5 Habits That Improved My Perimenopause Symptoms

Perimenopause hits us all differently – different ages, different symptoms, different levels of severity. I’m sharing here what my symptoms were/are, and the lifestyle habits I changed to help improve or reduce them. As you have likely figured out by now, this transitional period of time is the furthest thing from a one-size-fits-all. As such, what works for me may not work for you. But I feel the main buckets can be universally adjusted to each person’s needs.

1) Nutrition

2) Addressing alcohol

3) Learning and listening to your inner wisdom

4) Movement as medicine

5) Sleep hygiene

6) Stress management

My main symptoms were/are brain fog, sleep disruption, change in how my migraines present, and change in body composition along with weight gain.

I didn’t do all of these changes at once, because the puzzle pieces didn’t fall together for quite a while. My habits continue to change and evolve, which is at the forefront of perimenopausal management – we can’t expect to do the same things we were doing in our 20s and 30s and expect the same results in our 40s. That said, who knows how long my current habits will be enough, before I pivot again.

1) nutrition – this was by far my biggest change, and involves multiple factors. I stopped eating after dinner, and aim for 12-14 hours between dinner and breakfast. Since we eat early with the kids most nights, this also means I’m usually getting 3 hours between dinner and bedtime. I stopped snacking between meals. The only way I was able to do this, is by meal prepping every week, consistently getting 30-40g protein and 10-15g fiber every breakfast, and aiming for 25-30g protein for lunch and dinner and a total of 25-35g fiber each day. I focus on whole foods and limit processed foods. I used to be a chronic grazer, but with this, I am satiated. If you do the math, you’ll see I still fall short on the recommended total daily protein intake. I often supplement with a protein drink. I’ve also changed my hydration game. I used to drink well over a gallon of water a day, and surprise! I was peeing every 1-2 hours, and therefore dehydrating myself because the water wasn’t getting into the cells where it’s needed. I started using electrolytes near daily and WOW the improvement in my energy and reduction in migraines is significant. I also cycle through various supplements – that’ll be a different post for a different day.

2) getting rid of my WHOOP – I’ve never used any other activity tracker or watch, but was completely attached to my Whoop for a solid 2 years. I found the data it was delivering wasn’t matching my energy levels. For example, I felt great and ready to attack the world and recovery would be in the low yellow, or it would tell me to aim for a high strain level when I felt like absolute garbage. In early 2024 I decided to trial a period of time without using it, and took it off my wrist. Instead, I honed in to what my body was telling me to do in terms of energy levels and activity. I went through quite a transformation last year in learning to listen to and trust my body. While I love what these wearables can do for folks, I’m not sure I’ll ever use one again.

3) planning weekly movement – after some trial and error since ditching my Whoop, I’ve come up with the following general plan for myself since spring 2024, and it’s serving me well. I’ve gone through periods of only running, then periods of only yoga, then periods of 5-6 days a week of heavy lifting. Some weren’t enough, while most were way too much. It took me a long time to learn that rest days are not only ok, but they are essential. On the mornings I commute into the city, I have to leave by 645a sharp. I do need to move my body daily (see below) and I cherish the quiet mornings alone before the house wakes up. These mornings, I do yoga or move with Kara Duval in her Range program(Origin is my favorite). On my non-city days, I fit in strength/weight lifting 3 days. I walk daily, aiming for 7-10k steps daily, occasionally donning my weighted vest. I do also try to get in one HIIT workout a week, but when life happens and something’s got to give, this is the first to get cut.

4) stress management – file under “critical.’ In the world we live in, reducing our threat buckets is necessary for us to stay afloat and functioning, not to mention connected to our people. For me, this means adequate fuel, moving my body every single day (my #1 nonnegotiable), time alone even if it’s just 10 minutes, aiming for 7.5hrs sleep, regular acupuncture, frequent walks in the woods with my dog Lily, and aiming to read a minimum of 15 minutes per day.

5) optimizing sleep – I wake up EARLY every day. I learned the hard way what accumulated chronic sleep deprivation does to a person. I’ve discovered I do best between 7-8 hours a night, so my sweet spot goal is 7.5hrs. I set a nightly alarm set telling me when to take my magnesium, and another alarm for my ideal bedtime which includes a brief meditation and a gratitude practice.

6) alcohol – I used to pride myself for my hollow leg. For whatever reason, after I had my youngest child, alcohol didn’t appeal to me anymore. Thing is, I love the taste of red wine, IPAs, and simple vodka drinks. It was interesting to me that I’d get a drink and just not be into it. That eventually went away and I started enjoying the taste again. But… then it got to the point where I stopped tolerating it – my sleep was severely impacted if I had even one drink, and it became not worth it. Now, I will only drink if I can be done by 5pm, it’s rarely more than 1, and I can count on less than one hand the number of days a year I drink. With studies showing a link between alcohol intake not only to cardiovascular disease and dementia but also seven types of cancer, I’ll be keeping this at a bare minimum, if not cutting it out completely. The good news is that the mocktail and nonalcoholic beer game is only getting stronger!

This is not intended to be guidance or a prescription for you, as this transition is so unique for each of us, and connecting with a professional for personalized recommendations is ideal. Rather, this is simply a list of some tips that have helped me, that you may be able to incorporate for your own benefit, too.

I’d love to hear a) what is your biggest perimenopausal struggle, and/or b) what change you’ve done to help your own symptoms, and/or c) one habit you can see yourself changing to improve how you feel.

Struggling with perimenopause? Confused by the insane amount of information that has come out in the last year? Need guidance? You’re not alone!

Share with me your biggest struggle or hurdle, and make sure you’re following me for updates! I share a lot of information and tips for how to manage this transition, and have plans to relaunch my Perimenopause Masterclass. If you’re ready to work 1:1, head over to my Services page to read more about how I can help you in my Illuminate and Elevate Phases, and hit “Book now” to request your initial appointment!