January 2026
After the excess of Christmas, January brings a familiar urge to reset. But stress, poor sleep and low energy often mean the body is already overwhelmed before any change begins. This article explores how stress hormones affect appetite, fat storage and cravings, and why calming the nervous system may be the missing piece for people who have struggled with weight for years…
January and the promise of change
January has a particular atmosphere in the UK. The evenings are dark, the weather is sharp and the decorations have come down, leaving behind a sense of blank space. It is also the month when weight-loss goals feel most urgent. After Christmas indulgence, many people vow to reset their habits, eat more simply and move more often. Yet January is also a time when stress quietly hums in the background. Financial pressures, low daylight, disrupted routines and the emotional hangover of the festive period all place the body under strain. For many people this makes weight loss feel stubbornly out of reach, despite genuine effort.
This is not a failure of willpower. It is a reflection of how the human nervous system and endocrine system respond to stress. Understanding this can be a turning point, especially for those who have lived with weight struggles for years.
Stress and the body’s survival mode
When the body perceives stress it shifts into survival mode. This response is ancient and protective. The brain activates the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis, often called the HPA axis, which leads to the release of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. These chemicals are designed to keep us alert and ready to respond to threat.
In the short-term, cortisol is helpful. It mobilises energy by increasing blood sugar and it suppresses non-essential functions. In modern life, however, stress is rarely short lived. Ongoing work pressures, emotional strain and poor sleep mean cortisol can remain elevated for long periods. Research has shown that chronically high cortisol is associated with increased abdominal fat storage and changes in appetite regulation.
From an evolutionary perspective this makes sense. A stressed body prioritises energy storage. It becomes more efficient at holding on to calories, particularly around the abdomen, because that is where energy can be accessed quickly. Trying to lose weight in this state is like swimming against a strong current.
Hormones that govern hunger and fullness
Stress also interferes with the delicate balance of hormones that regulate hunger and satiety. Leptin is the hormone that signals fullness. Ghrelin stimulates hunger. Under chronic stress, leptin sensitivity can be reduced, meaning the brain does not receive a clear signal that enough food has been eaten. At the same time ghrelin levels may increase, leading to stronger hunger cues.
There is evidence that stress can increase cravings for high-sugar and high-fat foods. These foods stimulate the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter involved in reward and motivation. Dopamine provides a temporary sense of relief and pleasure which the brain quickly learns to seek again. This is not a lack of discipline – it is a neurochemical loop designed to soothe a stressed nervous system.
Insulin also plays a role. Repeated cortisol spikes raise blood glucose levels. Over time, this can contribute to insulin resistance, making it harder for cells to use glucose efficiently. When insulin is less effective, the body is more likely to store excess energy as fat.
The emotional brain and long-standing patterns
Weight is rarely just about food. The limbic system, which includes structures such as the amygdala and hippocampus, is deeply involved in emotional processing and memory. If eating has long been used as a way to cope with stress, loneliness or overwhelm, these patterns become wired into neural pathways.
Neuroscience tells us that the brain is plastic, meaning it can change, but it also favours efficiency. Well-worn pathways are easier to follow than new ones. In January, many people try to force change through rigid plans and self-criticism. This often increases stress further, reinforcing the very patterns they are trying to escape.
Sleep deprivation, which is common in winter, compounds the problem. Poor sleep is linked to higher cortisol, reduced leptin and increased ghrelin. A large-scale study published in the journal PLOS Medicine (Public Library of Science Medicine) found that people who slept less than six hours a night consumed on average around 300 extra calories the following day. Again, this is physiology, not weakness.
Why January can feel especially hard
January brings a cultural expectation of self-improvement at a time when the body is least resourced. Low sunlight affects serotonin levels, which influences mood and appetite. Cold weather reduces incidental movement. Social pressure to diet can trigger feelings of failure or shame, which activate the stress response yet again.
For people with long-standing weight issues, this cycle may feel painfully familiar. Diets begin with hope, stress rises, the body resists and self-trust erodes. Breaking this cycle requires more than another set of rules. It requires calming the nervous system and addressing the brain patterns that drive behaviour.
How Solution Focused Hypnotherapy can help
Solution Focused Hypnotherapy offers a different entry point. Rather than focusing on past failures or strict control, it works with the brain to reduce stress and build a sense of safety. Through guided relaxation and focused attention, the nervous system can shift out of survival mode and into a state where change is more accessible.
From a physiological perspective, deep relaxation is associated with reduced cortisol and increased parasympathetic activity. This supports the restoration of balance within the endocrine system. When stress hormones settle, other hormones such as insulin, leptin and reproductive hormones can function more effectively.
Hypnotherapy also engages the subconscious mind, where many habits and emotional responses are stored. By using positive future-oriented imagery and suggestion, new neural pathways can be strengthened. The brain begins to associate healthier choices with calm and confidence rather than deprivation or fear.
There is growing interest in the role of mind-body approaches in weight management. A review published in the journal Obesity Reviews reported that interventions targeting stress and emotional regulation showed promising effects on eating behaviour and weight outcomes. While hypnotherapy is not a magic solution, it can be a powerful part of a holistic approach.
Restoring balance rather than fighting the body
One of the most compassionate shifts a person can make in January is to stop fighting their body and start listening to it. Weight loss does not happen well in a state of alarm. It happens when the brain feels safe enough to let go.
This may mean prioritising sleep before calories, managing stress before meal plans and rebuilding self-trust before scales. It may mean recognising that long-standing weight issues are not a moral failing but a sign of a nervous system that has been carrying too much for too long.
January can still be a time of change, but perhaps a quieter one – a time to step out of the stress cycle and into balance. When the brain and body are supported, weight loss often becomes a natural by-product rather than a constant battle.
If you would like help addressing mental and emotional issues that are limiting your weight-loss efforts, why not book a free consultation.
Further reading
If you’re curious to explore some of the science behind stress, sleep and weight in a little more depth, the following articles and studies offer helpful insight.
Sleep plays a surprisingly powerful role in appetite and weight regulation. This large clinical study looked at what happens when people who usually sleep too little begin to get more rest – it found that longer sleep was linked to eating fewer calories overall.
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2788694
Emotional eating is a common response to stress and overwhelm. This review brings together research on psychological approaches that help people change their relationship with food by addressing emotional triggers rather than relying on restriction alone.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20032722
Stress changes the way the brain responds to food, particularly foods that offer quick comfort or reward. This well-known paper explains how stress hormones interact with the brain’s reward system and influence eating behaviour.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0899900707002493
Weight stigma itself can increase stress and make weight management harder. This article explores how shame and self-criticism affect cortisol levels and eating patterns, creating a cycle that is difficult to break.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25257757/
For those interested in how hypnosis supports stress reduction, this overview looks at how hypnotherapy can calm the nervous system and support emotional regulation.