Updated August 2025 with latest perimenopause research and hypnotherapy techniques
Have you noticed that lately, nothing you do feels quite right? That nagging voice in your head saying "you're not good enough" has gotten louder, and you're exhausted in ways that sleep just doesn't fix?
If you're a woman in your 40s or 50s, what you're experiencing might not just be work stress or getting older. Perimenopause could be the hidden culprit behind both your burnout and those crushing "not good enough" feelings.
I'm Hana, a Clinical Hypnotherapist and Transformational Menopause Coach, and I see this connection every single day in my Brisbane practice. The women who come to me are high achievers – corporate leaders, entrepreneurs, consultants – who suddenly find themselves questioning everything they once felt confident about.
The Perimenopause-Burnout Connection Nobody Talks About
Here's what's really happening, your hormones are changing, and they're taking your confidence with them.
During perimenopause (which can start as early as your late 30s), your estrogen levels begin their rollercoaster ride. But estrogen isn't just about periods - it's your confidence hormone, your stress-resilience hormone, your "I've got this" hormone.
When estrogen drops, you might notice:
- Brain fog that makes you question your competence
- Increased anxiety about things that never bothered you before
- Sleep disruption that leaves you running on empty
- Mood swings that make you feel like you're losing control
- Physical symptoms like hot flashes that interrupt your workday
Suddenly, the same job that you've been excelling at for years feels overwhelming. You start wondering if you're losing your edge, if you're not as capable as you thought, if maybe... you're just not good enough anymore.
Why High-Achieving Women Struggle Most
If you're used to being the one who has it all together, perimenopause can feel like a personal failure. You've built your identity around being competent, reliable, and in control. So when your hormones start affecting your performance, it hits right at the core of who you think you are.
The perfectionist trap gets even tighter during perimenopause because:
- You're trying to compensate for brain fog by working harder
- You're second-guessing decisions you would have made confidently before
- You're pushing through fatigue instead of acknowledging what your body needs
- You're comparing your current performance to your pre-perimenopause self
This creates a vicious cycle: the more you push, the more exhausted you become. The more exhausted you are, the more you doubt yourself. The more you doubt yourself, the harder you push to prove you're still "good enough."
The Real Cost of Perimenopause Burnout
Unlike regular work burnout, perimenopause burnout affects every area of your life:
Professionally
- Difficulty concentrating during meetings
- Procrastination on projects you used to tackle easily
- Avoiding challenges because you're not sure you can handle them
- Working longer hours to compensate for feeling less efficient
Personally
- Snapping at family members (even friends or work colleagues) when you're usually patient
- Withdrawing from social activities because you're too tired
- Feeling guilty about not being the partner, mother, or friend you want to be
- Losing interest in hobbies and activities you once enjoyed
Physically
- Chronic fatigue that rest doesn't resolve
- Headaches, digestive issues, or other stress-related symptoms
- Weight gain (especially around your middle) that feels impossible to shift
- Sleep problems that leave you feeling wired but tired.
How Hypnotherapy Addresses Perimenopause Burnout
Here's where it gets interesting your subconscious mind doesn't know the difference between a real threat and a hormonal fluctuation. When your estrogen drops and anxiety spikes, your subconscious interprets this as danger and activates all your old coping mechanisms – including that harsh inner critic.
Through hypnotherapy, we can:
- Rewire Your Stress Response - instead of your nervous system going into overdrive every time you feel a hot flash or experience brain fog, I teach it to stay calm and centred.
- Update Your Self-Talk - those "not good enough" thoughts? They're often old programming that gets amplified during hormonal changes. We can literally reprogram your subconscious to be more supportive and realistic.
- Improve Sleep and Energy - hypnotherapy is incredibly effective for sleep issues, which are often the foundation of everything else feeling harder during perimenopause.
- Build Perimenopause-Specific Confidence - I guide you to work on accepting this transition as a natural part of life, not a personal failure, and help you develop new ways to feel capable and confident.
What My Clients Experience
In just 3-5 sessions, the women I work with typically experience:
Week 1-2 - Relief and Recognition
- "Oh, this isn't just me failing – this is perimenopause!"
- Better sleep and feeling less on edge
- Starting to be gentler with themselves
Week 3-4 - Renewed Confidence
- Making decisions without second-guessing everything
- Feeling more like their authentic selves
- Managing symptoms without them derailing their whole day
Week 5-6 - Sustainable Success
- Working smarter, not harder
- Setting boundaries that honour their changing needs
- Feeling excited about this new phase of life instead of dreading it
Practical Steps You Can Take Right Now
1. Acknowledge What's Really Happening
Stop blaming yourself for changes that are largely hormonal. You're not losing your mind or your abilities - you're going through a major life transition.
2. Adjust Your Expectations
The way you worked in your 30s might not serve you in your 40s and 50s. That's not failure – that's wisdom.
3. Prioritise Sleep
I know, I know - easier said than done. But poor sleep makes everything harder, especially during perimenopause.
4. Talk to Your Doctor
Rule out other health issues and discuss whether hormone therapy might be right for you.
5. Get Support
Whether it's hypnotherapy, counselling, or just talking to other women going through the same thing, you don't have to figure this out alone.
The Truth About Perimenopause and Success
Here's what I want you to know - you're not broken, and you don't need fixing. Perimenopause is a natural transition, and with the right support, it can actually be a time of incredible growth and authenticity.
Many of my clients tell me that working through perimenopause and/or burnout helped them:
- Set better boundaries in all areas of life
- Focus on what truly matters instead of trying to do everything
- Develop a more sustainable relationship with success
- Feel more authentic and grounded than they have in years
You don't have to choose between being successful and honouring what your body needs during this transition. You can have both, but it requires a different approach than what got you here.
When to Seek Professional Support
Consider working with a hypnotherapist/menopause coach who specialises in perimenopause if you're experiencing:
- Persistent feelings of not being good enough despite past success
- Exhaustion that doesn't improve with rest
- Difficulty making decisions you used to make easily
- Physical symptoms that are affecting your work performance and general life
- Feeling like you're losing yourself in this transition
Remember, asking for help isn't admitting defeat - it's taking charge of your wellbeing during one of the most significant transitions of your life.
Ready to reclaim your confidence and energy during perimenopause? As a clinical hypnotherapist and Transformational Menopause Coach, I specialise in helping high-achieving women navigate this transition without sacrificing their success or wellbeing.
Follow Me for honest insights on perimenopause, burnout recovery, stress management and weight loss and how to keep thriving when life throws you curveballs.
