to your advantage. Dim lights at night. Natural light in the morning. Your circadian rhythm will love you. Build “movement nudges.” Leave your sneakers by the door. Keep resistance bands near your desk. Normalize 10-minute movement bursts. Clear the crap. If your pantry is booby-trapped with crap you don’t even like, stop keeping it “just in case.”

It’s Not About Perfection—It’s About Reducing Friction 

Willpower is limited. Your environment isn’t. So build a space that supports your goals without making you fight for them every damn day. Make the good stuff easier. Make the hard stuff harder. Make your home a teammate, not a trigger.

Little miss Sunday is loving her new play space.

“Cortisol Face” and Other TikTok Wellness Lies

Let’s start with this little gem I've been seeing everywhere: “Cortisol Face.”

Apparently, a few wellness influencers with ring lights and zero biochemistry background have declared that your face shape is a direct result of your stress levels.

If your jawline softens? Cortisol. Puffy cheeks? Cortisol. You woke up bloated and looked sideways in the mirror? Definitely cortisol. Might as well go full moon face and start a GoFundMe for a jaw-sculpting tool.

Y’all. No.

Spoiler Alert: Cortisol IS NOT the Villain (and your face is fine!)

Yes, cortisol is a hormone that plays a role in stress. Yes, chronic stress can affect things like water retention, inflammation, and even your sleep (which can make you look a little “puffy” if you’re running on fumes and salt). But the real issue isn’t your face—it’s what chronic cortisol spikes do to your insulin sensitivity.

But your face doesn’t morph into a potato overnight because you had a bad day at work and skipped your magnesium.

When stress is constant, your body starts pumping out more cortisol. And what does cortisol do in the body? It raises blood sugar—whether or not you’ve eaten anything. Why? Because it’s preparing you to fight or flee.

But if you're stressed, sedentary, underfed, and scrolling through TikTok at midnight instead of sleeping? That cortisol-blood sugar spike becomes chronic. Over time, this increases your risk for insulin resistance, pre-diabetes, and Type 2 diabetes.

So while everyone’s panicking about a “cortisol jawline,” I’m more concerned that 1 in 2 women over 40 are either insulin resistant or on their way—and don’t know it.

 What most people are calling "cortisol face" is actually...

1. Water retention from high sodium and low hydration

2. Poor sleep disrupting glucose metabolism

3. Dehydration (drink your damn water)

4. Hormonal fluctuations (hi, midlife)

5. Inflammation from skipping meals and living on snacks

6. Blood sugar instability that makes you feel inflamed and foggy

So instead of blaming cortisol for every cheek puff and chin shift, maybe try supporting your body. It's called taking care of yourself. Crazy, I know.

Eat meals that include protein.

Eat a vegetable.

Move after you eat.

Sleep like it matters (because it does).

And stop letting TikTok convince you that every puff, dip or line means you're broken.

And if you’re already teetering on the edge of insulin resistance? That’s a fast track to pre-diabetes. No “face sculpting tool” is going to fix that.

What will help?

1. Walking after meals (hello glucose drop)

2. Eating real food with actual protein

3. Lifting weights to build insulin-hungry muscle

4. Managing your nervous system before it manages you

Because managing stress isn’t just about “feeling calmer.” It’s about protecting your metabolic health—and yes, your future.

Let’s stop chasing cortisol cleanses and start chasing habits that actually work.

Let's Talk Stress - Which Yes, Impacts Cortisol

Yes, stress will show up - but it's manageable. Yes, stress matters. Yes, it impacts your hormones.

But if the internet is making you more anxious than your actual life? That’s the real cortisol problem. I’m more concerned with how women are being sold supplements, scans, and sketchy “anti-cortisol” cleanses than I am about a little morning puffiness. You don’t need a hormone detox. You need to regulate your nervous system (ie: cut out your late night doomsday scrolling), move your body and eat real food.

Supplements Aren’t Magic—Let’s Stop Pretending They Are 

Now let’s talk about the supplement obsession. Because if I had a dollar for every “daily stack” video that promises to fix your energy, your gut, your hormones, your skin, and your trauma—I’d have enough to buy out every influencer's affiliate link.

Let’s just say it out loud: Supplements are not magic. They’re tools. Sometimes useful. Sometimes unnecessary. Often expensive. Occasionally shady. And absolutely not the reason someone on Instagram has abs and clear skin.

Before you go ordering 15 bottles of adaptogens, collagen, mushroom powders, and magnesium with six syllables, ask yourself:

Are you eating enough protein?

Are you pooping daily?

Are you sleeping more than 5 hours?

Are you drinking water that isn’t just coffee?

Have you done any kind of resistance training in the past decade?

If the answer is no, then guess what? Supplements are not your next step.

They’re a distraction.

A very shiny, very marketable distraction from doing the boring stuff that actually works.

The Basics Will Always Be the Foundation 

Look, I’m not anti-supplement. I take a few myself. But you better believe I’ve earned the right to use them strategically because I’ve already locked in the real stuff: meals, movement, hydration, stress management.

If you’re under-eating, over-exercising, skipping meals, or living off caffeine and cortisol? No supplement will fix that. You cannot out-supplement a lifestyle that’s slowly wrecking you. Want to take a greens powder because you’re in a travel week and haven’t seen a vegetable since Tuesday? Great. Want to take magnesium at night to support sleep and recovery? Awesome. Just don’t make it your entire plan.

My Rule? Supplements Should Supplement—Not Substitute. 

If your cart has more supplements than groceries, it might be time to rethink your priorities. You are not broken. You do not need 12 pills before breakfast. You need meals that satisfy, movement that challenges you, and sleep that doesn’t involve doomscrolling until 1AM.

Supplements are the accessory—not the outfit.

Blood Sugar Is Supposed to Go Up and Down—Here’s Why That’s Actually a Good Thing 

If I see one more CGM (continuous glucose monitor) graph with “perfectly flat” blood sugar and a caption like “#goals,” I might throw my protein powder (sorry Devotion), at the algorithm.

Here’s the truth: your blood sugar is supposed to go up and down. That’s how metabolism works. That’s what your body is designed to do. If it didn’t go up in the morning, you'd never get out of bed. If it didn't rise after eating, you’d be dead. If it didn’t come back down? Also not great. But let’s stop pretending the goal is a flatline like we’re all trying to be metabolically comatose.

The Rise and Fall Is NORMAL (and Necessary) 

Every time you eat—especially carbs—your blood sugar goes up. That’s called being alive. Then your pancreas releases insulin, which helps your cells absorb that glucose and use it for energy. Later, your levels drop again, and ideally, you feel good. That’s metabolic flexibility.

But somewhere along the line, “glucose spike” became the new food guilt. Women started fearing fruit, carrots, or even oatmeal because their blood sugar might gasp rise above 100. Let me save you the stress: It’s not about the spike—it’s about the response.

Support, Don’t Obsess 

Instead of micromanaging every data point, focus on supporting your blood sugar with real habits: Eat balanced meals with protein, fat, and fiber. Don’t skip meals—especially breakfast. Walk after eating (yep, told you that walk was magic). Strength train regularly. Don’t go to bed right after inhaling three margaritas and chips (unless you’re in Cabo. Then bless and hydrate.)

The body is built for fluctuation. You’re not failing because your glucose hit 130 after lunch—you’re functioning.

What I Tell Every Client 

You’re not a machine. You’re not a number. You don’t need to obsess over being “flatlined” to be healthy. Instead, aim for a pattern that feels good. Are you crashing and craving junk two hours later? Then yeah, let’s tweak the meal. Are you eating, moving, and sleeping like a sane human? Then you’re doing great.

Blood sugar management isn’t a war—it’s a rhythm. So let your body do its thing. You’re not broken. You’re just human.

Real-Life Tips to Stay Energized, Myth-Free, and Downtown-Ready

Living downtown has taught me something important: energy isn’t just about what you eat or how you move—it’s about how you live. You can meal-prep like a pro, slam your protein goals, and still feel like you’re dragging if the rest of your life feels like chaotic.

So here’s what’s actually been working for me—and what might just work for you, no matter where you live:

1. Bookend Your Day with Non-Negotiables. For me? That’s a morning walk with caffeine and a protein-packed breakfast. At night, it’s a digital shut-off, magnesium, and stretching like a retired gymnast. Yours might look different—but give yourself anchors that remind your body “Hey, we’re good.”

2. Prioritize Blood Sugar-First Meals. Every time I eat, I’m asking: Where’s my protein? Where’s my fiber? Where’s my fat? Add carbs around that, not instead of that. You’ll feel more full, more steady, and less likely to inhale a croissant at 3PM and call it lunch.

3. Keep It Real (and Reasonable). I’m not a robot and neither are you. I don’t do perfect days. I do solid ones with space for tacos, late-night texts, and a life that doesn’t revolve around fear-based “wellness rules.” Stop chasing ideal. Start chasing consistent.

4. Have Your “Reset Go-To’s”. For me, that’s a walk, a protein shake, a hot shower, and texting a friend who doesn’t let me spiral. Find what recenters you and use it when things feel off.

5. Gut Check Your Inputs. If your feed is filled with cortisol fear-mongers, flat-belly charlatans, and supplement influencers with discount codes but no credentials, it’s time to detox your algorithm—not your liver.

Your Body Isn’t Broken. The System Is. 

Here’s the thing: your body is smart. It’s adaptive. It’s always working to support you—even when it doesn’t feel like it. But when the noise gets loud (and it always does), it’s easy to forget that. You start thinking you need another diet. Another pill. Another expert telling you how to “fix” yourself.

But what you probably need is to get quiet, move your body, eat real food, and unfollow the BS. Moving downtown didn’t fix me—it just reminded me how powerful simple shifts can be. Walking more. Eating like a grown woman. Letting go of perfection. Reclaiming space—physically, mentally, hormonally.

You don’t need to reinvent your life every Monday. You need to live in it with more intention and way less guilt.

And if you’re still reading this? You’re already on your way.

Cheers to more walks, fewer wellness lies, and building a life that actually supports you.

xo, gennifer