Welcome to Menopausal Monday
Each week I will address a different aspect of menopause.
(Disclaimer. This is raw writing, and I am in the midst of brain fog, there will be errors and there will be errors if it wasn’t raw writing. I am not a robot).
It’s Monday and the fog has not lifted. It has rolled in, and I decided I will write. The only problem is this fog in my head is called menopausal brain fog.
Will writing make the fog go away? Right now, my brain feels numb. It feels like a test pattern on TV after midnight. If you are menopausal, you will remember that.
Its Monday. I'm up with the dogs at 5:30 am. Like me they can’t sleep past 5 am without having to pee. I drink a few cups of coffee, hoping to wake up. I mindlessly scroll my phone so much that I think it’s eating my brain.
I have so much to do, but with my brain, I’m failing miserably. I want to sit in the couch in my pj's all day, but I pull myself off the couch.
I go through the motions, do the dishes, make a phone call and check on the kitties again. Yesterday they were having gi issues but today they seem OK. More mental fatigue with the pets. I’m relieved they are feeling better, and I won’t need to call the vet today.
I head out to work. It’s a slower day and I finish work by early afternoon. My last appointment canceled. I could nap, but I can’t. I could catch up on watching Netflix but I can't sit still that long. I can’t concentrate with the brain fog today. It won’t let me.
Office work! I decide to do the bare minimum today. I answer client replies and am thankful I don’t have to see anyone in person today. I can’t help thinking of all the papers piling up on my desk. The fog is overtaking me.
It’s 3:30 and my son is home from school. My son wants to interview me for his film class about my pet sitting business. A documentary. My mind blanks during the interview questions. I can’t muster up the enthusiasm, not today. With modern technology and my son’s talent, I know I will pull it off.
I remind myself there is still much to do but I am falling short today. The more I worry the thicker the fog gets. Guilt sinks in.
What causes this some days? Hormones? Lack of sleep? Stress? Those 10 pieces of candy I just ate? Ding, ding, ding! The answer for today is all of the above. Some of this I can change, others I can’t.
Maybe I should just exist today. Do what absolutely needs to be done. The brain fog will lift, eventually and hopefully, I can see again.
Do you experience brain fog in menopause? If so, how do you manage it?