Hey Reader,

When's the last time you felt like anxiety was running over you?

For me, it was last week.

“What’s not wrong in this moment?”

I asked myself as I sat dressed in scrub pants and a medical gown “open in the front” waiting for my turn at the breast MRI machine.

“Needles and I don’t get along,” I told the MRI tech as she placed an IV port in my arm so she could add contrast dye into my bloodstream halfway through the test.

“No problem. I’ll tell you what I’m doing before I do it. You let me know how you feel, deal?”

“Yep.”

I took some deep breaths. The IV port was in in less than a minute. Then I lost it.

A tidal wave of emotions smacked into me.

I was dizzy. My voice shook when I responded to her. My eyes welled up with tears.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” I thought. “Is avoiding my 29% increased risk of breast cancer really worth it?”

As I sat in the dressing room waiting for the test to begin, I held a cup of ice-cold water, sipping it slowly. I tried to remind myself, “I’m not my Mom.”

I have different risk-reducing lifestyle patterns than my Mom had before she died of breast cancer 8 years ago.

But sitting in that chair, wearing the latest in medical fashion, with an IV port in my arm triggered all the emotions (trauma) I experienced during her end-of-life care.

The anxiety took a strong hold of me. All I could do was ride it out. Ask for support from the AMAZING tech. And “just keep liv’n.”

Anxiety is harsh and cruel in this season of life. But you can get through it.

The research on the effects of hormone fluctuations on women’s brains in perimenopause continues to evolve (Read: The Menopause Brain by Dr. Lisa Mosconi, PhD).

So far, we know women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with anxiety and/or depression during this season of life compared to men.

Even if you didn’t have anxiety or depression earlier in life, it’s common for either mental health condition to show up during perimenopause and menopause. This is me.

If this is you, too, and you feel like you’re going crazy, I promise, you're not crazy.

But it makes sense to question your sanity because we don't talk about the mental health side effects of hormone fluctuations as much as we talk about hot flashes, libido, vaginal dryness, and weight gain.

Mental health challenges on top of your never-ending to-do list can wreak havoc on motivation to do anything, especially healthy lifestyle habits.

I’m not a fan of the phrase “got off track” or “need to get back on track.”

Both phrases indicate failure.

If you feel off track from your health intentions right now, you're not a failure.

Low moods or depression, anxiety, or other perimenopause symptoms suck your motivation dry. Why?

Estrogen has been your wing-woman to help you deal with stress and anxiety for the past 30-40 years, and now she’s ready for retirement.

This is what makes it feel like you have “no more f*cks to give” about your lifestyle behavior changes or anyone else’s problems.

If you feel stuck between the desire to move your body or make a balanced meal and the desire to lie on the couch, hoping the world and its problems will go away, try these ideas.

3 strategies to “just keep liv’n.”

1. Shift your mindset to compassionate curiosity. When you need to drop a ball, intentionally or unintentionally, take a step back and look at the whole context of your day. What happened? Most of the life shitake that hits the fan is out of your control. You’re doing the best you can. Enough is enough.
2. Practice, not perfection. Practice adding gentle nutrition, joyful movement, and stress-resilient behaviors when possible. Try to do at least one of them most days instead of trying to do all three every day. Work with the capacity you have. Enough is enough.
3. “Simplify to amplify.” This mantra from one of my mentors applies to health goals, too. Choose 1-2 goals to work on every month, instead of weekly. Give yourself time to get the foods, resources, and routine you need to make your goals become habits.

​Read more in this blog post​

If you feel overwhelmed, anxious, depressed, or have no more f*cks to give, cut yourself some slack.

Be strategic. Get support from counseling, mental health medication, or supplements when you need it. It’s okay to work smarter, not harder.

When's the last time anxiety ran over you, Reader?

If you feel comfortable, hit reply!

I’d love to hear your experience. Sharing makes us all feel a little less lonely on this wide midlife ride.

Enjoy the weekend savoring food and your body!

Amanda

PS: As the research on the effects of hormone fluctuations on women’s brains in perimenopause continues to evolve (Read: The Menopause Brain by Dr. Lisa Mosconi, PhD), we know that women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with anxiety and/or depression during this season of life compared to men. Anxiety is harsh and cruel in this season of life. If you feel stuck between the desire to move your body or make a balanced meal and the desire to lie on the couch hoping the world will just go away, try these ideas. Read more in this blog post​