20/11/2025
6 ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ป๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐บ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐น๐ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐ป
Early perimenopause doesnโt tend to start with hot flushes - it sneaks up with subtle shifts that you might dismiss, rather than noticeable โhormonalโ symptoms or more obvious menstrual cycle changes.
This leaves women feeling that something is up, but without being sure why. The number of times Iโm asked - could it be perimenopause? And the answer usually is yes. You donโt need to have hot flushes, joint pain or brain fog to qualify.
If youโve noticed any of the following, and youโre in your 40โs (or even your late 30โs) itโs likely that your nervous system is beginning to recalibrate, and progesterone levels are shifting - which is what happens in early perimenopause.
1๏ธโฃ ๐ฆ๐น๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฝ ๐ถ๐๐๐๐ฒ๐ - falling asleep, staying asleep beyond 3/4/5am, not feeling refreshed in the morning.
2๏ธโฃ ๐๐๐๐/๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด - heightened or or new sensory sensitivities, challenges with focus, โexecutive functionโ is harder.
3๏ธโฃ ๐ฆ๐๐ฟ๐๐ด๐ด๐น๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ท๐๐ด๐ด๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ๐น๐น - multitasking is overwhelming; your octopus-like superpower has gone AWOL.
4๏ธโฃ ๐ฆ๐ต๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฐ๐๐ฐ๐น๐ฒ - periods arrive sooner, cycles shorten.
5๏ธโฃ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฑ, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐ฟ๐, ๐ฎ๐ป๐
๐ถ๐ผ๐๐ - everyday pressures and tasks land more heavily, youโre more reactive.
6๏ธโฃ ๐ฆ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐น๐ โ๐ผ๐ณ๐ณโ - a vague sense that youโre not yourself.
Ladies (and interested gents), perimenopause isnโt just a physical change, or just about hormone changes: itโs a mental, emotional and spiritual one too.
Have you noticed any of these shifts? Share below because your story could help someone else feel validated.
For me, they all feel true.
Bean x