Transitioning into menopause can bring with it a wide variety of changes in the body due to upheavals in various hormones, triggered mainly by declining levels of estrogen.
You may experience a wide range of perimenopause symptoms, including irregular periods, mood changes, or even depression and anxiety, which are up to four times as likely in perimenopausal women, according to Cunningham et al (2025).
However, it can also cause perimenopause brain fog, a feeling of impaired mental clarity, sometimes leading to disturbed sleep and stress, as well as other effects.
Below, we offer advice on perimenopause symptom relief, including:
This information in this article will help you identify the most promising brain fog solutions to discuss with us here at Modern Holistic Health.
Perimenopause is the time before menopause when your ovarian hormones begin fluctuating and slowly declining toward their post-menopausal levels.
The changes you feel during this time may be sudden. One of the most significant things you are likely to experience is a form of exhaustion, or “brain fog”, often described as:
As such, if you suddenly find yourself losing your train of thought more often or searching for the right words to say, be aware that it may not be as severe as many may worry. It is doubtful that you will face any permanent memory loss, and there are several methods that people have developed over the years to help with issues like reduced attention.
Many of these overlap with other perimenopausal signs, and so it is vital to be aware of them. However, these are common experiences that many people have. Experiences of brain fog during perimenopause are widespread, according to Maki & Gaff (2024), and the changes in cognitive development tend to be mild, even if they can feel severe when they occur.
If you are worried or plan to visit a specialist, you may want to start tracking any changes you notice, such as late nights without sleep or skipped meals, to help you and your healthcare professional discuss patterns.
Also, as brain fog tends to differ heavily from any form of progressive brain disease, any issues it causes tend to be intermittent and context-dependent. If you boost your energy and ensure that you get plenty of rest, you can frequently prevent any other health problems that may exacerbate the condition.
When you experience this period in life, it can often start to feel like you are “not yourself” or not at your best. The transition into menopause can be unsettling, causing you to worry about what you can and cannot control in your life.
As such, our specialists can help you understand that the challenges you face with perimenopause brain fog are not anything to be ashamed of. Self-criticism is not helpful in this context, after all, and if anything, may worsen the effects of brain fog. As such, we try to encourage you to consider reframing how you handle your life moving forward by embracing holistic coaching and forming new habits.
Instead of blaming yourself, build up a set of steps you can perform whenever brain fog threatens to cause embarrassment.
When forgetting phrases: If words come slower when you are stressed or tired, for example, a common thing that people do is simply rephrase what they are trying to say. Attempting to make different connections in the brain can help you to communicate more effectively.
Otherwise, simply pausing when you have verbal difficulties and asserting that others give you a moment of patience can do wonders to remove the stress of speaking. The phrase “I need a moment to gather my thoughts”, for example, can significantly reduce the pressure on you when conversing.
Neglecting tasks: When you have trouble remembering what to do on any given day, try to create small wins and set objectives, writing them down if necessary. Getting others to help you by working in the same room as you or encouraging you can also often be supportive.
Experiencing low moods: Creating small ways to assert control over your life and take breaks for your mental health can have a considerable effect. Take a walk after lunch, or go to bed a little earlier, to prevent yourself from feeling overwhelmed. If you find yourself having difficulty in the early morning or late evening, simply being aware of that may even help you contextualise your mood in the moment.
If a low mood or anxiety persists, however, speak to a professional about what additional support options they might have alongside any lifestyle changes or coaching you leverage.
Daily hormone swings due to perimenopausal exhaustion can start to become frustrating, driving brain fog even further. Taking more control over the “inputs” in your life can often give you ways to handle the “outputs,” ensuring holistic mental clarity.
Some of the biggest offenders in bodily changes include:
If you eat carb-heavy meals, you will often experience a sharp rise in blood sugar during the morning, followed by a drop soon after. This swing can exacerbate any brain fog, making it unbearable or frustrating. Instead, consider adding protein to your morning diet, as well as healthy fats or other nutrients that help stabilize your blood sugar levels.
Spacing your meals out over the day, up to five hours apart, and having a small protein-based snack can also help you to maintain your focus.
Low iron or B12 levels can start to impact your blood supply, as your body uses these nutrients to produce red blood cells and other elements. Make sure that you get plenty of these to maintain your ability to move oxygen and other beneficial materials around the body, including to your brain.
Similarly, ensuring that you get plenty of vitamin D is essential in regulating the body’s natural repair processes after regular movement and injury alike. A lack of vitamins can cause problems in the body’s maintenance and cause energy issues. So, make sure to get plenty of safe sunlight exposure, or use our nutrient supplements to help maintain enough for your body’s health.
At the same time, make sure to speak with a specialist about coordinating the supplements you should use and to avoid overdoing it, especially when using multiple products.
The microbiome in your gut may impact your brain’s function more than you expect. It can influence anything from your immune system activity to your production of neurotransmitters, as well as your digestive health, and the quality of your diet can shift this balance further. Maintaining good gut health can thus help significantly when it comes to avoiding perimenopausal exhaustion and feelings of fatigue or brain fog.
Avoid highly processed foods and added sugars, for example, as these can drive inflammation. Fiber-rich nutrition can also help feed the beneficial gut microbes and aid in the digestion of food, helping to pull energy from what you eat for your body and brain to use.
Instead, look into various prebiotic or fermented foods, such as sauerkraut or yogurt. However, be aware that if you have not eaten these before, you may need to gradually introduce them to avoid the shock of a new diet causing discomfort.
Start by choosing a few low-effort exercises that can help you begin to sweat or breathe more deeply over the day. The goal is to get blood pumping around your system, increasing the nutrients your body can get to your brain to reduce your fatigue levels. Doing this can boost the control you have over your body, even during a perimenopausal period, according to Wu et al (2024), while exercise can also increase your heart health as you boost your stamina.
Make sure to also stay hydrated during the day to help your brain remain in peak condition and combat fatigue. While the exact quantity varies depending on who you are, nobody is going to scoff at you drinking around six cups every 24 hours, understanding that you might need more for reasons like weather, activity levels, or personal health levels.
While this is all good for helping offset the worst of perimenopause brain fog, every person is different. For this reason, our health specialists provide personalized, holistic help to assist you in discovering exactly what is affecting you. We drive quantifiable improvement by identifying the root cause of any issue, rather than simply offering a handful of supplements.
Book a consultation with us today. Our coaches can help you develop your cognitive health, one healthy step at a time.
