Today, I’m discussing a topic that so many of you in perimenopause are familiar with: feeling overwhelmed. There’s so much information out there now about what you should or shouldn’t be doing that it can be tough to figure out where to begin. Recently, I worked with a client who was experiencing just that. She came in feeling buried in information, struggling with brain fog, lack of sleep and persistent fatigue. Together, we used my simple approach to help her cut through the noise and I’ll share how you can do the same, so you can start reducing your own symptoms too.
Step 1: Identify the Biggest Symptom Impacting Your Life
My client was open to trying Hormone Replacement Therapy, which her GP supported, but she also recognised that her lifestyle could use some improvement. But where to start? With so many areas of health to consider, it’s easy to feel lost. We began by identifying her biggest challenge: sleep. Her severe fatigue was not only making daily life difficult but also affecting her job. Once she pinpointed sleep as her top priority, we were able to set clear, achievable goals focused on improving her sleep quality.
Step 2: Get Back to Basics and Focus on What Excites You
The next step is where I introduce what I call my “Simple Solutions Method”. For each of her symptoms, we looked at various areas of her life, from diet and caffeine intake to daily routines and stress management and picked the areas she felt most excited to tackle. This approach helps us stay motivated and make real progress. For her, the natural starting point was adjusting her breakfast and reducing her tea intake. Rather than overhauling her entire routine, she decided to make small, manageable changes like swapping out her sugary cereal and gradually limiting her tea intake. This meant she was able to identify the impact these changes had on her sleep routine and then it became a no-brainer to do it more because she feel better!
Step 3: Start Small and Track Your Progress
It’s not sexy, but long-term change comes from taking small, achievable steps. Instead of setting herself up for failure by attempting to overhaul her entire diet or stop drinking tea all at once, she started with specific days where she’d try her new breakfast plan and tea schedule. This kept things manageable and built her confidence, allowing her to experience the benefits of each small change. I also gave her a copy of my Menopause Journal so she could track how she was feeling each day. Journaling progress helps you notice subtle but meaningful changes over time, reinforcing the positive impact of these gradual steps.
Listen to the Podcast for an Interactive Exercise
If you’re ready to start making changes but aren’t sure where to begin, I invite you to listen to the full episode where I guide you through a simple exercise. This exercise can help you get clear on your biggest priorities and start taking small steps towards feeling better. Listen to the episode here to get started.
Ready to Take Action?
If you’re feeling inspired to make a start, why not book a free 30-minute call with me? I’ll answer any questions you have and establish if we’re a good fit. Or, if you’d like to receive tips and insights straight to your inbox, join my mailing list to stay connected and get all my latest updates.