Perimenopause and Mental Health: The Shocking Truth About Anxiety, Mood Swings & Sleep

How many perimenopausal women have thought they were going mad?
Can’t remember words — or where they put anything. Rage one minute and dissolve into tears the next. Can’t sleep, and feel like coffee is life… or wine… or both, because they’re hanging by a thread between the two. Even holding it together at work feels hard. Everything they used to manage with ease now feels heavy.

It’s no wonder women going through perimenopause used to be labelled “hysterical” and carted off to asylums. Women haven’t exactly been treated well throughout history! And while we know so much more now, not all that much has changed. There’s still stigma, dismissal, and a worrying over-reliance on antidepressants and sleeping pills when women seek help for what is, in many cases, a hormonal transition.

But with some understanding — and a good dose of self-care — this phase of life doesn’t have to feel so hard.

Here are 3 ways your mental health is affected by your hormones in perimenopause:

1. Progesterone drops first — and so does your sense of calm
   Progesterone is our natural chill pill. It balances oestrogen, our more emotionally reactive hormone. In early perimenopause, progesterone declines first, and oestrogen is left running wild. Cue the anxiety roller coaster! Without that calming buffer, you might find yourself more overwhelmed, teary, or on edge.

2. Oestrogen boosts your feel-good brain chemicals — until it doesn't
   Oestrogen helps your brain make serotonin and dopamine — your happy, motivated, get-up-and-go neurotransmitters. In early perimenopause, when oestrogen is high and erratic, your moods can be unpredictable. But as you move further through perimenopause and into menopause, oestrogen drops significantly, and that chemical boost disappears. This can leave you feeling flat, unmotivated, and even depressed if your body isn’t being supported properly.

3. Progesterone helps you sleep by supporting GABA
   GABA is your brain’s calm-down chemical — it helps you sleep and stops anxiety from spiraling. Progesterone increases GABA activity. So when progesterone takes a nosedive, guess what suffers? Yep. Sleep and calmness. Cue 3am wake-ups with racing thoughts and clenched teeth. (Thanks, nature.)

Okay — that sounds a bit doom and gloom, doesn’t it?

It’s not.
It just means your body needs support in different ways now.

Hormones influence our brain chemistry — but they’re not the only game in town. There are plenty of ways to nurture those happy, calm chemicals without needing a prescription or a time machine back to your 20s.

3 ways to support your neurotransmitters — no hormones required

1. Gratitude journaling = dopamine + serotonin
   Writing down 3 things you’re grateful for every day is simple, free, and gives your brain a beautiful boost of the feel-good stuff. It might feel silly at first — but the science is solid and the benefits are real.

2. Meditation = more GABA + better sleep
   Yes, yes — I know I lose a few of you the second I mention meditation. But did you know regular meditation can boost GABA by up to 27%? That’s huge. If you’re struggling with sleep or anxiety, this one is worth a go. Even a few minutes a day makes a difference.

3. Lowering inflammation = better mental health
   Inflammation is closely linked to depression and anxiety. The more you reduce processed foods, alcohol, sugar, and increase your intake of veggies, quality protein, and movement — the more you’ll feel the shift. It’s not about being perfect — it’s about making better choices more often.

See? Not all doom and gloom.
You just need a new roadmap. A fresh way to support your body, mind, and hormones. And that’s exactly what I offer!

If you’re reading this and thinking, “Okay, that sounds amazing, but how do I actually do that in real life?” then I have the answers you are looking for.

👉 Curious? Head over to the website and have a browse.
You’ll find all the info you need — and if I feel like a good fit, you can book a short call to find out more.