Burnout for Women in Perimenopause: Why It’s More Than Just Exhaustion
Understanding the Health Impacts of Burnout and why it’s worth taking action now!
If you’re a woman in your 40s or 50s feeling completely drained—physically, mentally, and emotionally—you’re not alone. Many women going through perimenopause experience exhaustion that goes far beyond typical tiredness.
When life’s demands collide with hormonal changes, burnout can feel inevitable. But here’s the catch: burnout can have serious health consequences, especially during this phase of life, and it’s an important wake up call to make changes.
In fact, burnout is exactly what prompted me to become a health coach in the first place - to give others what I had needed 10 years ago!
Burnout isn’t just about feeling overworked. It’s a state of chronic stress that can impact everything from your sleep to your heart health. As a woman navigating the ups and downs of perimenopause, recognizing the signs and understanding the risks of burnout can be a crucial step in safeguarding your well-being.
What is Burnout?
Burnout often occurs when prolonged stress goes unchecked. It’s a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. For women in perimenopause, it can feel especially overwhelming because of the hormonal shifts you’re already experiencing. Add family obligations, work pressures, or caregiving to the mix, and it’s easy to see how burnout can sneak in.
But this isn’t just about feeling tired. Burnout affects every aspect of your life—and if ignored, it can have significant effects on your health.
Burnout isn’t necessarily a diagnosis, but it’s definitely a feeling of having nothing left in the tank to give.
A pretty scary way to feel.
1. Hormonal Imbalances Get Worse
During perimenopause, your body is already dealing with fluctuating levels of oestrogen and progesterone. These hormones play a vital role in regulating your mood, energy, and sleep cycles. Burnout exacerbates this imbalance, potentially worsening common perimenopausal symptoms like:
Hot flushes
Insomnia
Irritability
Anxiety and depression
Chronic stress from burnout can disrupt the delicate balance of cortisol, the stress hormone. When cortisol levels remain high over long periods, it can negatively affect how your body manages the hormonal changes of perimenopause, making symptoms even harder to cope with.
It impacts your sleep/wake cycle, and digestion too, as well as decision making, and brain fog which can impact your day to day working life.
2. Sleep Deprivation and Insomnia
Burnout and poor sleep often go hand-in-hand, and women in perimenopause are already prone to sleep disturbances due to hormonal shifts. Stress, racing thoughts, or nighttime hot flashes can make it difficult to get a good night’s rest. Sleep deprivation weakens your immune system, impairs cognitive function, and increases your risk for chronic conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure.
If you’re caught in a cycle of burnout and sleeplessness, your body never gets the chance to repair itself. This makes it even harder to manage the physical and emotional challenges of perimenopause.
3. Increased Risk of Heart Disease
For women in midlife, heart health becomes increasingly important, as we lose some of the protective benefits of oestrogen. Chronic stress is linked to high blood pressure, inflammation, and even increased risk of heart disease. This is especially concerning for perimenopausal women because oestrogen, which has a protective effect on the heart, starts to decline.
Stress can trigger habits that further harm heart health, like overeating, lack of exercise, and neglecting regular check-ups. This makes it even more critical to address burnout before it impacts your cardiovascular system.
4. Weakened Immune System
Burnout doesn’t just sap your energy—it also weakens your immune system. Chronic stress affects the body's ability to fend off illness, leaving you more susceptible to infections, colds, and other health issues. In perimenopause, this weakened immunity can leave you feeling run down, and it may take longer for your body to recover from illness.
My clients are often seeking better resilience and one of their wake-up calls in terms of getting support is the chronic colds, infections and time spent recovering, which is hard to balance in the busy mid-life whirlwind.
5. Mental Wellbeing Challenges
We know that midlife and the menopause transition can create changes in mood - low mood, high anxiety, and heightened PMS.
Burnout can have a profound impact on your mental health. Feelings of overwhelm, frustration, and emotional exhaustion are common, but prolonged burnout can lead to anxiety, depression, and difficulty concentrating. Women in perimenopause are already more vulnerable to these mental health challenges due to hormonal fluctuations.
If you find yourself feeling disengaged from things you once enjoyed, overly irritable, or emotionally detached, these could be signs that burnout is taking a toll on your mental well-being.
How to Address Burnout During Perimenopause
The good news is that burnout doesn’t have to be your new normal.
With small, consistent steps, you can protect your health and manage both the stress of life and the hormonal rollercoaster of perimenopause.
Here are a few strategies to start prioritising your well-being:
Set Boundaries: Learn to say no and protect your time and energy. You can’t be everything to everyone.
Get Active: Physical activity is a proven stress reliever and can help improve sleep, reduce anxiety, and boost mood. Even a 20-minute walk can make a difference.
Prioritize Sleep: Aim for 7-9 hours of rest per night. Establish a bedtime routine and consider mindfulness or relaxation techniques to help you unwind.
Seek Support: Talk to a healthcare professional about what you’re experiencing. A therapist or support group can help you work through the emotional toll of burnout, while a doctor can provide advice on managing hormonal changes.
Focus on Nutrition: Eating a balanced, nutrient-rich diet can help support your energy levels and overall health. Focus on foods that reduce inflammation and support heart and hormone health, like leafy greens, whole grains, and healthy fats.
These are all things that a health coach can help with too - creating boundaries, supporting stress, and embedding good self care habits long term are all part of my wheel house! If this speaks to you, then do book in for a call to see if I’ve got the space to support you.
My suggestion today. Take one of the 5 above, and see if you can make one small change. It could be going to bed earlier, or adding extra veg to your meals, or going for a lunchtime walk. Pick one and aim to do it every day for a week and see if it makes an impact.
If you need help finding that first small change. Get in touch and I can help - either with a one-off power hour, or my transformational Wildly Well Woman health coaching programme.
Final Thoughts: You Deserve Rest and Restoration
Burnout in perimenopause is not just a phase of life to "push through." It’s a sign that your mind and body need more care, rest, and attention than ever before. Understanding the health risks of burnout is the first step toward protecting yourself and regaining balance in your life.
Remember: You are worthy of rest, of prioritizing your needs, and of living this season of life with vitality, not exhaustion. Let this be your gentle reminder to put your well-being at the top of your list.
And, you know where I am if you need support!
I’d love to have a chat about how I can help you navigate the impact of burnout and perimenopause!