Dr. Ute Swanson Coaching

24/08/2026

I think this is one of the less talked-about consequences of perimenopausal brain fog.
Not simply forgetting the word, but what happens to your confidence when it happens in situations where you really want to perform well. One moment becomes remarkably easy to turn into a judgement about yourself.

The cognitive symptoms deserve to be taken seriously and are annoying by themselves.

But so does the story we start telling ourselves about what those symptoms mean.

If you want the actual research behind the word-finding piece - what’s really happening, what helps - it’s in this and next week’s newsletter, Midlife, Reconnected. Link in bio. info

20/08/2026

If “what’s it called again?” has become one of your most frequently used phrases, this week’s newsletter is for you.

I’ve looked at what we actually know about word-finding difficulties during the menopause transition, what we don’t know yet, the role of oestrogen and MHT (Menopause Hormone Therapy), and why these moments can feel considerably more alarming than the evidence suggests they usually are.
What’s It Called Again? is now on Midlife, Reconnected. Link in bio to read and subscribe.

18/08/2026

A slightly embarrassing amount of my last year has involved losing my phone, losing my train of thought mid-meeting, and standing in a room with no memory of why.

Turns out I’m not the only one.

I’ve written about perimenopause and brain fog for the past year: what’s actually happening, and what helps, without the miracle-cure noise usually aimed at us.

Comment GUIDE and I’ll send it to you, or find the link in my bio.

06/08/2026

Two weeks on holiday in Croatia. Big plans for how much work I’d get done.
Suffice to say it didn’t happen as planned.

Swipe through → and tell me: does rest ever feel like something you have to earn?

01/08/2026

I recorded this blue-space meditation by the water in Croatia overlooking the Adriatic, with the sound of cicadas in the background, rosemary and lavender in the air and a gentle morning breeze.

A few minutes of properly slowing down does more for an overloaded and unfocused brain than most people realise. It connects to something I talk about a lot here: how much of brain fog comes down to nervous system state, not just hormones. Give it a try!

Find the link to my Substack newsletter with the meditation in my bio or in my stories.

08/07/2026

Do you also feel your brain is not working the same way since hitting perimenopause?

08/07/2026

„What if I am losing my edge?“ is the fear underneath brain fog that almost nobody says out loud.

The research is clearer than the fear suggests: through the menopause transition, women’s cognitive performance generally stays within the expected range, even while the brain visibly reorganises.

The problem is often the benchmark, comparing yourself against the best-rested, most hormonally stable version of you and calling the difference failure. Full sources on the last slide.

PS: waiting list is now open for my coaching programme Brain Fog, Decoded, to be launched in autumn. Please DM if you want to be the first one to know 😊

06/07/2026

A lot of the perimenopausal women I talk to have wondered, often secretly, whether their brain fog is the start of cognitive decline.

“What if it’s never going to get better?”, they may ask themselves. “What if it is the beginning of something more serious?”

Very few say it out loud and so it becomes this niggling anxiety keeping them awake in the middle of the night.

So let’s say it out loud here and be very clear. For the majority of women, their brain fog finally disperses on its own, once your hormones have settled.

That said, If you notice significant changes in memory, language or attention, speak to your doctor to rule out other treatable causes.

PS: waiting list is now open for my coaching programme Brain Fog, Decoded, to be launched in autumn. Please DM if you want to be the first one to know 😊

05/07/2026

I wrote a post for substack where I am telling the story of a client of mine, who was suffering from brain fog. I'd love to know what you think!

When HRT Isn’t the Whole Answer

Brain fog, perimenopause, and the question that helped one woman stop searching for the perfect fix.

Brain fog, perimenopause, and the question that helped one woman stop searching for the perfect fix.