I knew the word.

Perimenopause.

I’d heard it in passing. Read about it vaguely. Filed it under “later.”

Something to deal with… eventually.

Not now.

Except It Is Now

It didn’t arrive dramatically.

No announcement. No clear starting point.

Just small shifts.

Energy that felt slightly off. Sleep that wasn’t as restful. A body that didn’t respond the way it used to.

Nothing alarming.

Just… unfamiliar.

The Confusing Middle

That’s the hardest part.

You don’t feel like yourself. But you can’t fully explain why.

You’re not unwell. But you’re not entirely okay either.

So you push through.

Because technically—everything is fine.

And Then There’s the Body

The same things don’t work anymore.

Food, workouts, routines—things that once felt predictable—suddenly aren’t.

Weight shifts. Energy fluctuates.

And it’s frustrating in a way that’s hard to explain.

Because it feels like your body changed the rules… without telling you.

But No One Really Talks About This Phase Properly

We talk about menopause.

We joke about it. We prepare for it—at least in theory.

But perimenopause?

This long, undefined, in-between phase…

It’s quieter. Less discussed. More confusing.

And It’s Not Just Physical

It’s emotional too.

Your patience is different. Your tolerance is different. Your reactions sometimes surprise you.

Not in dramatic ways.

Just enough to make you pause and think— Was I always like this?

The Invisible Adjustment

So now, you’re adjusting.

Quietly.

Trying to understand your body again. Reworking routines. Paying attention in a way you didn’t have to before.

It’s not overwhelming.

But it is constant.

Real Moment of the Week

Standing in front of the mirror…

feeling slightly unfamiliar in my own body.

Not unhappy. Not upset.

Just… aware that something has shifted.

Where I’m Landing With This

This isn’t something to “fix.”

It’s something to understand.

To adapt to.

To meet with a little more patience than I naturally have.

Still becoming. Even when my body changes the script.