Why Don't I Feel Like Myself? Brain Fog, Mood and the Midlife Mind

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

You forget a word. Lose your train of thought. Walk into a room with absolutely no idea why you are there.

At first, you laugh. Then it happens again, and a much more frightening question appears: Is something wrong with my brain?

In this episode of the She2.0 and WellnessMD podcast series, Jacquie talks with Dr. Daniela Steyn about the cognitive and emotional changes that can happen during perimenopause and menopause.

They explore brain fog, memory changes, disrupted sleep, anxiety, depression and hormone rage, along with the fear many women carry about dementia.

They also talk about why depression is not a failure of willpower. When getting out of bed already feels impossible, being told to exercise, meditate and prepare a beautifully balanced meal is not particularly useful. Sometimes support and treatment must come first.

In this episode:

• Why brain fog does not automatically mean dementia

• How sleep can affect memory and cognition

• Why midlife memory changes carry so much fear

• Anxiety and depression during the menopause transition

• Why needing medication or mental health support is not a personal failure

• Hormone rage, emotional regulation and the shame that can follow an outburst

• How ageism turns ordinary memory lapses into questions about competence

• Why women may leave the workforce during the peak of their careers

• Hormone testing and why symptoms matter

• Nutrition, movement, rest and other foundations of brain health

• Why friendship and social connection deserve to be treated as part of our health

If changes in your mood, memory or ability to cope are affecting your life, speak with a qualified healthcare professional. You do not need to wait until you are in crisis to ask for help.

This series was created in partnership with WellnessMD. She2.0 provides general information and conversation, not medical advice. The opinions and claims expressed by guests are their own and are not necessarily endorsed by She2.0.

You're eating the same foods. Doing the same workouts. Living in the same body. Except suddenly, your body feels different. Like you don't really recognize it anymore.

Sound familiar?

In the first episode of this new She2.0 and WellnessMD podcast series, Jacquie sits down with Dr. Daniela Steyn to talk about weight, nutrition and body composition during perimenopause and menopause.

They get into abdominal weight gain, the importance of maintaining muscle, blood sugar crashes, intermittent fasting and why waking up at 3:00 a.m. may not always be caused by hormones alone.

Dr. Steyn also explains how Ozempic and other GLP 1 medications can reduce food noise and support weight loss, along with the potential trap of relying on appetite suppression without paying attention to nutrition, protein and muscle.

In this episode:

• Why familiar eating and exercise habits may stop producing familiar results

• The difference between weight and body composition

• Why muscle matters so much in midlife

• What Ozempic means by quieting "food noise"

• Why weight loss can also lead to muscle loss

• How blood sugar may contribute to middle of the night waking

• Whether intermittent fasting is right for every woman

• Simple ways to make eating well more realistic

• Why personalization matters more than another universal menopause rule

This series was created in partnership with WellnessMD.

She2.0 provides general information and conversation, not medical advice. The opinions and claims expressed by guests are their own and are not necessarily endorsed by She2.0. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional regarding your health, medication and treatment decisions.

Menopause comes with enough questions. Finding clear, credible information shouldn't create another 47.

This fall, She2.0 is launching a special limited podcast series with Dr. Daniela Steyn of WellnessMD, created to help women better understand menopause and navigate some of the conversations that come with it.

We'll be talking about the menopause brain, hormone therapy, sexual health, symptoms, navigating menopause care in Canada and how to have more useful conversations with your healthcare provider.

And we're going to talk about something else that matters: how to listen to health information critically.

Because this series is a conversation, not a prescription.

Dr. Steyn is sharing her clinical experience, interpretations of the research and medical opinions. Those views are her own and shouldn't be taken as individualized medical advice. They also don't necessarily represent the views of She2.0.

I'll be asking questions, occasionally challenging things, and doing what I always want She2.0 to do: helping women get better information so they can ask better questions.

It's also worth remembering that not every new symptom in midlife is menopause. Symptoms can overlap with other health conditions, so new, persistent or concerning symptoms deserve proper medical assessment.

In this short introductory episode, I'm sharing why I wanted to create this series, what you can expect when it launches this fall, and why I think conversations like these matter.

No miracle cures. No one size fits all answers. No pretending menopause is simple. It..is...not.

Just candid conversations, credible information and a better starting point for figuring out what makes sense for you.

Navigating Menopause in Canada with Dr. Daniela Steyn, coming this fall from She2.0 and WellnessMD.

Introducing a new She2.0 limited series with Dr. Daniela Steyn

Menopause comes with enough questions. Finding clear, credible information shouldn't create another 47.

This fall, She2.0 is launching a special limited podcast series with Dr. Daniela Steyn of WellnessMD, created to help women better understand menopause and navigate some of the conversations that come with it.

We'll be talking about the menopause brain, hormone therapy, sexual health, symptoms, navigating menopause care in Canada and how to have more useful conversations with your healthcare provider.

And we're going to talk about something else that matters: how to listen to health information critically.

Because this series is a conversation, not a prescription.

Dr. Steyn is sharing her clinical experience, interpretations of the research and medical opinions. Those views are her own and shouldn't be taken as individualized medical advice. They also don't necessarily represent the views of She2.0.

I'll be asking questions, occasionally challenging things, and doing what I always want She2.0 to do: helping women get better information so they can ask better questions.

It's also worth remembering that not every new symptom in midlife is menopause. Symptoms can overlap with other health conditions, so new, persistent or concerning symptoms deserve proper medical assessment.

In this short introductory episode, I'm sharing why I wanted to create this series, what you can expect when it launches this fall, and why I think conversations like these matter.

No miracle cures. No one size fits all answers. No pretending menopause is simple. It..is...not.

Just candid conversations, credible information and a better starting point for figuring out what makes sense for you.

Navigating Menopause in Canada with Dr. Daniela Steyn, coming this fall from She2.0 and WellnessMD.

Welcome to Honest Conversations, a series from The 3AM Club where we pull up a chair and explore the questions many of us are thinking about, but don't always say out loud.

This week, we're asking:

Why is it always our bodies?

When we're tired, it's our body. When we gain weight, it's our body. When our libido changes, it's our body.

But when did we become so quick to assume our bodies are the problem?

In this episode, I unpack everything from failed cervixes and geriatric pregnancies to bingo wings, Botox and bathing suits, and why so many of us have inherited stories about our bodies that deserve another look.

This isn't about body positivity.

It's about curiosity.

☕ Pull up a chair.

Let's talk.

• Why women often blame their bodies first

• How language quietly shapes our relationship with our bodies

• The difference between caring for your body and constantly trying to improve it

• What research tells us about body image in midlife

• The question I'm asking myself this week

Curious about the research behind today's conversation? I've summarized it in plain English over on She2.0, along with links to the original studies. Visit our Substack to learn more

📸 Read this week's Honest Conversation on Instagram.

✍️ Continue reading on Substack.

💬 Join the discussion in the She2.0 Facebook Group.

After years of conversations about menopause, hormones, sleep, weight, relationships, aging, and women's health, the She2.0 podcast is evolving.

In this episode, I share why I believe many women in midlife are not lacking information, but struggling to make sense of it. Midlife brings changes to our bodies, identities, relationships, priorities, and sense of self, often all at once. Yet we are frequently left wondering why we no longer feel like ourselves.

This conversation explores why midlife can feel so disorienting, why so many women interpret change as personal failure, and why understanding what is happening may matter more than collecting more advice.

Moving forward, She2.0 will continue to feature expert conversations on health, menopause, and aging, while also exploring the deeper questions surrounding identity, self trust, expectations, and what it means to navigate change well.

If you've ever found yourself thinking, "I don't feel like myself anymore," this episode is for you.

How does menopause affect a marriage or long term relationship?

In this episode, Jacquie Court sits down with her husband Brian to discuss the emotional, relational, and communication challenges many couples experience during midlife and menopause.

Together they explore why menopause can create misunderstandings, emotional distance, defensiveness, and conflict, even in strong relationships, and what both partners can do to better understand each other's experience.

This conversation covers:

• Menopause and relationship changes

• Communication challenges during midlife

• Emotional shifts and misunderstandings

• Supporting a partner through menopause

• Marriage, intimacy, and connection

• Why couples often feel disconnected during periods of change

Most couples are not fighting about what they think they're fighting about. This conversation explores what is happening underneath the conflict and how greater understanding can strengthen relationships through midlife.

What happens when your friendships change in midlife?

For many women, perimenopause and midlife bring unexpected shifts in relationships. The friendships that once felt effortless can start to feel misaligned, while new connections emerge that reflect who we're becoming.

In this episode, Jacquie and her guest Jessica explore friendship in midlife, including the grief of outgrowing relationships, the challenges of changing identity, and the surprising freedom that comes from building a more intentional circle.

Together they discuss:

• Why outgrowing people is not betrayal, but a natural part of growth

• How perimenopause and midlife can change our tolerance, priorities, and relationships

• The difference between being genuinely supported and simply being placated

• The emotional impact of losing friendships and finding new ones

• What our friendships teach our children about boundaries, self respect, and connection

• Why the strongest midlife friendships are often intentional, earned, and built from shared values

This is an honest conversation about friendship, identity, change, and belonging in midlife.

If you've ever looked around and wondered why your circle got smaller while your life got bigger, this episode is for you.

How does unresolved trauma show up in midlife? And why do so many women find old wounds resurfacing during perimenopause?

In this episode, Jacquie sits down with her friend Lenore for an honest conversation about childhood trauma, PTSD, healing, and what happens when experiences you've carried for decades finally demand attention.

Lenore shares how perimenopause brought long buried trauma back to the surface, why surviving difficult experiences doesn't automatically mean you've healed from them, and how therapy, self awareness, and telling the truth about your story can become part of recovery.

Together they discuss:

• Childhood trauma and its long term impact

• PTSD in women and midlife mental health

• Why perimenopause can intensify unresolved emotional experiences

• The connection between trauma, parenting, and relationships

• Therapy, healing, and reclaiming your voice

• What it means to tell your story on your own terms

This is a powerful conversation about trauma recovery, resilience, mental health, and the realities many women face in midlife.

If you've ever wondered why old experiences seem to resurface later in life, this episode offers understanding, perspective, and hope.

Ever feel like your career is running you instead of the other way around? Or that you've outgrown the version of yourself that once fit neatly into your LinkedIn bio? Meet Marla Simlett - or as she's better known, Marvelous Marla - a woman who walked away from corporate HR, a pension, and predictability to chase something far scarier: joy.

In this episode, Marla shares how she turned her midlife "What now?" into a full-on pivot - blending therapy, humor, and a whole lot of courage to create Laughter Intelligence™. We talk about learning to trust yourself (again), using laughter to crack open transformation, and why it's okay - no, necessary - to move at a snail's pace when you're rebuilding a life that actually fits.

Because midlife isn't the end of the story. It's the plot twist.

Take a listen if you've ever:

• Wondered if you're too old to start over (spoiler: you're not)
• Laughed your way through tears - or needed to
• Been told you're "lucky to have a stable job" but felt your soul shrinking anyway
• Wanted permission to be bold, scared, and snailing all at once

This is your reminder that reinvention doesn't have an expiry date. And laughter? It might just be the best medicine after all - minus the side effects.

About Marla:

Marla Simlett is a speaker, emcee, and Registered Clinical Counsellor who helps people learn and laugh their way to becoming their greatest selves. She created Laughter Intelligence™, a framework that blends insight, humour, and heart to unlock trust, wellness, and lasting change. When she's not on stage, you'll find her biking around Vancouver, baking allergy-friendly treats, or treasure-hunting for thrifted finds.