My Story: Anxiety or Hormones? MY Wake Up Call

I’m naturally pretty quiet and reserved, unless you get me talking about women’s health and hormones. Then? Well, I can talk for days. 😉

That’s actually one of the reasons I finally decided to start my business and eventually the podcast, You're Not Crazy! It’s Perimenopause. I wanted a space for real conversations about perimenopause, women’s health, changing hormones, anxiety, mood swings, and all the things so many women experience but rarely talk openly about.

Because the truth is, when I was going through it myself, nobody was really talking about it.

And I felt completely lost.

The Season That Changed Everything

My background has always been in helping people. I started my career in social work, helping children and families, and later transitioned into academic counseling.

But somewhere along the way, while I was busy taking care of everyone else, I stopped taking care of myself.

I was working long hours, raising kids, juggling responsibilities, managing stress, and doing what so many women do… pushing through exhaustion and ignoring the warning signs from my body.

Then my family relocated from California to Arizona when I was 40 years old.

At the time, I thought the move itself was the reason I felt so overwhelmed. And yes, it was stressful. We were leaving behind everything familiar, starting over in a new place, finding new doctors, new schools, and trying to settle into a completely different life.

But looking back now, I realize there was much more happening beneath the surface.

That move happened during the exact season I began noticing symptoms of perimenopause.

And my body was screaming for help.

I Didn’t Recognize Myself Anymore

I remember looking at photos from our going away party before the move and thinking…

“Who is that woman?”

I had gained weight.
I looked inflamed.
I was exhausted.
My anxiety was through the roof.
I was crying all the time for no clear reason.
I was falling asleep in the middle of the afternoon.

And what confused me most was this:

I wasn’t even working full-time anymore.

I was home with my kids. I was cooking dinner every night. I was taking care of the house. Life was busy, yes, but I couldn’t understand why I felt so physically and emotionally drained all the time.

Nothing made sense.

The Doctor’s Appointment I’ll Never Forget

I eventually went to my doctor because I knew something wasn’t right.

I still vividly remember sitting in that office feeling incredibly anxious under those bright fluorescent lights. My heart was racing so badly that I kept checking my Apple Watch because I thought I was having a panic attack.

I cried through most of the appointment because, honestly? I was scared.

And after answering a series of questions, I left with a prescription for antidepressants.

Now let me say this clearly:

I am not anti-medication.

There absolutely are situations where medication is helpful and necessary. I had previously used antidepressants after losing both of my parents, and they helped me through an incredibly difficult season.

But deep down, I knew something else was going on.

The Wake-Up Call I Needed

Around that same time, I also learned I was pre-diabetic.

That diagnosis hit hard because both of my parents passed away young from chronic health conditions. My mom died from breast cancer at 52, and my dad passed away from complications related to type 2 diabetes at 61.

Losing them changed me forever.

I remember thinking:
“I have children. What do I need to do to make sure I’m here for them long term?”

That became the catalyst for everything.

Discovering Functional Medicine

At that point, I started searching for answers outside the traditional advice I had been given.

“Eat right and exercise.”

That was basically the guidance. But nobody was really explaining how to do that in a way that actually supported my changing body and hormones.

So I started listening to podcasts, reading books, and learning everything I could about health.

That’s when I discovered Functional Medicine.

And honestly?
Everything shifted.

For the first time, someone looked at my body as an interconnected system instead of just treating isolated symptoms.

My functional medicine doctor spent over an hour reviewing my full health history, stress levels, trauma, sleep, nutrition, hormones, lifestyle, and everything in between.

No one had ever done that before.

And for the first time… I felt seen.

Healing My Body Changed My Life

As I began focusing on the foundations of health — sleep, nutrition, stress management, and movement — my body started to change.

My energy came back.
The depression lifted.
My anxiety improved significantly.
I lost 20 pounds.
I reversed my pre-diabetes.

Most importantly?

I started feeling like myself again.

That experience changed the entire trajectory of my life and eventually led me to become a board-certified functional medicine health coach focused on helping women over 40 navigate perimenopause and midlife health.

Why I Care So Deeply About This Work

One thing I’ve learned after working with women in midlife is this:

Most women already know what they “should” be doing.

The struggle usually isn’t lack of information.

The struggle is exhaustion.
Stress.
Old habits.
Emotional overwhelm.
People pleasing.
All-or-nothing thinking.
Feeling disconnected from yourself.

That’s why I eventually became fascinated with the subconscious mind, behavior change, guided meditation, and mind-body healing work, too.

Because lasting change isn’t just about food and supplements.

It’s about learning how to support your nervous system, shift old patterns, and reconnect with yourself again.

My Mission Moving Forward

One thing I refuse to accept is the narrative that suffering is just a normal part of aging.

You know the comments:
“Getting older sucks.”
“This is just what happens in menopause.”
“You just have to deal with it.”

Nope. Absolutely not. 

I truly believe women deserve better support, better education, and better conversations around midlife health.

My mission is to help women calm the emotional and mental chaos of perimenopause with simple lifestyle habits so they can feel normal again.

Not doing it perfectly.
Not biohacking into oblivion.
Not surviving on powders and 47 supplements.

Just healthy habits done consistently over time that bring you…
Calm.
Energy
Clearer thinking
And feeling connected to yourself again.

That’s what this work is really about.

And honestly?
That’s why this community I created means so much to me.

Thanks for being here. 

If this story resonated with you, please know that you are not crazy. Your body is changing, and you are absolutely not alone.

Hi there, I’m Jenny

I’m a Board Certified Functional Medicine Health Coach, podcast host, wife, mom of two teens, and lover of nature, farmers' markets, and a really good cup of coffee.  After struggling with weight gain, anxiety, low energy, and brain fog after turning 40, I discovered a simpler, more sustainable approach to health through functional medicine and lifestyle changes. Now, I help women over 40 navigate perimenopause with realistic strategies that support hormones, energy, mood, sleep, and confidence, so they can finally feel like themselves again.

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