Perimenopause- When your mood suddenly feels out of control

This is what I hear from some women:

• “I go from zero to rage in seconds over tiny things.”

• “I feel anxious for no reason, even when nothing is wrong.”

• “My family says I’m ‘not myself’ and I hate hearing that.”

• “I cry at random, then snap at people, then feel guilty.”

You may even be thinking, “Is this burnout? Is it just stress? Am I losing it?”

Very often, this is perimenopause – changing oestrogen and progesterone interacting with a nervous system that was already carrying stress load.

What the research says about mood in the (peri)menopausal transition

A few key points:

• The menopausal transition (perimenopause into menopause) is associated with increased risk of anxiety and depressive symptoms, particularly in women who already carry stress, trauma or mood history. (Nature)

• Guidelines now recommend CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) not only for mood, but also for vasomotor symptoms (hot flushes and night sweats) and sleep, either with or without HRT. (NICE)

• The 2023 non-hormone therapy position statement highlights CBT, clinical hypnosis and certain non-hormonal medicines as evidence-based options for troublesome hot flushes – which often drive sleep loss, anxiety and mood swings. (Lippincott Journals)

• Systematic reviews show yoga and other mind–body therapies can improve anxiety, depressive symptoms and overall menopausal symptom scores. (PubMed)

So it isn’t “just in your head” and you’re not “too sensitive”. Your hormones, nervous system and stress history are all interacting.

Why your nervous system matters as much as your hormones

When oestrogen starts to fluctuate, it affects:

• Thermoregulation (hence hot flushes and night sweats)

• Neurotransmitters involved in mood and anxiety

• Sleep architecture (how deep and restorative your sleep is)

Layer chronic stress, perfectionism, caring roles and midlife responsibilities on top and you get a nervous system that’s running hot, fast and vigilant.

That’s why approaches that calm and re-train the nervous system – not just add or remove hormones – are so important.

How non-drug, mind–body support helps mood in perimenopause

Research on mind–body therapies (MBTs) shows benefits for:

• Reducing anxiety and depressive symptoms

• Improving sleep quality

• Improving menopause-specific quality of life (MENQOL) (Frontiers)

At Ayusha, that translates into:

• Gentle, floor-based movement to discharge physical tension without over-taxing your system

• Breathwork to shift you out of “fight or flight” into a calmer baseline

• Atma Shakti – a guided mind–body relaxation practice that we tailor to your themes: fear of ageing, control, people-pleasing, anger, grief

• Nervous-system-aware bodywork: slow, rhythmic touch that signals safety to your body, not just your mind

We’re not promising that one session will fix years of over-responsibility and hormonal flux. But over time, this work helps your system learn:

“I can feel big feelings without drowning in them or exploding at everyone.”

Why this works well alongside your GP or psychologist

You might already be:

• Talking with a GP about HRT

• On an antidepressant or considering one

• Seeing a psychologist or counsellor

What happens at Ayusha sits underneath or alongside all of that – at the level of body and nervous system. It complements:

• Medical decisions about HRT or non-hormonal meds

• Talk therapy or CBT work on thoughts and behaviours

Guidelines explicitly recognise CBT and mind–body approaches as part of legitimate care for vasomotor symptoms, sleep and mood in menopause. (NICE)

So you’re not being “alternative”; you’re choosing a whole-person plan.

If this is you right now

If perimenopause has turned your mood into “PMS on steroids” and you’re in Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Port Stephens, Hunter Valley, Central Coast or Sydney, you have options.

At Ayusha we can:

• Map the mood + sleep + physical symptom pattern you’re in

• Use bodywork, movement and Atma Shakti to calm your system and support the work you’re doing with your GP or therapist

• Help you feel less alone and less “defective” in this phase

You might also want to read:

• My perimenopause overview blog (for the full picture of symptoms).

• My blog on perimenopause insomnia and night sweats (if nights are a disaster).

When you’re ready, you can book a perimenopause-focused session, consult or a short discovery call to see if this feels like the right layer of support for you.