Menopause Brain Fog: Causes, Coping Tips & a Little Humor

The other day I opened my fridge and found the TV remote chilling next to the butter. The dogs were giving me side-eye, my daughter would’ve rolled hers if she’d seen it, and I stood there wondering if maybe Netflix just needed cooling off.

Welcome to menopause brain fog: where your mind pulls a disappearing act and your best defense is humor. We’ve all asked the same question: Am I losing my mind, or just my keys (again)?

Disclaimer Before We Dive In

I’m not a doctor — just a woman who has lived through enough fog to need a lighthouse. (And honestly, Jesus is my beacon. Sticky notes remind me where I left the milk — but He reminds me where I’m going.)

In all seriousness - This blog is for information and encouragement only. If you’re worried about memory changes, please check with a healthcare professional.

Why Menopause Brain Fog Happens

Menopause brain fog is real. It isn’t dementia, and you’re not alone. Here’s why our thoughts sometimes wander off without leaving a forwarding address:

Estrogen Drops

Estrogen is a big player in brain health. When levels nosedive, so does our ability to focus and recall.

Sleep Disruption

Hot flashes and night sweats hijack our rest, and without sleep, the brain turns into dial-up internet. (Yes, I can practically hear those AOL screeches in the background — and just like in the 90s, it takes forever to connect to a single thought.)
👉 (Need help here? Check out my blog on how to build a cooler bed that doesn’t break the budget.)

Stress & Cortisol

Stress pumps out cortisol, which fogs concentration faster than an early morning mist on the highway.

Midlife Chaos

Even if the kids are grown, life doesn’t exactly slow down. Some of us are juggling work, caring for parents, or even grandkids. Others are just trying to remember why we walked into the room… or which password we changed last week and promptly forgot.

Fog on Fog... on Fog

I’ve lived with Lyme disease for nearly 20 years, which brings its own brand of foggy thinking. Add in the fun surprise of breathing freon from a leaking mini-split unit in my bedroom for more than a year — and let’s just say I’ve spent plenty of time in the mental haze Olympics.

That means when menopause showed up with its brand of brain fog, I wasn’t starting from zero. It felt more like the fog machine got turned up to “concert level” and nobody told me we weren’t at a rock show.

What I’ve learned is this: fog isn’t permanent. It rolls in, it drifts around, it makes you doubt yourself, but eventually it thins. And in the meantime, you can either wrestle with it in frustration, or laugh at the absurdity.

For me, humor became oxygen. If I can find my remote in the fridge, Post-it notes in the pantry and still chuckle about it, then maybe I’m not losing the fight. Maybe I’m just learning to live in the haze with grace (and enough Post-its to wallpaper a small bathroom).

Coping with Menopause Brain Fog (Real-Life Tricks)

Write It Down

My office looks like a yellow sea of Post-it notes. (Just had a Remi & Michelle moment, minus the cool soundtrack). The fridge even has a magnetized grocery list that my family knows better than to mess with...

Talk It Out

The good thing about friends my age? They’ve got brain fog, too. Half the time we repeat the same stories to each other, and it feels brand new because neither of us remembers telling it in the first place.

Tech (Sort of)

Alexa was fired when I moved to the country. Now my Outlook calendar is my life preserver. If it’s not written there, it doesn’t exist.

Move Your Body

Exercise clears the mental cobwebs. (I ranted about this in my Exercise in Menopause blog — because my body plays by ridiculous rules now, but moving it still helps my brain.)Move Your Body

Alexa was fired when I moved to the country. Now my Outlook calendar is my life preserver. If it’s not written there, it doesn’t exist.

Protect Your Sleep

A good night’s rest is memory gold. (And if night sweats are your nemesis, peek at my Cooler Bed blog for survival tips.)

Laugh About It

Letting go and laughing is the best medicine. Beats crying over a carton of ice cream you just put in the pantry — or panicking over lost glasses that are perched on your head and a phone that’s been in your hand the whole time.

Taming the Flame

When the fog is thick, these can help:

• A menopause journal or planner — prettier than Post-its (though I’ll never give mine up).

• Digital calendars & reminders — your Outlook, Google, or phone app can be your external brain.

• Cooling gear — pajamas, pillows, and fans that help you sleep better and think clearer.

• Supplements — some women swear by brain-support blends, but check with your doctor before adding anything new.

The Cool Down❄️

So, are we losing our minds? Nope. Just misplacing them occasionally… usually in the freezer, on our head or in our hands. Menopause brain fog isn’t failure; it’s another quirky stage of life that we get to stumble through, together.

Here’s my best advice: wallpaper the house in sticky notes, let Outlook nag you like an overbearing relative, and laugh every time you find your keys in the pantry.