What Helps With Perimenopause? 7 Ways to Feel Better

After I shared over 30 perimenopause signs and symptoms on the podcast show, women reached out to me to say they recognised themselves in nearly every single one. Then a second wave of messages came in, and they all asked a version of the same question:

Now what? I’m in perimenopause. What helps? What can I actually do?

A few women wrote: This is my life now. I’ll just have to push through.

I understand that feeling and at the same time, I want to offer you another persepective.

Perimenopause can start in your 30s

I entered perimenopause at 38. Late thirties, still years away from the age I thought this would happen. Several women who listen to the show told me their perimenopause started before 40 too.

For me it was a wild initiation. So much changed at once. I kept asking myself what was going on, because I simply didn’t feel like myself. When I finally understood it was perimenopause, I felt relief. There was an answer. And with that, I knew there will be ways to support myself during this phase of life.

That’s when I went deep into studying perimenopause. I wanted the information and I wanted the how. What can we do? What can we implement? What works?

First, I want you to hear this: You are not alone. You are not crazy. What you are feeling in your body is real, and so many women are feeling it with you.

Why there’s no single fix for perimenopause

Perimenopause affects the whole body. Your metabolism shifts, your sleep changes, your muscles, bones, mood and desire all respond to changing hormones.

So there isn’t one supplement, one workout or one habit that will magically change everything. What helps is a framework that looks after the whole system.

I created the Pleasurelit Perimenopause Framework after experiencing perimenopause personally and studying it professionally. It brings together everything I have learned across women’s health, nutrition, fitness, nervous system regulation, somatic pleasure and sex, tantra, breathwork and yoga. I use it in my own life and with the women I work with.

It has seven pillars:

1. Healthcare

2. Nutrition

3. Fitness

4. Sleep

5. Nervous system regulation

6. Connections

7. Pleasure

These pillars are interconnected. When you sleep better, you have energy to train. When you train, you sleep deeper. When you tweak something in one pillar, the others feel it.

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"I believe the more we expand our capacity for pleasure, and the more we care for our body, the more deeply in love with ourselves and life we can feel."

I’m Patricia, Pleasurelit Perimenopause Educator & Coach, award-winner & certified

After growing up as the good girl, becoming a high achiever and later leaving a DV marriage, I became fascinated by what helps us fall in love with ourselves and life. I have explored hundreds of somatic practices and pleasure tools, alongside more than 20 certifications and years of study across health, nutrition, fitness, somatic pleasure & sex, tantra, yoga, and breathwork. I have entered perimenopause myself at 38, which has deepened my understanding of what it means to prioritise your health and pleasure when your body and life changes.

Through my programs, courses, coaching and community club, I help you build a healthy and pleasurable relationship with your body, so you can feel deliciously in love with yourself and life, especially during perimenopause and at times of disconnection.

I’m the founder of Pleasurelit®, bestselling author of The Pleasurelit Way, and host of the Pleasurelit Perimenopause Show, a top 5% globally ranked podcast.

Somatic Sex Coach • Perimenopause • Tantra Practitioner • Advanced Nutrition & Health Coach • Personal & Master Fitness Trainer • Breathwork Facilitator • Yoga Teacher • Former Nurse • Trauma Informed

Pillar 1: Healthcare for Perimenopause

Healthcare is about understanding what is actually happening in your body right now. If you are seeing healthcare professionals and you aren’t getting the support you need, please keep going. You know your body. You know when something is off. You are your own best advocate. Do your own reading. Write your questions down before appointments. Ask about your treatment options, which ones suit you, and why.

This matters because perimenopause symptoms can overlap with other health conditions. Your doctor can help rule things out and find the care that fits you. Whatever medical support you choose, the other six pillars still need your attention. They work alongside your healthcare.

Pillar 2: Nutrition for Perimenopause

As hormones shift, so do your metabolism, digestion and gut health. You might notice weight gain around your belly, more bloating after meals or foods that never bothered you suddenly do. What worked for you five years ago may stop working.

Your changing body has new needs. A few places to start:

• Protein with every main meal to help preserve and build muscle mass

• Fibre to support your gut health and digestion

• Healthy fats to keep you nourished and satisfied

• Noticing your triggers. Alcohol and caffeine can worsen symptoms for many women, and certain foods may set off bloating

• Eat in a pleasurable way

How you eat matters too. Are you eating standing at the bench, scrolling, rushing out the door? Or do you sit down, breathe in the aroma, and actually taste your food? Choosing food that is delicious and appetising opens a portal to pleasure. Slowing down to enjoy it also supports your digestion.

Pillar 3: Fitness and Strength Training in Perimenopause

Through perimenopause and ageing, our muscle mass, body composition and bone health change. This is why strength training becomes non-negotiable. Aim for three sessions a week if you can, whether you are starting fresh or maintaining what you already do.

Add daily movement on top. Walk outside in nature, leave your phone at home, and let the sun warm your skin.

Fitness supports weight management and bone health. It also makes you feel good. Weightlifting is a turn-on for me. When I lift early in the morning I feel confident and energised, riding that post-workout high into the rest of my day.

Under this pillar we also look at other kinds of movement and your pelvic floor health, which deserves real attention during this time.

Pillar 4: Sleep in Perimenopause

Sleep touches everything. Think about the day after a rough night. You snack more, you feel ravenous, your energy is gone and you snap at people you love.

Many women in perimenopause wake at 2am or 3am and start overthinking. As someone who loves her sleep, this interrupted everything else for me.

What helps:

• Don’t wrestle with it. Repeating “I can’t sleep” in your head makes it harder to drift off again

• Create a pleasurable sleep inviting bedroom. Make it dark and keep the temperature cool. Cooling bamboo sheets can feel luxurious to slide into

• Create a nourishing relaxing ritual. Give yourself a transition between your busy day and your bed. Settle back into your body before you lie down

Pillar 5: Nervous System Regulation in Perimenopause

When multiple symptoms show up at once, your nervous system needs extra care. Some women feel rage flare up. I noticed heightened emotions and a new dislike of driving. Situations that used to feel easy started to feel overwhelming.

This is the moment to let your body know: I’ve got you. We can do this.

Try this now: Breathe in through your nose. Take a second small sip of air on top. Then let a long exhale sigh out through your mouth. Do it once or twice more and notice how your body feels afterward.

Acute practices like this help in the moment. A daily nervous system regulation ritual helps even more, so your body has steady support every day. Over time you build a toolkit you can reach for in different situations using breath, movement, sound and touch. Pleasure itself is nervous system regulating too.

I go much deeper into these tools inside my program The Pleasurelit Woman.

Pillar 6: Connections in Perimenopause

Connection covers your romantic relationships, friendships, community and network. It also covers your connection to yourself.

Staying connected to your body is essential during perimenopause. Try checking in each morning:

How do I feel today? What does my body need? How can I nourish myself?

This pillar includes your connection to your whole changing life too, your work, your children, your money. It’s a time to set boundaries and speak your needs. It’s a time to gather nourishing people around you.

That’s why I created the Pleasurelit Perimenopause Club, an online community where we walk this path together.

Pillar 7: Pleasure in Perimenopause

Pleasure makes everything more delicious, and it weaves through every other pillar. You can bring pleasure into the way you move, eat, sleep and connect.

This pillar also includes your sexual pleasure. Perimenopause can quieten your libido, or it can heighten it. Orgasms may feel different or harder to reach. These changes are common, and they can be explored with curiosity and care.

Then there are your everyday pleasures. I love helping women build a pleasure menu, a personal list of various pleasures you can implement during the day.

Where to start in Perimenopause

Seven pillars can feel overwhelming. You don’t have to tackle them all at once. Take a moment and check in with each pillar. Which one feels good already? Which one could use a little support? Which one is asking loudly for your attention?

Start there. Pick one pillar, make one change, and let it ripple into the others. Once that pillar feels steady, move on to the next.

These changes become new habits and rituals over time. They help you build a healthy and pleasurable relationship with your body during perimenopause and beyond.

Ready for more support?

Join the Pleasurelit Perimenopause Club

Join The Pleasurelit Perimenopause Program

Apply for 1:1 Pleasurelit Perimenopause Coaching

With love & pleasure,
Pleasurelit Patricia

Award-Winning & Certified, Pleasurelit Perimenopause Educator & Coach

*Disclaimer: Please listen to your body and honour your own needs while engaging with these practices and conversations. Not every practice is suitable for every person, every body or every season of life. This content is shared for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological or therapeutic advice.

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Award Winning & Certified Pleasurelit Perimenopause Educator & Coach