Perimenopause and Creativity

How to Nurture Your Inner Author (Even Through the Brain Fog)

Perimenopause hits like a freight train, doesn’t it? I think my favourite thing about it is… literally nothing. But a close second has to be the way nobody prepares you for just how disruptive this process can be. Excuse me very much, but I was not expecting the tail end of my fertile years to be accompanied by profound exhaustion of epic proportions, itchy ears, and a brain fog periodically so intense that I completely forget whole strings of… um… you know, stuff? Things? Words—that’s the one.

You know, words. The core component of my actual job.

But we are not here for that, fellow perimenopausal folks. While I am 100% behind listening to our bodies and following our internal cues in this wild and crazy ride, I am very much not at home to losing my creativity to perimenopause. And I bet you’re not, either.

Embracing creativity during perimenopause is about resilience. It’s about finding ways to keep writing even when brain fog and anxiety try to steal the spotlight. Here’s the thing: you still have the power. Accepting this phase as a part of your story allows you to make the adaptations you need to keep on creating.

I’m just one perimenopausal author stumbling through a wall of brain fog, and I don’t for a moment claim to have all the answers. I’m going to tell you how it looks for me and what I’m doing about it, but your mileage will most likely vary. But when I searched for “how to keep writing during perimenopause” what I found was a big old ocean of not very much, so I’m making space in my little corner of the Internet to have a conversation.

Because we’ve got stories to tell.

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Understanding perimenopause symptoms

So first, a definition: as we are all very much aware, perimenopause is the transitional phase before menopause, usually happening in women in our 40s. This stage can last several years and brings… ahem… significant hormonal changes that in turn bring all kinds of symptoms our way. We’re all, I guess, broadly familiar with the main ones:

Hot flushes
Mood swings
Cycle changes
Weight fluctuations

But then there’s what I like to call the Carnival of Weird:

Joint pain
Dry and itchy skin (including the ears; WTF?)
Brain fog
Wildly fluctuating energy levels
Heightened anxiety
Sleep issues (hello, random 3am wake-ups)
Heart palpitations
Headaches and dizziness
Dry eyes
Changes in body odour
Burning mouth syndrome
Electric shock sensations

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A quick word for the neurodivergent folks…

So—full disclosure: I don’t have an official diagnosis at time of writing, but I do, as they say, exhibit multiple traits consistent with AuDHD, and I’ve already passed one of the gatekeeping milestones in this country by managing to get myself referred for an assessment. So I am almost certainly neurodivergent, and let me tell you: the emerging research about neurodivergence and perimenopause makes for some illuminating reading.

This new research suggests there’s a complex relationship between oestrogen fluctuations during perimenopause and neurodivergent conditions like ASD and ADHD. For individuals who are neurodivergent, the hormonal changes can intensify existing symptoms or unveil previously manageable traits. Oestrogen also plays a crucial role in dopamine regulation, which affects executive function, attention, and emotional regulation—which are all areas many neurodivergent people are already struggling with. During perimenopause, these fluctuating hormone levels can lead to increased sensory sensitivity, heightened anxiety, and more pronounced executive function difficulties.

As if perimenopause wasn’t exciting enough, huh? Neurodivergent people get SUPERperimenopause. So, while that’s probably not great news—I hope it’s reassuring news, at least. I know of at least one neurodivergent, perimenopausal person who was terrified she was showing signs of early onset dementia—she wasn’t; it was brain fog, but that’s how intense it was.

This really needs to be talked about more, but let’s start with: you’re not alone. And no matter which flavour of perimenopause you’re experiencing… it does not have to extinguish your creative spark.

“There’s a complex relationship between oestrogen fluctuations during perimenopause and neurodivergent conditions like ASD and ADHD.”

Perimenopause and creativity

Now, obviously not all of the Carnival of Weird affects every perimenopausal person, and even if it did, not all of it has a direct effect on creativity. (Though do not underestimate how distracting the itchy ear thing can be.)

But the thing is, the hormonal changes during perimenopause don’t just affect your body: they also impact how you think. Many of us experience brain fog—sometimes severe—during this time. For a writer? That can be pretty devastating. Our focus is shot, and our vocabulary disappears. Clarity is out of reach: we start a sentence, knowing where it’s going… and then we forget midway and can’t get it back. How are we supposed to write through that?

Here are some common creativity challenges you may face during perimenopause:

Fatigue: This isn’t just feeling sleepy; it’s that deep exhaustion that makes even the thought of writing seem like climbing a mountain. When your brain feels this slow, generating ideas or even typing a sentence can feel incredibly difficult.
Anxiety: Racing thoughts hijack your focus. It can feel impossible to sit down and write when your mind is spiraling through worries about everything from deadlines to the state of the world. Compulsively doomscrolling social media feels both necessary to stay on top of what’s happening out there… but also dumps kerosene on the anxiety fire.
Fluctuating moods: One minute you’re feeling pretty okay about things; the next you’re convinced you’re the absolute worst human to ever attempt humaning. Kind of hard to write when you’re in the trenches like that. Sometimes these moods are predictable, sometimes they’re not, and that’s a hard line to walk for writers trying to maintain consistency in their work. (Let alone function.)
Self-doubt: It’s easy to question whether you have what it takes to continue writing when faced with challenges like this. You may find yourself comparing your current output (or lack thereof) to what you used to produce… or what others are doing.
Isolation: Honestly? Nobody told me about the brain fog. Nobody told me about the exhaustion. These things started happening to me and I thought it was just because I was… a bit rubbish? We don’t talk about this stuff enough. Sometimes, the isolation of not actually knowing why you’re struggling can be as bad as the things you’re struggling with.

Understanding is the first step toward overcoming. Creativity doesn’t have to be stifled by perimenopause. Your voice still matters, and your story is waiting to be told.

Strategies for maintaining creativity through the brain fog

Navigating perimenopause can feel like stumbling through a foggy day. But even with brain fog casting shadows over your creativity, there are strategies you can employ to keep your writing alive and even thriving:

Sleep: I’m including this because it is important, even though I think it’s irritating and counterproductive to tell people whose sleep is already disrupted that they need to sleep more. We do, but how? Poor sleep is literally one of the symptoms of perimenopause. Add to that the fact that many of us are juggling caring responsibilities (like teenage kids who go out until all hours of the night) and… yeah. I hate this advice for most of us. But that doesn’t make it bad advice.
Exercise and diet: Regular movement boosts endorphins and clears mental cobwebs. And it doesn’t have to be strenuous (the exhaustion some days rules that out anyway)—a gentle walk will often do the trick, or yoga, or dancing, if that’s your thing. Backing that up with a diet that makes good use of nutrient-dense foods like whole grains, lean proteins, and plenty of fruits and veggies will also help stabilise mood and support cognitive function.
Mental exercise: Crossword puzzles, Sudoku, and word games all help to keep your brain agile during perimenopause. Wordle is my favourite. Even on days when I can’t remember as many as half a dozen five-letter words and the game defeats me, I get a bit of relief from knowing that I’ve probably sharpened something in my fuzzy brain. On a good day? I can spark a whole new story ideal from the question and answer to 17 (down).
Adapt your writing routine: Energy levels are unpredictable during perimenopause, and can fluctuate throughout the day. Acknowledging and accepting this allows you to tailor your writing schedule accordingly. Write during peak energy times if the moment allows—I find the practice of “Surprise! Writing Time!” helps a lot with this. If I find myself with a spare 10 minutes and the energy gods are smiling upon me, that’s when I’ll try to get my words in. Short writing sessions can be just as productive as longer ones—and are very likely more productive when the alternative is trying to write when your battery is drained. But keep a notepad handy for those fleeting ideas that pop up during low-energy moments. And if you find yourself with a burst of energy and no ideas? Use prompts and start writing without expectation. Maybe you’ll get something you like enough to pursue and maybe you won’t, but this is a judgement free zone. It’s about unlocking creativity without pressure.
Mindfulness practice and breathwork: I’m often too impatient for mindfulness practice, but I am always glad when I get over that internal resistance and give it a whirl. Even five minutes of guided meditation helps me clear the mental clutter and sharpens my focus. I also try to make sure that my daily routine makes space for breathwork, and it’s as simple as this: I take a moment to close my eyes and breathe deeply—inhale for four counts, hold for four, exhale for four. It’s often only when I’ve completed a breathing exercise that I realise how much tension I’ve been holding onto. And it’s amazing how much more freely the words flow after that.
Social engagement: Wait, wait—come back. Just hear me out. I am not talking about partying until 5am (unless you want to). I’m talking about building creative connections through activities like writing groups—either local or online—where you can share experiences, critique each other’s work, and find support. Workshops or classes help build and consolidate your skills, and also offer a sense of community. Or, if you have the time and the funds, a writing retreat provides ringfenced time to write alongside other writers. And there’s really nothing like having that kind of creative energy around you as you work to blast a path through the brain fog, even if it can’t clear the way entirely.

“Energy levels are unpredictable during perimenopause, and can fluctuate throughout the day. Acknowledging and accepting this allows you to tailor your writing schedule accordingly.”

By the way, it’s never too late

So, the other other thing about this point in our lives is that the transition can make us question how well or otherwise we’ve used our time to date. And so you might find yourself wondering if you’ve somehow let yourself down by not yet having written your novel, or published your short stories, or finished your screenplay, or completed your poetry collection.

So let’s take a moment to celebrate some incredible midlife authors who embraced their creativity and released their first novels at 40 and beyond.

Anna Sewell: This name may ring a bell if you’ve ever read Black Beauty. Yes, that Anna Sewell. She was 57 years old when her iconic novel was published.
Laura Ingalls Wilder: Little House in the Big Woods, Laura Ingalls Wilder’s first novel, was published when she was 65, launching her beloved series about pioneer life.
Mary Wesley: Her first children’s books were published when she was 57, and Mary Wesley didn’t publish her first adult until she was 71—after which she went on to write ten bestsellers in 20 years
Helen DeWitt: When Helen DeWitt published her acclaimed debut The Last Samurai at the age of 44, it was her 50th attempt at completing a novel.
Flora Thompson: Lark Rise, the first of Flora Thompson’s Lark Rise to Candleford trilogy, was published when the author was 63
Harriet Doerr: Harriet Doerr’s debut novel Stones for Ibarra won the National Book Award. She was 74 when it was published.

Creativity doesn’t fade—it evolves. Maybe you haven’t written your novel yet because you weren’t ready before. You are now.

Wisdom and the perimenopausal writer's journey

The stories of these remarkable women remind us that creativity knows no age limit—but perhaps more importantly, they show us that life experience can enrich our writing in ways we might not have considered in our younger days. Perimenopause can absolutely get in the bin with all its challenges and unpleasant surprises, but there’s no denying that it also offers a unique vantage point from which to view and understand the human experience. The physical and emotional changes we’re experiencing now can deepen our writing, adding layers of authenticity and insight that weren’t accessible in our earlier years.

Don’t wait for perfect conditions to write. Write in the moments between hot flushes. Write through the brain fog. Write about the brain fog. Why not? Why shouldn’t our changing bodies and minds inform our creative processes rather than hinder it? Your unique perspective—shaped by decades of life experience and transformed by this intense transition—is precisely what makes your voice valuable and your stories worth telling.

Your creative voice matters now more than ever. The world needs stories told through your eyes, in the way that only you can tell them. The time to write is now, exactly as you are, in all your perimenopausal glory.