As a hormone therapist, Suzanne speaks daily with women who notice that menopause is affecting their sleep, mood, energy, and daily functioning. In this section, she shares anonymised stories from her practice. This time, she tells the story of Anna, who noticed that her concentration, memory, and confidence in her own functioning were increasingly coming under pressure.
Anna was 49, worked as a project manager, and had two teenagers at home. She was used to switching quickly, keeping an overview, and managing many things at once. Lately, that was becoming harder and harder. “I read an email three times and still don’t understand it. Words escape me, I forget appointments, and during meetings I lose track.”
Anna described it as if there were cotton wool in her head. This made her feel insecure, especially at work. She was less willing to take on a major project because she was afraid her concentration would let her down. At home too, she recognised herself less and less. She was quicker to lose patience with her children and felt less present. She especially noticed after poor nights that her concentration during the day was worse.
When I spoke to her, it was therefore not just about forgetfulness. Above all, she wanted to understand why she felt so mentally different and what she could change herself.
With Anna, I did not look only at her concentration. Her sleep, eating pattern, workload, and moments of recovery could also provide information about what was going on.
Brain fog is not a medical diagnosis. The term is used for symptoms such as difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness, slower thinking, and trouble finding words. Such symptoms can occur during menopause, but they do not have to be caused by that alone.
In Anna’s case, several factors came together. She was sleeping less well, her work demanded a lot of mental attention, and her eating pattern was irregular. On busy days, she regularly reached for sweet snacks and coffee to keep going.
Together, we therefore mapped out her days more broadly. Not to find one single cause, but to see where the patterns were. When did her concentration drop? How did she sleep after busy workdays? How regularly did she eat? And how many real breaks did she take during a workday? This revealed several leads. Not one clear explanation.
We started with her diet. Anna began eating three full meals a day and tried to be less dependent on sweet snacks. With her meals, she paid attention, among other things, to getting enough protein, fats, and vegetables. She also cut back on fast carbohydrates and coffee.
The main goal was more regularity in her eating pattern and energy throughout the day. Not a strict schedule that she also had to somehow keep up with alongside her busy job.
In addition, as part of her support, Anna used omega 3 from fish oil, vitamin D3 with K2, magnesium bisglycinate, and an active B-complex. Later, she added Bacopa monnieri.
When making the selection, I looked at various functions that could be relevant to her symptoms. Omega 3 contains DHA, among other things, a fatty acid that plays a role in normal brain function. That is why I included it as part of her broader approach. I used magnesium as part of the approach focused on relaxation and sleep. Vitamin D and B vitamins were included because of their role in, among other things, the nervous system and normal metabolism.
The supplements were tailored to Anna’s personal situation and formed one part of the overall approach. Which supplements are appropriate depends in part on diet, health, medication use, and any deficiencies.
Her sleep and daily load also received attention. In the evening, Anna built in a fixed moment of rest and stopped using her phone and other screens earlier. Sometimes she used yoga nidra or a breathing exercise to unwind.
During the day, she went outside for about thirty minutes daily. During work, she worked in blocks of 25 minutes, followed by a short break. She also tried to delegate tasks more often and to communicate her limits sooner.
For Anna, this mainly meant organising her days differently, with more attention to nutrition, sleep, recovery, and rest during work.
After about six weeks, Anna noticed that the mental fog felt less heavy. She was better able to maintain her attention during meetings, and words came more easily. She also felt that she was sleeping better and had more energy.
The changes happened gradually. Because Anna made adjustments in several areas at the same time, we mainly saw the effect of the overall approach. Her nutrition, supplements, sleep, exercise, and way of working together formed one whole.
After twelve weeks, Anna especially noticed that she had regained more confidence in her work. She no longer had to reread things as often, she dared to respond more quickly during meetings again, and she felt less as though she constantly had to compensate. “I no longer have to be afraid all the time that I’ll miss or forget something.”
Six months later, Anna said that she felt almost back to her old level. She had taken on another major project and noticed at home that she had more attention and patience for her children.
What especially stood out to me was that her confidence in her own functioning returned. Whereas she had previously started avoiding work out of fear that she could no longer handle it, she now dared to trust herself again.
Do you notice that you lose words more often, find it harder to keep your attention focused, or forget appointments? Then do not look only at the moment when your concentration drops.
It can help to keep track for a few days of when your symptoms are stronger and what is going on on those days. Think about sleep, busyness, mealtimes, and how much time you have in between to recover.
Do concentration or memory problems continue, clearly increase, or have a major impact on your daily functioning? Then discuss with a doctor what may be contributing. Brain fog can occur during menopause, but concentration and memory problems can also have another cause.
What was appropriate for Anna may not require the same approach for someone else.
Through SeeMe-nopause, you can find information about symptoms during menopause and practical first steps regarding nutrition and lifestyle.
Are symptoms new, severe, getting worse, or are you unsure whether they fit with menopause? Then it is wise to have a doctor take a look as well. An intake via SeeMe-nopause can help to review your symptoms in context and determine which next step suits your situation.
This article is based on practical experience from a specialist. To protect patient privacy, the name and recognisable details have been changed. The information in this article is intended for educational purposes and does not replace personal medical advice.
