Perimenopause Symptoms: 
Anxiety, Mood Swings & What Actually Helped 

04/03/2026  

What I learned after months of unexplained symptoms 
(and what finally helped)

There was a stretch of weeks where I didn’t feel like myself.

At first, it was physical.

 

Nausea.
Bloating.
Hip pain that came out of nowhere.
Headaches.
Dizziness.
Fatigue that no amount of sleep seemed to fix.

 

I did what most of us do. I went to the doctor.

 

That led to more doctors.
A gastroenterologist.
A round of tests.
An ultrasound.
A colonoscopy.
An endoscopy.
Medication.

 

Time, money, energy.

 

And still… nothing.

Everything came back “normal.”

 

But I didn’t feel normal.

When the symptoms changed, it got harder to ignore

Then something shifted.

The physical symptoms didn’t disappear. They just… evolved.

 

Suddenly it wasn’t just my body. It was my mind.

 

I started experiencing intense mood swings.
Waves of anxiety that didn’t match the situation.
Moments of sadness that felt heavier than they should.

 

Small things felt big.
Big things felt overwhelming.

Todd noticed it before I fully did.

 

I was reacting in ways that didn’t feel like me.
Panicking about things I would normally handle with ease.

It felt like my nervous system was… off.

Like my internal settings had been turned up without my permission.

The moment I asked: could this be perimenopause?

On a hunch, I started researching perimenopause.

And suddenly, everything started to click.

 

Perimenopause is the transitional phase before menopause, and it can begin in your late 30s or 40s. Hormones like estrogen and progesterone fluctuate — and those fluctuations can affect far more than your cycle.

 

Common perimenopause symptoms include:

  • Anxiety and panic attacks
  • Mood swings and depression
  • Brain fog
  • Fatigue
  • Bloating and digestive issues
  • Headaches
  • Joint or hip pain
  • Sleep disruption

I remember reading that list and thinking:

Wait… this is me.

The part nobody really talks about

What surprised me most wasn’t just the symptoms.

It was the story my mind started telling me because of them.

 

I began to feel like I wasn’t enough.

Not a good enough mom.
Not showing up enough in the business.
Not taking care of myself properly.
Not keeping up with everything at home.

 

It felt like I was failing… everywhere.

But when I stepped back, none of that was actually true.

 

My kids were okay.
My home was okay.
The business was okay.
 

It was my perception that had shifted.

And that was the scariest part.

The irony and turning point

Here’s the part that almost made me laugh.

 

I co-founded a company built around calm.

And yet… I felt anything but calm.

 

So I decided to turn inward and actually use the tools we created, not as a founder, but as someone who needed help.

 

I didn’t need more information.

I needed structure.
I needed predictability.


I needed something to anchor me.

The Simple Shift that changed everything

I created a loose “game plan” for my days.

Nothing extreme. Just intentional.

 

Time for movement.
Time for work.
Time with my kids.
Time to eat real meals.
Time to rest.
Time to breathe.

 

I stopped waking up and reacting to the day.

Instead, I entered the day with a rhythm.

 

And within a few days… something started to lift.

Not perfectly. Not completely.

But noticeably.

What I do now when anxiety hits

Before this, when I felt a symptom coming on, especially anxiety, it would trigger a familiar pattern:

A physical sensation →
Catastrophic thoughts →
Emotional spiral →
Tears

 

It felt automatic.

Now, I interrupt it earlier.

 

The moment I feel that rise in my chest, in my stomach, in my thoughts; I reach for my Classic Shift.

 

Not because I can’t breathe on my own.

But because I don’t want to rely on willpower in that moment.

 

I need something easy. Predictable. Immediate.

That’s what Micro-Calming became for me.

 

A small, physical cue to slow my exhale.
To regulate my nervous system.
To remind my body that I’m safe.

 

And when my body calms down… my thoughts follow.

Why this matters more than I expected

Perimenopause can feel like everything is slipping out of your control.

 

Your body changes.
Your emotions shift.
Your reactions surprise you.

 

So finding any way to create stability again… is powerful.

 

For me, it wasn’t about eliminating symptoms.

It was about changing my response to them.

 

Instead of spiraling, I now have a pattern:

Notice → Pause → Breathe → Reset

And that reset changes everything.

Where I am now

I’m still in it.

I’m still learning.

 

But I feel more like myself again.

Not because everything is perfect, but because I have tools.

 

I’m a better mom.
A better partner.
And most importantly, a better friend to myself.

Why I'm sharing this

Honestly?

Because no one really talks about this.

At least not openly. Not in the messy, confusing middle of it.

 

And if you’re reading this and feeling something similar…

You’re not imagining it.
You’re not broken.


And you’re definitely not alone.

 

Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do…

Is pause, take a breath,
and give your nervous system a chance to catch up.

A small place to start

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, try this:

 

Inhale through your nose.
Exhale slowly through your mouth, longer than your inhale.
Repeat 5 times.

 

That’s it.

One small reset.

 

Because calm doesn’t come from fixing everything.

It comes from finding a way to steady yourself… in the middle of it.

You deserve a break.

SHOP MICRO-CALM

The Tools That Make Micro-Calming Easier

Micro-calming is simple in theory- pause, breathe, reset; but in the middle of a busy day it’s easy to forget. That’s why we created small breathing tools designed to make calm more accessible in everyday moments. Our signature Classic Shift breathing necklace gently guides a slower, longer exhale, helping activate the body’s natural relaxation response. It’s designed to be worn throughout the day as a subtle cue to pause and breathe when stress, overthinking, or sensory overload begin to build.

 

For moments when your mind feels restless or overstimulated, the Flex breather combines breathwork with tactile grounding. The soft silicone design encourages slow breathing while giving your hands something to engage with, making it especially helpful during anxious or high-stimulus moments. 

 

Both tools are built around the same idea: calm doesn’t require a full meditation session, sometimes it just begins with one slower breath.

Title

Feel good again

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