SELF-CARE HACKS FOR THE BUSY WOMAN IN PERIMENOPAUSE OR MENOPAUSE

The holiday season is a whirlwind of to-dos, gatherings, and obligations. While the festivities are exciting, they can often leave you feeling stretched thin, exhausted, and completely depleted.

That’s where self-care comes in - and I don’t mean mani/pedis, massages, and weekends away! Think of self-care not as a luxury, but as a necessity. With a few simple, time-efficient strategies, you can avoid burnout, maintain your energy, and truly enjoy the season.

Let’s explore some practical self-care hacks to keep your body and mind thriving during the holiday rush.

WHAT IS SELF-CARE (AND WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW?)

When you hear “self-care,” what comes to mind? Bubble baths? Spa days?

While those are lovely, (don’t get me wrong, I love my facial and massage every month or so), true self-care goes much deeper. It’s about proactively supporting your physical, mental, and emotional well-being so you can stay resilient, focused, and balanced.

Self-care is a long-term investment in your health - not a quick fix. It’s about choosing habits that reduce your stress, build your stress resilience, and move you closer to your goals. Self-comfort is a short-term stress response that just eases the discomfort of feeling ‘negative’ emotions in the moment.

For instance:

• Self-care: Planning your meals, prepping lunch to take to work, and going to bed early to recharge for the next busy day.
• Self-comfort: Cracking a bottle of wine when you get home from work, because you’ve “had a hard day, and deserve it,” and then staying up late scrolling on your phone for “alone time.”

The self-care is focused on building your stress resilience, reducing physical stressors, and giving your body the building blocks, the nourishment it needs to support you and get through the busy period.

Conversely, the self-comfort focuses on buffering, or avoiding thinking about or feeling the emotions and stress of the day.

The holiday season, with its packed schedules and high expectations, makes self-care essential. Otherwise, you may find yourself limping into Christmas Day, burnt out and resentful.

This season, let’s focus on habits that nourish you from the inside out.

QUICK SELF-CARE HACKS THAT WORK

1. START YOUR DAY WITH A PLAN

When life gets busy, organisation is your best friend. A simple plan for your day can help reduce mental clutter and give you a sense of control.

• Hack: Write down your top 2–3 priorities for the day. Focus on what truly matters and let go of the less important stuff.
• Why it works: Feeling organised reduces the mental clutter, lowers stress, and helps you tackle your to-dos without overwhelm.

Real-Life Example: On Sundays, I spend an hour planning the week ahead. This includes meal planning, grocery shopping, and scheduling self-care activities. I go very deep here and break my work tasks down into smaller chunks and schedule them across the week, so I don’t have to worry about when something is going to be done, I know exactly when I will be doing it! Knowing what’s on my plate for the week allows me to approach each day with clarity and confidence.

Pro Tip: Schedule self-care first (e.g., movement, mini breaks, reflection), followed by family commitments, then work. Also, try the “eat the frog first” method - tackle the hardest task early in the day to get it out of the way, and notice how you feel less stressed, less worried about the task hanging over you - you’ll procrastinate less and get more done!

2. TAKE MINI BREAKS TO RECHARGE

Short pauses during your day can make a world of difference to how you feel, your stress levels, and your mental focus, especially when you’re feeling overwhelmed.

• Hack: Take a 5-minute break every hour to stretch, deep breathe, or drink herbal tea (like chamomile or tulsi, any herbal tea in the supermarket that is marketed for ‘sleep’ or ‘stress’ is good. Just make sure there’s no added flavours, sweeteners/sugar, or fruit).
• Why it works: Regular breaks reset your mind, reduce stress, and even improve productivity.

Try “box breathing” (inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4) to calm your nervous system.

When we feel stressed we tend to hold our breath and breathe shallowly in only the top part of our lungs, robbing our brain and body of oxygen. We need oxygen for our cells to make energy, so if you’re yawning, fidgeting, having trouble focusing on a task, get up from your desk and do some deep breathing for a few minutes or go for a short walk around the block. You’ll come back feeling clearer in the head and more able to focus.

3. MOVE YOUR BODY DAILY

Movement isn’t just about fitness or losing weight (remember, you don’t need high-intensity exercise to lose weight!) - it’s a powerful stress reliever, when you do it to support and nourish your body.

• Hack: Schedule 10 - 20 minutes of gentle (low intensity), enjoyable movement, like a walk, yoga, pilates, weight lifting, swimming, or stretching.
• Why It Works: Movement reduces cortisol (your stress hormone) and boosts endorphins, lifting your mood.

Bonus: Combine movement with connection by walking with a friend or doing a class together.

4. EMBRACE MINDFUL MOMENTS

Mindfulness helps you stay present and grounded during the holiday chaos.
It doesn’t have to be complicated, and it isn’t all about meditation! It’s about being present in the moment, tuning in to how you’re feeling, and not letting your “monkey mind” run away with ‘what if’ or imagining worst case scenarios!

• Hack: When transitioning between tasks, pause for 30 seconds to take a deep breath and reflect on how you’re feeling. Use your senses to focus on the moment - what do you hear, see, smell, or feel
• Why it works: Mindfulness prevents your “monkey mind” from spiralling and helps you respond thoughtfully to stress.

Quick practice: Take a moment between tasks to reflect on how you’re feeling and what you need. Just like you would check-in with a friend and ask how they are, if there’s anything you can do for them; be that friend for yourself.

NOURISH YOUR BODY AND MIND

1. HYDRATE CONSISTENTLY

The hustle of the holidays can make it easy to forget something as basic as drinking water. Dehydration is a common but overlooked cause of brain fog and fatigue.

• Hack: Keep a water bottle handy and set reminders (or use a fun app) to build the habit of sipping water throughout the day.
• Why it works: Staying hydrated improves energy, focus, and even mood.

2. EAT TO SUPPORT YOUR ENERGY

Food and drink play a significant role in how you feel, especially during busy (stressful) times. Your body’s stress response is very nutrient and energy demanding, so if you aren’t fuelling your body well, you’ll find cravings for carbs, salt, caffeine, and sugar on the rise, especially in the afternoons. While treats, alcohol, and other festive-foods are part of the holidays, balancing them with nutrient-dense choices will keep you energised, feeling good, and comfy in your favourite clothes!

• Hack: Include protein-rich foods with every meal or snack, and don’t have sweet foods or caffeinated drinks on their own or in-between meals, to stabilise blood sugar and avoid energy crashes. Protein-rich foods include things like meat, fish, seafood, lentils, beans, tofu, tempeh, nuts, yogurt, eggs.
• Why It Works: Balanced meals and snacks help manage you blood glucose levels, preventing spikes and crashes that are a physical stress, and prevent cravings.

Note: For guidance on what to eat, PerimenoGO provides nutrition strategies and recipes for women in perimenopause or menopause (and their families!)

3. PRIORITISE SLEEP AS SELF-CARE

Quality sleep is often the first thing to go during the holidays, but it’s non-negotiable for your well-being.

• Hack: Create a simple wind-down routine, like dimming the lights, reading, journaling for 5 minutes, or enjoying a lavender-scented shower/bath before bed.
• Why It Works: It helps calm your body, relaxes your muscles, and quiets the mind before bed. Lowering lights also helps stimulate your sleep hormone production (melatonin). Sleep restores your energy, balances hormones, and improves mood. Sleep is when your brain repairs and restores itself, and files memories away.

REFLECT AND RESET DAILY

Reflection is a powerful form of self-care, allowing you to check in with your emotions, thoughts, and needs. It gives you the ability to tune into and address your needs, and plan your days or week around your needs. Reflection is critical for reducing the desire for self-comfort. Because when we meet our emotional needs, we don’t need to buffer or escape from them with self-comfort.

At the end of each day, ask yourself:

1. What went well today?
2. What could I do differently tomorrow to support myself better?
3. What brought me joy today?

Honest reflection helps you stay aligned with your needs and fosters long-term growth.

THE BASICS OF TRUE SELF-CARE

Focus on these foundational habits during the holiday chaos:

• Move daily: Gentle movement supports physical and mental health.
• Eat nourishing foods 80-90% of the time: Balance indulgences with nutrient-dense choices.
• Stay hydrated: Water is your best ally for focus and energy.
• Connect with loved ones: Prioritise meaningful interactions, ones that bring you joy, over obligatory ones.
• Get enough sleep: Aim for 7 - 9 hours per night.
• Make time for joy: Allow time for activities that fill your cup, like reading a favourite book, meeting up with a friend, watching a funny show, or hanging out with your kids.

SELF-CARE TEACHES OTHERS HOW TO TREAT YOU

The way you care for yourself sets the standard for how others treat you. By prioritising your needs equally with others, and modelling healthy boundaries, you teach others that your well-being matters.

And it’s not just about you. When you care for yourself, you’re better equipped to care for others without resentment or burnout.

This is especially impactful for your children, particularly daughters, who learn by watching you. Let’s shift the narrative that being a good mum means putting yourself last - it’s simply not true and not necessary.

RECAP: SELF-CARE HACKS FOR THE HOLIDAYS

1. Start Your Day with a Plan: Focus on your top 2–3 priorities.
2. Take Mini Breaks: Pause for five minutes to breathe, stretch, or reset.
3. Move Your Body Daily: Gentle movement reduces stress and boosts mood.
4. Embrace Mindful Moments: Stay present by tuning into your senses.
5. Stay Hydrated: Drink water regularly to maintain energy and focus.
6. Nourish Your Body: Include protein-rich snacks to stabilize energy.
7. Prioritize Sleep: Establish a bedtime routine for restorative rest.
8. Reflect and Reset: Celebrate wins and plan for tomorrow.
9. Schedule Joy: Create time for activities that make you happy.

GIVE YOURSELF THE GIFT OF SELF-CARE

Self-care isn’t about escaping your life; it’s about building a life that you don’t need to escape from, with habits that support the life you deserve and want.

This holiday season, let’s not just survive - let’s thrive.

If tackling these hacks feels overwhelming, or you want to take your self-care to the next level, PerimenoGO is here to help! My program is designed to guide you through sustainable strategies for managing stress, nourishing your body, and feeling amazing - even during the busiest times.

What’s your favourite self-care hack for the holidays? Share your thoughts in the comments or connect with me to learn more about PerimenoGO.

These basics aren’t fancy, but they’re powerful tools for maintaining your energy and well-being.