I think it's official.
Perimenopause has stopped knocking politely and has now moved into my brain rent-free.
I recently had one of those days at work where I seriously considered putting my brain on a milk carton.
And the concerning part?
These days seem to be coming more frequently. 😂
So, in the interest of documenting this beautiful season of womanhood, I present to you...
The Missing Brain Report
Missing: Amy's brain
Last seen: Sometime around 8:15 a.m.
Answers to: Well... apparently nothing.
Let's review the evidence, shall we?
I Lost My Tablet SIX Times
First, I lost my work tablet.
Not once.
Not twice.
Not three times.
SIX. TIMES.
By the third time, my coworkers weren't even asking where I'd left it.
They were just pointing.
"There it is, Amy."
Again.
At one point, I started wondering if my coworkers were messing with me and moving it.
Sadly, no.
It was me.
All me.
And apparently, that was only the beginning.
Then I Tried to Unlock a Building With My Car Key
Next came one of my finer moments.
I confidently walked up to the front door of the store, pulled out my car key, pointed it at the lock and repeatedly pushed the unlock button.
Nothing.
So naturally, I pushed it again.
Still nothing.
I stood there for several seconds wondering why the door wasn't cooperating before it finally dawned on me...
You know...
Because it's a BUILDING.
Not a Honda.
😂
But wait.
Apparently my brain wasn't finished with me yet.
And Then I Forgot My Own Name
The phone rang.
I answered in my usual cheerful customer-service voice:
"Thank you for calling Jared..."
And then...
Nothing.
Complete silence.
I couldn't remember my own name.
MY NAME.
Not the store's name.
My own.
The one I've had my entire life.
There was this awkward pause while my brain apparently searched every filing cabinet it had.
Nothing.
Meanwhile, the customer was patiently waiting on the other end of the line while I was internally thinking:
Who am I?
Eventually, it came back to me.
Thankfully.
Because introducing yourself with,
"Um... hold please..."
probably isn't company policy.
Is Brain Fog Normal During Perimenopause?
After enough moments like these, you start wondering:
Is this actually a perimenopause thing, or am I losing my mind?
Turns out, brain fog and forgetfulness are commonly reported during the menopause transition.
The Menopause Society says 40–60% of midlife women report cognitive symptoms such as forgetfulness during this season. Brain fog can show up as difficulty remembering words, names or numbers, trouble concentrating and being more easily distracted.
So if you've found yourself...
Walking into a room and completely forgetting why you're there...
Searching for something that's already in your hand...
Losing words halfway through a sentence...
Forgetting someone's name even though you KNOW you know it...
Or standing in front of a building trying to unlock it with your car key...
Welcome to the club.
There are a lot of us here. 😂
And apparently some of us can't remember why we came.
The National Institute on Aging also lists forgetfulness and difficulty concentrating among symptoms women may experience during the menopausal transition.
That said, we shouldn't assume every memory or concentration problem is caused by perimenopause. The Menopause Society recommends talking with a healthcare professional about obvious cognitive changes so other possible contributing factors can be evaluated.
This article shares my personal experience and is not medical advice. If you're experiencing new, severe or concerning symptoms, please talk with a qualified healthcare professional.
The Perimenopause Diaries: Apparently I'm Not Done Yet
If you've been following my Perimenopause Diaries, you already know brain fog isn't the only surprise this season has handed me.
Hot flashes.
Night sweats.
Mood swings.
Exhaustion.
Crying.
And occasionally wondering who the woman staring back at me in the mirror actually is.
I recently wrote about the whole crazy collection in Perimenopause Is From the Devil: The Symptoms Nobody Warned Me About.
But brain fog deserves its own chapter.
Clearly.
Because SIX missing-tablet incidents in one day cannot simply be buried in a list of symptoms. 😂
Sometimes You Just Have to Laugh
Here's the funny thing.
Ten years ago, I probably would have cried over a day like this.
Today?
I laugh.
I mean, it's better to laugh than cry—and trust me, there are already plenty of tears going around.
One minute you're a successful, capable, responsible adult.
The next you're trying to unlock buildings with your car key while searching for the tablet that's sitting right beside you.
What else are you going to do?
Sometimes the best thing we can do is give ourselves a little grace and laugh at ourselves.
Proverbs 17:22 says:
“A joyful heart is good medicine...”
And I'm discovering just how much I need that medicine in this season.
You Don't Have to Have It All Together
Maybe that's the bigger lesson I'm learning through all of this.
We don't have to be perfect.
We don't have to have it all together every day.
We don't have to beat ourselves up because we're tired, emotional, forgetful or simply not functioning at 100%.
Some days our brains apparently decide to clock out before we do.
And God still loves us on those days.
Our value isn't determined by how productive we were, how much we accomplished or whether we remembered every word we were trying to say.
Sometimes living well simply means giving yourself enough grace to say:
“Well... that was a day. Let's try again tomorrow.”
And then you do.
From Surviving to Living Well
That's really what these Perimenopause Diaries are becoming for me.
Yes, we're going to laugh.
Because if I'm going to try to unlock a BUILDING with a car key, somebody should at least get a good story out of it. 😂
But I also want us to talk honestly about this season.
The funny parts.
The frustrating parts.
The embarrassing parts.
And even the parts that make us stop and wonder:
“What is happening to me?”
Because sometimes simply hearing another woman say, “Me too,” makes the journey feel a little less lonely.
So don't give up.
Keep on keeping on.
Laugh when you can.
Give yourself grace when you can't.
Trust God in the middle of all of it.
And tomorrow...
we try again. ❤️
And if you happen to see a woman standing in front of a store repeatedly pressing her car key...
Be kind.
She isn't necessarily losing her mind.
She may just be writing her next Perimenopause Diaries. 😂
Until next time...
Stay cool, friends. ❤️
— Amy
Living Well with Amy
P.S. Now I need to know: What's the FUNNIEST thing your brain fog has made you do? Tell me in the comments. I have a feeling I'm going to feel much better about that car-key incident after reading your stories. 😂
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