6 Sanity-Saving Ways to Relax When Perimenopause Has You on the Edge

“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.”
― Eleanor Roosevelt

Let’s be honest—midlife is a vibe... and sometimes that vibe is overwhelmed and running on fumes. One minute you’re on top of your to-do list, and the next you’re googling “how to disappear into the woods and still access Wi-Fi.”

Sound familiar? Perimenopause—the often ignored transition before menopause—has a way of piling on emotional overwhelm, brain fog, fatigue, and the kind of anxiety that whispers, “Are we really okay?” (We are, by the way. But let’s talk about how to feel okay again.)

If your nervous system is fried, your brain is racing, and your hormones are throwing daily tantrums, try these six calming strategies to help you come back to center—and feel like yourself again.

1. Brain Dump in a “Worry Journal” (Yes, You Have Permission to Vent)

When your mind is a chaotic mess of what ifs, to-dos, and why am I crying at this dog food commercial, journaling is your best friend. A worry journal is a sacred space to release the mental pressure cooker.

🖊 Write down everything—the big stuff, the petty stuff, the irrational stuff. Hormonal shifts in perimenopause can make your nervous system extra sensitive, and journaling has been shown to reduce cortisol (your stress hormone) and boost clarity.

✨ Real talk: Sometimes I write “AHHHHHHHHH” 20 times. It still helps.

🔗 Need guided prompts? Grab my free Midlife Reset Workbook or check out my blog, 🔗 Want help with journaling in midlife? Check out Dear Hormones: Let’s Talk — my guided journal just for you.

2. Finish One Dang Thing

Perimenopause can make even small tasks feel monumental. You know that half-folded laundry pile or abandoned craft project from 2021? Finishing just one thing gives your brain a little hit of dopamine—the feel-good hormone.

✅ Science backs this up: small wins create a sense of progress and accomplishment, which is especially important when your hormones are telling you you're failing at life (you're not).

Even if it’s cleaning out a junk drawer, that “I did it!” moment can break the overwhelm spiral.

3. Visualize a Life That Feels Like a Deep Exhale

When was the last time you let your imagination wander? Visualization isn’t just for vision boards and elite athletes—it’s also a nervous system regulation tool.

🌿 Close your eyes and picture yourself exactly where you want to be: emotionally, physically, spiritually. Feel it. Smell it. Let yourself believe it’s possible.

✨ Midlife reimagined: What if this was the chapter where you finally put yourself first? What if rest was productive?

Pro tip: Visualization paired with deep breathing can lower blood pressure and calm a racing heart—hello, free therapy.

4. Sleep Like It’s Your Side Hustle

Sleep during perimenopause? Insert laugh-cry emoji. Between 2 a.m. wakeups, night sweats, and ruminating over 2003 mistakes, it’s easy to see why so many women are bone tired.

But sleep is non-negotiable for hormone health, mood regulation, and metabolism. Prioritize a bedtime routine like your sanity depends on it—because honestly, it kinda does.

💤 Try this:

• Magnesium glycinate + dimmed lights

• No scrolling after 9 p.m.

• A calming ritual like Insight Timer’s sleep meditations (link to app)

🔗 Also check out my freebie: So. Damn. Tired: The 3-Day Energy Reset for Midlife Women

5. Get Ruthless with Your Priorities

Perimenopause is the perfect time to stop people-pleasing and start pruning. If it drains your energy, makes you feel resentful, or doesn’t align with your midlife glow-up—let it go.

🎯 Ask yourself: Does this still matter to me? Or is it a leftover goal from a version of me that was trying to prove something?

✨ You’re allowed to say no. You’re allowed to change your mind. You’re allowed to choose you.

6. Create a Morning Routine That Feeds You (Not Just the Kids or the Chaos)

You don’t need a 5 a.m. miracle routine to change your life. But starting your day with something that fills your cup—before you’re pulled in 100 directions—can change everything.

☀️ My go-to morning anchors:

• Big glass of water with electrolytes (hello, Vega Hydrate)

• Five minutes of movement (even just stretching)

• A journal check-in or brain dump

• Protein-packed breakfast (because blood sugar matters)

🔗 Want morning inspiration? Check out Morning Habits to Help You Eat Healthy (Even When Midlife is Messy) and Intuitive Eating in Perimenopause: Trust Your Gut (Literally).

Final Thoughts: You’re Not Lazy, You’re Likely Hormone-Hit and Burnt Out

Overwhelm doesn’t mean you’re weak. It means your plate is full, your body is shifting, and you’re navigating an invisible transition most people don’t talk about.

But here’s the good news: you’re not alone, and you don’t have to white-knuckle your way through midlife.

✨ Start with one thing from this list. Then another. Then maybe another tomorrow. Progress, not perfection.

Ready to Take Back Control?

💌 Grab my freebie: Tired of Hormonal Chaos? Take Back Control!

📖 Bookmark: Burnout in Perimenopause? 6 Sanity-Saving Hacks to Get You Back on Track

❤️ And if no one has told you today—you're doing better than you think.

Hormonally yours,

Kimberlee Erin