Living with PCOS often means being intentional about your lifestyle – prioritising balanced meals, regular movement, quality sleep, and effective stress management to keep symptoms in check. But with the demands of a nine-to-five job, self-care can easily slip down the priority list, replaced by rushed meals, long hours of sitting, and mounting stress. Over time, these small disruptions can add up, triggering hormonal imbalances and causing PCOS symptoms to flare up again – making consistency in daily habits all the more crucial.
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Deepsikha Jain, a nutritionist with a master’s degree in global public health nutrition from the UK and a certified national diabetes educator, is highlighting three practical tips for women managing PCOS while balancing the demands of a nine-to-five job that can keep hormones steady. In an Instagram video shared on April 25, the nutritionist states, “You know, if I ever had PCOS and a nine to five job, here’s how I would manage it.”
Blood sugar balance
A typical nine-to-five schedule can make it difficult to prioritise your own needs, often leaving little time to prepare and eat three balanced meals a day. However, when managing PCOS, maintaining stable blood sugar levels becomes essential. Deepsikha emphasises that this means avoiding skipped meals and inconsistent snacking. Instead, every meal should be well-balanced, including protein, fibre, healthy fats, and carbohydrates to support hormone and blood sugar regulation.
The nutritionist explains, “First is going to be stabilising your blood sugar through the day, which means no random snacks, no skipping meals, every meal should have protein, fibre, fats and then some carbs. This alone can actually manage your blood sugar much better and balance your hormones.”
Movement and strength training
According to Deepsikha, movement should be a non-negotiable part of your daily routine – but the focus should be on consistency, not unrealistic goals. Instead of aiming for long, exhausting sessions, she recommends keeping workouts to a manageable 20 to 30 minutes, incorporating a mix of strength training, cardio such as running, and structured exercise about three times a week. This should be complemented by regular, low-intensity movement throughout the day, which can help improve insulin sensitivity and support better blood sugar control.
The nutritionist highlights, “Second, making movement non-negotiable but realistically. So, not a one-hour workout but rather divide that into 20 to 30 minutes of workout, lifting weight and running, thrice in a week and then include small movements and walks through the day, giving you a better insulin sensitivity and blood sugar.”
Stress management
Even with clean eating and regular exercise, unmanaged stress can quietly disrupt your hormonal balance. The nutritionist emphasises the need to build a reliable coping mechanism, as chronically elevated stress levels can spike cortisol, ultimately throwing other hormones out of sync and negating your efforts.
Deepsikha explains, “Third, I will take my stress seriously. I’ll find a coping mechanism because if you are eating clean but stress parameters are high, it is going to shoot your cortisol levels and that’s going to make your body still feel off-balance.”
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. It is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them
