The Woo in Perimenopause: Why Energy Work Belongs in Midlife Conversations
If you’ve ever rolled your eyes at the word energy, this one’s for you.
It’s Monday afternoon. You just got home from soccer practice, your kids are bickering in the next room, and the kitchen counter is covered in pipe cleaners and bills. You’re overstimulated, pulled in a million directions, and one more noise might make you snap.
Then your partner says, “Hey babe, why don’t you go upstairs and take 20 minutes? I’ll make dinner.”
You walk upstairs, close the door, draw the curtains, and finally—breathe.
That moment? That’s energy work.
Welcome to The Next Phase, where millennial moms in perimenopause stop fixing themselves and start listening to themselves.
From “Fine, Be Murky” to Feeling Your Energy Again
If you grew up in the ’90s, you probably remember that Friends scene where Phoebe waves her hands around Ross’s head and he deadpans, “Stop cleansing my aura. Fine, be murky.”
We laughed because back then, “woo” meant crystals, auras, and incense—definitely not something science-minded women took seriously.
I used to feel that way, too.
When I was a kid, my mom and aunt would do tarot cards at our kitchen table, and I’d beg to go to youth group instead. Later, I even moved to Fairfield, Iowa—the transcendental meditation capital of the U.S.—and avoided “those people” at all costs.
But motherhood? Motherhood knocked me on my ass.
How Motherhood Cracked Me Open to Energy Work
Sleep deprivation, hormonal chaos, identity shifts—I didn’t recognize myself. I started searching for a way back to me, and that’s when I discovered rituals: early-morning meditation, EFT tapping, journaling, movement.
For the first time in my life, I learned how to be in my body.
How not to take on everyone else’s emotions.
How to stay grounded in my own energy.
I call it “woo” because it lightens the mood, but honestly? It’s the most practical tool I’ve ever found for ADHD, anxiety, and motherhood overwhelm.
Why Perimenopause Feels So Different
Perimenopause is a beast when it comes to energy. One minute you’re fine, the next you’re irritable, overstimulated, or emotionally raw.
Here’s why:
Estrogen supports serotonin, dopamine, and GABA—our mood-balancing neurotransmitters. When it drops, we feel anxious and less resilient.
Progesterone calms the brain. When it declines, we feel wired and sensitive.
These shifts alter your HPA axis (stress response), making you more reactive to noise, people, and emotions.
So yes—you really are more sensitive right now. It’s not in your head.
Your nervous system is literally changing, which makes you more porous to everything around you: sounds, emotions, other people’s moods.
This is where science meets the woo. Your hormones are altering your energy field.
The Rise of Intuition in Midlife
Estrogen also enhances interoception—awareness of what’s happening inside your body.
You might suddenly know exactly when you’re ovulating, or feel gut instincts more clearly than ever. Combine that heightened internal awareness with decades of lived experience, and your intuition gets louder.
That’s not mystical—it’s biological and spiritual.
How to Work With Your Energy (Not Against It)
Millennial women are experts at pushing through—forcing focus, calm, productivity. But here’s what perimenopause teaches us:
The more you try to force your energy, the less control you have over it.
The real shift happens when you stop fixing and start listening.
Instead of pushing through a stressful afternoon, try pausing. Meditate for ten minutes. Journal what’s coming up. Light a candle. Pull a tarot card.
These simple practices don’t just “sound nice”—they literally regulate your nervous system.
A Few Easy Ways to Start
Meditate for 10 minutes a day.
Tap (EFT) when you feel activated or overstimulated.
Try a Soft Pants Reset—change into comfy clothes, dim the lights, breathe.
Keep crystals or objects that make you feel calm near your desk.
Free-write for five minutes each morning before anyone else wakes up.
None of it’s magic. It’s maintenance—for your nervous system, hormones, and spirit.
The Takeaway
Perimenopause isn’t just a physical change. It’s a mental, emotional, and energetic one.
Your body is asking you to slow down, listen, and reconnect.
That’s the real “woo.”
It’s not about linen dresses or chanting affirmations into crystals—it’s about embodiment.
🌿 Ready to Go Deeper?
This post is part of The Woo Series on The Next Phase Podcast.
In the coming weeks, we’ll dive into smudging, tarot, EFT, and manifestation—and how to use these tools to feel more grounded in midlife.
👉 Listen to the full episode here
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