Let me tell you a story....... six years ago, I was made keenly aware that I was in perimenopause when I passed out at a local restaurant. You see, I thought this was the case, heck I had even been to the doctor about my hot flashes, heavy periods and heart palpitations. And he told me the only solution was antidepressants!

Girl, I felt so ill-prepared and frustrated. I didn't even know what questions to ask or what my other options might be, so I left, feeling discouraged; feeling like dripping sweat and bleeding like a gunshot victim was my life from that point on. 

But a few days later,  I pulled myself together, I thought HELL NO! There has to be a better way... and I became a Menopause Nerd! I have spent the last six years learning as much as I could about Menopause, because well..... KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!
 And I've made it my mission to help US  be in a position of power, making informed decisions about our health. Let's start with your options.

STOP right now and think about how you want to feel and be as you age.
What comes to mind?
Are there words like vital, energetic, peaceful, confident, moving with ease and healthy?
You see, most of us rarely stop to ask that question, so we move into midlife and beyond just wandering along, day by day, month by month and year by year. I know I hadn't stopped to ask myself that question when I started my Menopause Journey. But it's a critical question! It's one I ask all my clients when we start our work. Why is it so important? Keep on reading!

When I started on my Menopause Journey, my body asked me to listen to her...but I respectfully declined. Again and again and again. Until, finally she got so frustrated with me that she said, "OK, girl, I'll show you!" and she collapsed on a local restaurant floor!! Take that! Hello!
You see, our bodies are sending us signals ALL the Time!! They come via our energy levels, via how well we are sleeping, with our immune system, digestive system, our skin.... You get the idea! And we have a choice, either listen to the signal the first time, or keep ignoring her and maybe end up staring embarrassingly into a cute paramedics eyes!

I have since discovered that listening to my body the first time, helps me to get to the root of the problem quicker and makes helping her out a lot easier.  
However, most of us weren't raised to listen to their bodies.  I mean, I am of the "just do it" and "no pain, no gain" era... so take that body! So getting back in touch with her and the messages she is sending will probably take a little practice. But, girl, it is the BEST investment in self care that I have found and I've got two practices you can try, right now that author Kate Northrup shares in her book, "Do Less; A Revolutionary Approach to Time and Energy Management for Ambitious Women".

Hot flashes, Check! Brain fog, Check! Insomnia, Check, Check! Does this sound like you? Girlfriend, I was a big hell yes to all of the above on my menopause transition journey and for years, literally, I suffered. I felt so out of control. AND Not one person told me the #1 way to mitigate these and other symptoms!!! AND that I had a lot of control. But, I got you girl!
​The #1 thing you must do is, DRUM ROLL PLEASE, soothe your nervous system. 

Friend, are you feeling anxiety for the first time in your life? Are things stressing you out that never bothered you before? Is sleep something you only dream about? Girl, you are not alone. A 2020 study in Brazil found that 58% of women 45-55 who were experiencing perimenopause had anxiety symptoms. And 40-50 percent experience sleep issues like insomnia. (Medical News Today) 

The cause, you ask? It may be hormonal imbalances and the forgotten hormone, progesterone. Read on, because in this post, I'm filling you in on progesterone and sharing some great lifestyle tips that may help if your heart and mind is racing.