So, you walk into a room, forget why. You start a sentence, then lose your words mid-flow. You open your laptop to do that one thing and find yourself checking emails, opening three tabs, and staring into the digital abyss.

Sound familiar?

If you’re in perimenopause or menopause - and you’re also neurodivergent - these moments of forgetfulness, distraction, or mental “glitching” aren’t a personality flaw. They’re part of a very real neurological shift. One that can feel scary, disorienting, and invisible to the outside world.

Let’s talk about it.

You’re Not Losing Your Mind: Your Brain Is Rewiring

Menopause is more than hot flashes and skipped periods. It’s a neurological transition. Estrogen, one of the key hormones that supports memory, focus, and mood regulation, begins to decline. For neurodivergent women, this isn’t just a blip - it can feel like an internal system crash.

Executive functioning (planning, organising, remembering) is already a delicate dance for many of us. When hormones shift? That dance turns into trying to tango in quicksand.

What Brain Fog Actually Feels Like

“Brain fog” sounds a bit fluffy, doesn’t it? But for many women, it’s anything but. Here’s how it often shows up:

• You can’t find the words you want (hello, tip-of-the-tongue syndrome)

• Tasks that used to be simple now feel impossible to start

• You read the same paragraph three times and still absorb nothing

• You forget appointments, names, and why you opened the fridge

Add sensory overload, disrupted sleep, emotional sensitivity, and anxiety to the mix, and you’ve got a full cognitive cocktail.

Why It Hits Neurodivergent Women Harder

If you’re autistic, ADHD, or identify as neurodivergent in any way, your brain already processes the world differently. You may rely heavily on routines, systems, and structure to navigate daily life.

Now imagine those internal systems being scrambled by hormonal upheaval. Yep—it’s a lot.

Common impacts include:

• Increased sensitivity (to noise, light, textures, even emotions)

• Executive dysfunction on overdrive

• Meltdowns or shutdowns you thought you’d “grown out of”

• Feeling even more out of step with the world around you

So What Can You Do?

Here Are 9 Things That Actually Help

These tips aren’t about “fixing” you. They’re about supporting your brain, honouring your needs, and reclaiming clarity - one small shift at a time.

1. Lower the pressure

This isn’t the season to hold yourself to peak performance. Let “good enough” be enough. Compassion > perfection.

2. Create a single point of truth

Use one planner or digital calendar. Not three. Keep things visual and central.

3. Use task timers

Set a 20-minute timer for a single task. Take a break. Then repeat. Your brain loves rhythm, not pressure.

4. Speak your thoughts aloud

Say what you’re doing as you do it. It helps with memory, focus, and grounding.

5. Drink more water than you think you need

Hydration affects brain function. Set reminders. Add lemon or cucumber if it helps.

6. Ditch multitasking

Do one thing. Then another. Your brain will thank you.

7. Build in white space

Don’t stack your schedule. Leave room between meetings, errands, and activities. Recovery time is brain time.

8. Make your environment sensory-friendly

Dim lighting. Reduce visual clutter. Wear soft clothes. Your nervous system will feel the difference.

9. Say no without guilt

You don’t need a big reason. “I don’t have capacity right now” is enough.

You’re Not Alone in This

One of the hardest parts of navigating menopause as a neurodivergent woman is feeling like no one else gets it. You’re expected to hold it together, keep smiling, keep showing up.

But behind closed doors, so many women are whispering the same thing:

“I don’t feel like myself anymore.”

You’re not making it up.

You’re not the only one.

And, most importantly, you don’t have to go through it alone.

Ready for More Clarity?

If this post had you nodding along or even tearing up a little, the From Brain Fog to Clarity workshop was created for you.

It’s an online session that dives deep into what’s happening in your brain and body, and gives you real, neurodivergent-safe strategies to manage the overwhelm.

We’re not here to “fix” you. We’re here to support you - because the way your brain works is valid, even when it’s foggy.

Join us here:

https://inclusivechange.co.uk/brain-fog-to-clarity-workshop