Less Is More w/The Hormone Queen: Becca Chilczenkowski - Ep 55
Release Date: 10/09/2025
I Healed My Burnout and My Relationships Changed Completely | The High Performer Reset (Part 4) | EP 83
The Higher Alignment Podcast
In this episode of the High Performer Reset series, I’m sharing what changed in my relationships after healing my burnout. In the last episode, I talked about what my relationships looked like before: guarded, reactive, disconnected, and unable to fully receive support. This episode is the after. Once I learned how to regulate my nervous system and process stress, I softened. Not in a weak way, but in a way that allowed me to let people in. My work relationships became deeper, I felt more supported, and I started showing up with more trust, confidence, and care. In my personal life, I...
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Burnout Turned Me Into the “Office B!ch” | The High Performer Reset (Part 3) | EP 82
The Higher Alignment Podcast
Take the High Performer Stress Assessment → In this episode, part of The High Performer Reset Series, I’m diving into how burnout impacted my relationships in one of the deepest ways possible. I share what life looked like when I was completely disconnected from myself, overwhelmed by stress, and operating from pure survival mode. From being cold and reactive at work, to gossiping, struggling to connect, and feeling emotionally unavailable even with the people I loved most, burnout was showing up everywhere in my life. I talk about how being constantly dysregulated affected my leadership,...
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How I Fixed My Relationship With Food | The High Performer Reset (Part 2) | EP 81
The Higher Alignment Podcast
Take the High Performer Stress Assessment → In this episode, I share what my relationship with food, energy, and my body looks like now after healing my burnout. If part one was about survival mode, this is about what happens when your body finally feels safe again. I walk you through how I shifted from emotional eating, constant cravings, and low energy into a place where I actually feel in control of what I eat, without relying on extreme discipline or restriction. I break down what my day-to-day looks like now, how I approach food, why protein became a focus for me, and how I’ve built...
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I Thought It Was a Food Problem | The High Performer Reset (Part 1) | EP 80
The Higher Alignment Podcast
Take the High Performer Stress Assessment → In this episode, I open up about my relationship with food, sugar, stress, and burnout in a way I never really have before. I share what life looked like when I was working long hours in the luxury auto industry, constantly living in fight or flight, skipping meals, eating on the go, relying on takeout, and using sugar as a coping mechanism. What I didn’t understand at the time was that my body wasn’t failing me. It was trying to keep up with chronic stress the best way it knew how. I talk about how burnout impacted my digestion, why I used to...
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I’m Finally Ready to Share Our Miscarriage Story | EP 79
The Higher Alignment Podcast
Take the High Performer Stress Assessment → In this episode, I’m sharing something deeply personal that has shaped the past few months of my life. Thomas and I found out we were pregnant in October, and it was one of the most beautiful and unexpected moments we’ve ever experienced. But just a few weeks later, everything changed. We discovered that the baby had stopped developing, and on Christmas Day, I experienced a miscarriage. This episode is not just about loss. It’s about love, healing, and what this experience opened up inside of me. I share what it felt like to go through it...
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You’re Creating Stress That Doesn’t Exist | EP 78
The Higher Alignment Podcast
Take the High Performer Stress Assessment → In this episode, I share a recent experience where unexpected expenses triggered stress and scarcity, even though I was financially okay. I found myself overthinking, trying to control the situation, and creating pressure that did not need to exist. The real issue was not what was happening, but the state I was operating from. I walk through the shift that helped me move from fear and control into trust and clarity, and how everything started to feel lighter once I changed my internal response. If you have been feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or...
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If You Keep Slipping Back Into Old Habits?…This Episode is for You | EP 77
The Higher Alignment Podcast
Take the High Performer Stress Assessment → In this episode, I’m breaking down a truth that most people don’t talk about when it comes to nervous system regulation… it takes effort, every single day. If you’ve been doing the work and still finding yourself getting triggered, overwhelmed, or slipping into old patterns, this episode is for you. I want you to understand that this isn’t a sign you’re failing—it’s actually part of the process. I share why regulation isn’t a place you arrive at, but a skill you practice, especially in a world that constantly floods us with...
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Luxury Matchmaker Reveals Why Successful People Struggle in Dating with April Davis | EP 76
The Higher Alignment Podcast
Take the High Performer Stress Assessment → In this episode, I sat down with luxury matchmaker April Davis to unpack one of the biggest questions high-achieving women face in dating: what’s the difference between healthy standards and plain old pickiness? We talked about how real standards are rooted in your values, not surface-level preferences, and how so many people unknowingly block love by chasing a fantasy instead of staying open to real connection. April shared what she sees over and over again in the dating world, from women dismissing incredible men over height to men being...
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Why High Achievers Struggle to Change (Even When They Know Better) | EP 75
The Higher Alignment Podcast
In this episode of the Higher Alignment Podcast, I’m breaking down why change can feel so hard, especially for high performers who know what they “should” be doing but still can’t seem to follow through. I unpack the difference between capability and capacity, and why so many resilient, driven people end up sabotaging themselves by expecting their body to perform at a level it simply cannot support right now. I also dive into the nervous system side of change and explain why you cannot think your way into regulation. Real healing and sustainable growth happen through intentional...
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I’m Finally Sharing My Burnout Story | EP 74
The Higher Alignment Podcast
In this reintroduction episode, I share the story behind how I became a burnout and nervous system coach for high performers. After returning to Vietnam for the first time since I was 12 or 13, I felt called to reconnect with my roots and explain how my upbringing shaped my drive, resilience, and survival-mode wiring. I talk about my parents’ journey from Vietnam to Canada, what it meant to grow up in a hardworking immigrant household, and how performance became my identity through competitive dance and swimming. I also open up about my nine-year career at Mercedes-Benz, the “golden...
info_outlineEpisode Highlights: perimenopause, women's cycle, burnout, inflammation, women's health, hormones, cycle awareness, nutrition, self-care, hormone replacement therapy, stress management, body awareness
Summary:
In this episode Minh-Thu Lam sits down with The Hormone Queen: Becca Chilczenkowski for a real and refreshing conversation about women’s health — and why so many of us feel off without knowing why.
They dive into what’s really behind burnout, inflammation, and those sneaky hormonal shifts that start showing up in your 30s and 40s. You’ll hear how stress impacts everything from your energy to your cycle, and why understanding your hormones can completely change how you care for yourself.
Becca breaks down hormone replacement therapy in a way that finally makes sense — explaining why hormones amplify what’s already happening in your body (and why they’re not a magic fix).
If you’ve been feeling “off” but can’t quite pinpoint why, this episode will help you reconnect with your body through awareness, compassion, and a few simple daily practices that actually make a difference
Takeaways:
Burnout often stems from disconnecting from one's true self.
Understanding inflammation is crucial for weight management.
Stress can trigger immune responses and inflammation in the body.
Hormonal changes can significantly impact women's health as they age.
Tracking your cycle can provide insights into your health.
Nutrition plays a vital role in hormonal balance and overall well-being.
Self-awareness is key to identifying what drains or builds you up.
Hormones should be viewed as amplifiers, not solutions.
Less can often be more when it comes to exercise and stress management.
Embracing the complexities of being a woman can be empowering.
Sound bites
"It's an inside job."
"You can't do it all at once."
"Less could be better."
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Burnout and Body Awareness
02:58 Healing vs. Weight Loss: The Alignment Challenge
06:09 Understanding Inflammation and Its Impact on Weight
08:57 The Role of Hormones in Women's Health
12:06 The Cycle of Life: Understanding the Menstrual Cycle
15:04 Dopamine and Instant Gratification: A Modern Dilemma
18:05 Tracking Your Cycle: The Importance of Awareness
20:48 Navigating the Phases of Your Cycle
24:01 Embracing the Complexity of Womanhood
31:50 The Power of Mindset and Self-Recognition
34:25 Understanding Burnout and Self-Connection
36:58 The Importance of Willingness to Change
39:15 Mind-Body Connection and Intentional Living
40:59 Debunking Myths: Hormone Replacement Therapy and Exercise
47:58 Navigating Hormone Replacement Therapy
54:39 Practical Tips for Women in Their 30s and 40s
If you enjoyed the episode, please subscribe and give the podcast a 5 star review where ever you listen to it so we can reach more people who need support on their journey to success.
Links mentioned in this episode:
To Learn more about the Higher Alignment Program or to book your complimentary connection call go to http://higheralignmentconsulting.com/program/
The REAL Reason You’re Burnt Out (video)- https://higheralignmentconsulting.com/the-real-reason-youre-burnt-out/
Click Here to take the Quiz- Is my Burnout Fixable? https://higheralignmentconsulting.scoreapp.com
Follow Minh-Thu on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/minh-thulam/
Follow Minh-Thu on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/minhthu_lam/
Follow Becca on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehormonequeen/