Lower energy, brain fog and restless nights can show up years before menopause. Here’s what to watch for and the simple daily rituals that make this stage easier.
By Justine Charmley, Co-Founder, SailWell
Menopause Awareness Month just wrapped up, and I’m grateful for every conversation it started. One part of the story still gets skipped, though: perimenopause, the years before menopause when things begin to feel different and so many of us have no idea why.
That was me, and it was also my best friend, Taylor, who I’ve known since we were college roommates.
The Changes Nobody Warned Us About
We both started noticing lower energy, brain fog, restless sleep and a sense of being more overwhelmed than usual, without a clear reason why. Taylor and I have stayed close through careers and motherhood, talking candidly about each new chapter, so we talked about this too. Something was shifting for both of us, and for a while neither of us realized what it was.
That’s part of what makes perimenopause so confusing, since so many women feel the changes before they realize why. According to the National Institute on Aging, the menopausal transition usually lasts about seven years, and for some women it can stretch to 14. That’s a long time to feel off and wonder what’s going on.
Supplement Fatigue: Why So Many Women Give Up on Their Routines
When we went looking for support, almost everything we found felt clinical and a bit intimidating, or it was one more pill or powder to keep up with.
Hello, supplement fatigue. 😩
When a wellness routine adds steps to a calendar that’s already full of work, kids and everything in between, it’s usually the first thing to slip. So, I think the routine itself has to be easier to keep.
Before SailWell, I worked as a speech therapist, a career built on listening closely and helping people communicate with confidence. I still lean on that habit of listening closely, and I hold firmly to the idea that looking after yourself should be simple and enjoyable, with habits that fit into the day you already have.
Simple Daily Rituals That Make Perimenopause Feel More Manageable
I’m a big believer in making things smaller. You can make room for your well-being with the moments you already have, a few minutes at a time.
Tie your wellness habits to something you already do every day, like your morning coffee or the school drop-off line, so it stops being one more thing to remember.
Get honest about the hard parts of your day, too. For a lot of women, it’s the 2 p.m. slump or the stretch of evening when your mind won’t settle, and once you know where your day dips, you can plan a small, kind moment right there.
Pick rituals you genuinely enjoy. When something feels like a chore, it’s hard to keep doing it week after week.
Talk about it, too. SailWell grew out of candid conversations Taylor and I had with each other and with friends, and I want more women to have talks like those. Jotting down what you notice, and when, also makes conversations with your doctor so much easier.
Building Something for a Season the Wellness World Overlooked
Perimenopause is a stage of life the wellness industry has often overlooked, and it’s finally getting the open discussion it has long needed, and Taylor and I wanted to build something by women, for women, that fit into real life.
We kept coming back to one idea: if you’re already reaching for a drink every day, it might as well support how you want to feel. We built SailWell around the moments in a woman’s day, like a school pickup, a workout or an evening on the couch, so wellness could fit in without extra steps. Those moments shaped our four functional sparkling blends: Boost for the morning or that afternoon dip, Balance for a steady everyday rhythm, Glow for hydration and Calm for winding down at night.
We made it for women in every season of life, from motherhood to career to perimenopause, and each of those chapters deserves real attention. We still run SailWell as a two-person team and manage our partner relationships ourselves, which gives us a close view of what partners and customers want. We also meet women face to face at pop-ups and tastings.
What’s Helpful to Know Going In
- Menopause is officially reached 12 months after a woman’s final period, and perimenopause is the stretch of time leading up to that point.
- According to the National Institute on Aging, the transition most often begins between ages 45 and 55, though some women notice changes earlier.
- Common signs include changes in the menstrual cycle, hot flashes and mood changes.
- The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists offers a printable menopause symptom tracker on its website that can help you spot patterns before an appointment.
- How long the transition lasts can depend on factors such as smoking, the age it begins, and race and ethnicity.
Feeling Like Yourself Again
Perimenopause is a natural life stage, and it can still feel like a lot while you’re in it. Looking after yourself through it can stay simple when you start small and lean on the women around you. However life moves, feel like you.
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About the Author
Justine Charmley is the co-founder of SailWell, a functional sparkling beverage brand created by women, for women. A former speech therapist and mother, she started SailWell with her longtime friend and college roommate Taylor Ondrejca after growing tired of keeping up with supplements, powders and routines. Justine speaks candidly about motherhood, friendship and the changing wellness needs women face in every season of life, including perimenopause.
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