Brain Fog, Mood Swings & Meltdowns: Navigating Perimenopause Without Losing Yourself
- Fionna .
- Apr 23
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 25
I didn’t expect to cry on the kitchen floor that morning.
ut there I was.. lying on the floor (the dirty floor I might add), completely undone. Not because something massive had happened… but because nothing made me feel better... and I just felt off
Not the coffee. Not the cuddles. Not the Netflix binge I usually escape into could make me feel better.
Nothing.
And that’s when it hit me: something deeper was happening, something hormonal, emotional, and profoundly humbling.
These tiny little critters can ruin (and everyone else in close proximity) your day.
The Invisible Storm No One Prepares You For
For most of my life, I thought perimenopause happened later.You know — when your kids are grown, you're maybe 50, and your body gently transitions.
But here’s the truth no one tells you:Perimenopause can start in your thirties.And it can last a decade or more.
Only… it doesn't arrive with a kind introduction.It sneaks in as brain fog, emotional intensity, irritability over things you used to brush off — like the sound of someone chewing.(Yes, really.)
One day, I couldn’t think straight.The next, I forgot a simple word mid-sentence.And soon, I was crying on the kitchen floor because the air felt too loud.
Not Depression. Not Burnout. Something Else.
This wasn’t the kind of tired that sleep fixes.This wasn’t sadness.It was depletion.
A bone-deep exhaustion that made even simple tasks..... like cooking or laundry, feel insurmountable.I felt like my brain had short-circuited. I was there… but not really there.
I told my therapist I was doing everything “right.” Eating well. Sleeping. Working on myself.
She asked:“Have you considered perimenopause?”
And that question cracked something open.
Because I hadn’t..... I thought I was too young? But suddenly, everything made sense because most women start at 35!!! whaaaaaat?!?!
A Rite of Passage.... Not Just a Hormonal Dip
Perimenopause isn’t a problem to fix.It’s a rite of passage to honor.
But the world doesn’t make space for that.We’re expected to keep grinding, producing, and showing up with a smile, even when we feel like we’re disappearing from the inside out.
This phase of life asks us to do something radical:Pause.Reflect.And let go of everything that no longer fits.
The sharpness I once relied on?Gone.My ability to “handle it all”? Offline.
That version of me, the one who could power through anything, had gone quiet.And in her silence, something wiser began to emerge.
Structure Became My Lifeline
I used to be spontaneous.But during the fog weeks, structure became my sanctuary.
Meal prep. Reduced decisions. Low-demand days built into my calendar.
I began tracking my cycle, not just for periods, but for mood, energy, and clarity.
This gave me insight into what weeks to plan projects and what weeks to retreat.I stopped calling it “perimenopause” and started calling it my Sage Time.
Because that’s what it felt like:Not a decline.But a becoming.
One of the biggest mindset shifts for me?
Productivity used to be my proof of worth. Now?
My new badge of honor is a bath at 2pm, and being okay with that.
Rest, in a world that praises burnout, is rebellion.It’s medicine. It’s self-leadership.
This season is teaching me to lead from softness instead of speed.From intuition instead of urgency. And most of all ..... from trust.
The Practice of Returning
This journey isn’t linear.It’s not a clean “before and after.”It’s a remembering, moment by moment.
I started asking myself: What do I truly need right now?
Not what’s convenient.
Not what numbs.
But what truly nourishes.
Sometimes it’s a bath.....Sometimes it’s silence......Sometimes it’s saying “no” when I’d usually say yes.
This isn’t about becoming someone new.It’s about shedding the layers that kept me from myself....And remembering the woman I’ve always been beneath it all.
You Are Not Alone
If you’re deep in the fog
If your emotions feel too loud
If your body feels like a stranger
You are not alone.....You are not broken.....You are in a sacred season of becoming.
So take the bath.
Cancel the plans.
Cry on the kitchen floor if you need to.
Then rise.
Slowly....Gently.
This is just a season.And what comes next might just be the most authentic version of you yet.
✨ Want support during these season? Let's chat! jump into my calendar
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