Reclaiming agency: how women build mood, confidence and social connections during perimenopause.

Authors

Sharmila Kumar, Siham Bardouh, Rutvi Vyas, Sawsan Dergham, Ann Dadich

Published in

Climacteric : the journal of the International Menopause Society. Pages 1-7. Oct 12, 2026. Epub Oct 12, 2026.

Abstract

This study aimed to understand women's lived experiences of perimenopause, with reference to brain fog, mood, confidence and social connectedness, and identify opportunities to promote well-being.
A qualitative, exploratory study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with 30 midlife women in Australia from culturally diverse backgrounds. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.
Participants described perimenopause as a recurring disruption-stabilization cycle rather than a linear decline. Destabilization was often triggered by sleep loss, cumulative life load and symptom variability, shaping appraisals of mood and confidence. Brain fog was experienced as cognitive disruption accompanied by fatigue and self-doubt, commonly worsened by stress, poor sleep and diet. Participants actively engineered stability using individualized, multi-component strategies, including pacing and withdrawal, sleep optimization, physical activity and well-being practices, organizational and compensatory tools, acceptance and reframing, dietary adjustments, leisure and cognitive stimulation, and social support. Social connectedness was recalibrated, with shifts in engagement, mixed experiences of support versus misunderstanding and a strong preference for validating spaces and relationships.
Perimenopause was experienced as dynamic yet manageable through structured self-management and supportive contexts. Findings support holistic, multimodal care that integrates symptom management with sleep, behavioral, cognitive and social interventions.

PMID:
42862120
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 12 Oct 2026.

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