Perimenopause: When You Don’t Recognize Yourself Anymore
From How It's Really Going at 50 with Shana Recker by Shana Recker
January 9, 2026 · 23 min · Season 7
About this episode
In this episode, Shana Recker discusses the emotional and mental challenges of perimenopause and the importance of giving oneself space during this transition.
Have you ever felt like you don’t recognize yourself anymore? In this episode, I’m talking honestly about a season I know a lot of women experience in midlife, when everything feels disjointed. Work feels harder. Social plans feel draining. Relationships shift. And you don’t quite know how to explain what’s wrong, even to yourself. Instead of focusing on physical symptoms, I’m sharing what this transition has been like for me mentally and emotionally as I’ve moved through perimenopause toward menopause. The fog. The need to pull back. The guilt around saying no. And the quiet grief that can come with changing friendships, priorities, and capacity. I talk about pulling back socially and professionally, prioritizing sleep, stepping away from a business that no longer fit, and giving myself time to stabilize instead of forcing clarity. This episode is my reminder to you, and to myself, that pulling back doesn’t mean you’re failing or quitting. It means your capacity has changed. And giving yourself space may be exactly what helps you find your footing again. In this episode, I talk about: 🎤 Why pulling back socially was one of the first signs something was shifting for me 🎤 The…
People in this episode
Host: Shana Recker
Topics covered
- perimenopause
- midlife transition
- mental health
- emotional well-being
- social withdrawal
- friendship changes
Keywords
- perimenopause
- mental health
- social plans
- relationships
- sleep
- friendship changes
- capacity
- self-care
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