Clear your head, calm your nervous system, and rebuild confidence — at home, at work, and in your own skin.

If you’ve been forgetting words mid-sentence, rereading the same email three times, or walking into a room like, “Why am I here?” — welcome to the club nobody asked to join.

Brain fog and mood changes (including anxiety) are commonly listed symptoms in perimenopause and menopause.

And here’s what I want you to hear first:

You are not losing your mind.
You are not becoming “useless”.
You are not too old to feel sharp.

You’re in a transition — and you can build a plan that brings your clarity back.

What menopause brain fog can look like (so you stop doubting yourself)

• Forgetting names/words

• Losing your train of thought mid-conversation

• Struggling to concentrate

• Feeling mentally “slower” or scattered

Add poor sleep and night sweats on top, and focus gets even harder.

Step 1: The 3-part truth (that brings relief)

1) Hormones can affect brain and mood

Perimenopause/menopause is associated with symptoms like mood changes, anxiety, and brain fog.

2) Sleep is a focus multiplier

If sleep is disrupted, your memory, patience, and decision-making suffer. (If you read Post 2, you already know I’m passionate about this.)

3) Stress makes it louder

Midlife often comes with a lot: ageing parents, teens/adult kids, work pressure, relationship changes, financial stress. The brain fog isn’t always only hormones — it’s the whole load.

This is why we don’t do one tiny tip. We do a Freedom plan.

Step 2: The Focus-Back Freedom Plan (simple, doable, effective)

Pillar A — Calm the nervous system (daily, not perfectly)

Pick 2 of these daily:

• 10-minute walk (outside if possible)

• 5-minute breathing practice

• Strength training (even short sessions)

• Journalling: “What’s heavy today?”

• Prayer/quiet reflection (if that fits your life)

Anxiety in menopause/perimenopause is real — and you deserve support, not dismissal.

Pillar B — Create “external brain” systems

Because guess what? You’re not meant to hold everything in your head.

• One notebook (not five)

• One calendar (with reminders)

• One daily list (top 3 priorities only)

• A “parking lot” list for thoughts that pop up at night

This is not weakness. This is wisdom.

Pillar C — Eat for steady focus (not perfection)

Try this for 7 days:

• Protein at breakfast

• Add colour (veg/fruit) twice daily

• Hydrate

• Reduce “white carb spikes” when you need steady brain power

Again: no food shame. Just support.

Pillar D — Move your body for your brain

Movement supports mood and cognitive function — and it’s also a sneaky confidence builder.

Start with:

• 20-minute walk, 4x/week

• 2 short strength sessions

• Stretching before bed

Step 3: Work + confidence (because midlife women still have things to do)

If brain fog is affecting work, here are some quiet power moves:

Use meeting guardrails

• Ask for agendas in advance

• Take notes openly (no pretending!)

• Summarise decisions at the end: “So we’re doing X, by Y date.”

Protect deep work time

• One 60–90 minute block daily

• Phone on Do Not Disturb

• Close tabs (yes, all 37 of them 😅)

Try the “one-touch rule”

Email comes in → do it, delegate it, diary it, or delete it. Don’t re-open it five times.

This is how you reclaim mental bandwidth.

Step 4: When to see your GP (and what to discuss)

If brain fog/anxiety is persistent, or paired with significant sleep disruption, it’s worth a conversation with your GP. Menopause guidance recognises mood and cognitive symptoms as part of the transition.

Helpful questions to ask

1. “Could this be perimenopause/menopause based on my age and symptoms?”

2. “Do we need to rule out other causes (thyroid, iron, B12, depression, anxiety disorders)?”

3. “What treatment options might help — lifestyle, therapy supports, hormonal or non-hormonal?”

4. “If considering MHT, what are the benefits/risks for me personally?”

And just as a reminder: for most women over 45, diagnosis is often symptom-led — you don’t need to chase fluctuating hormone tests to “prove” you deserve help.

Step 5: The “I’m not myself” moment (what to do right then)

When you feel scattered or panicky:

1. Put both feet on the floor

2. Exhale slowly

3. Name 3 things you can see

4. Drink water

5. Do the next tiny task (not the whole life)

Your brain likes small wins. Small wins restore trust.

Your sharpness is not gone — it’s just covered

Midlife doesn’t erase your intelligence.
It challenges your energy systems.

And the beautiful thing? Systems can be rebuilt.

So here’s your permission slip:

• You can need support.

• You can ask for options.

• You can create structures that make life lighter.

• You can still be powerful — even on foggy days.

Until we chat again,

Blessing & hugs to you my dear friend,

Dianne xx