In this Stress Awareness Month edition of Pressing Play, host Jo Fiddy unpacks the stress trap of perimenopause: the part no one warned you about. The shrinking tolerance. The thinning sleep. The cortisol that lands harder than it used to. The anxiety that seems to come from nowhere.

Spoiler: nothing is wrong with you. Your brain is literally rewiring.

Jo walks you through what’s actually happening in the hippocampus and amygdala as Estrogen fluctuates, why cortisol hits differently in midlife, and how to work with the renovation instead of fighting it.

Then she gives you 5 ways to support yourself — practical, doable, and rooted in both science and soul.

This is perimenopause support for midlife women who are done being told it’s “just stress” or “just ageing.” It’s neither. It’s a hormonal transition that deserves real understanding.

In this episode:

• Why perimenopause anxiety is a brain event, not just a hormone event

• Why cortisol lands harder in midlife (and what that means for stress, sleep, and mood swings)

• 5 evidence-informed ways to support yourself: sleep, exercise, nutrition, community, and play

• Why dopamine through play isn’t optional — it’s neurological maintenance for women over 40

• Embracing the Power Years on the other side of the renovation

About Jo Fiddy

A Menopause Coaching Specialist who blends science with soul, anf works with women who’ve hit an invisible pause button in perimenopause and are questioning whether their best years are behind them. Through her Menoplaying® approach, Jo helps them regulate their energy, rebuild their confidence, and step into a powerful next chapter.

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Podcast: Pressing Play — available on Apple & Spotify & Amazon out every Thursday

www.jofiddy.com