[00:00:00] Vesna: Welcome to the Peak Revival Podcast. My name is Vesna. We're joined with Melissa, my co-host, and today we're gonna talk about is it burnout or is it perimenopause? One of the things that we hear all the time when people see the symptoms, they're like, but I thought that was perimenopause, but you're saying it's burnout.
[00:00:16] Which one is it? So we're gonna talk about it today.
[00:00:20] So welcome, Melissa. Thank you for joining me.
[00:00:23] Melissa: Thank you so much for having me. I'm very excited for this episode because. Running the coaching calls, it is a little bit of a point of confusion for some people, and I think that it could be really great to get some clarity on what distinguishes burnout, what distinguishes perimenopause and where people lie in between.
[00:00:42] And maybe there is even a connection between them both.
[00:00:45] Vesna: Yes, there is a connection for sure. So I know that whenever, you know, we post ads on like the symptoms of burnout, like, you know, uh, fatigue and anxiety and poor sleep and brain fog. Women are like, yeah, but that's [00:01:00] perimenopause. And we're like, well, it's also burnout. perimenopause like has kind of exploded online
[00:01:06] What's
[00:01:06] Melissa: It's a buzzword.
[00:01:07] Vesna: It is a buzzword. Yeah. Oh, but look, I, we are not, obviously women are really struggling through perimenopause, which we're going to speak to. You know, I was away with a friend a couple of weeks ago and she was saying, you know, there's like 59 symptoms of perimenopause. And I was like, please stop, please stop. the reason why I say that is because, you know, I did an episode on this, You know, I really talked about don't be programmed by the perimenopause conversation because if you are being bombarded with messaging like, oh, frozen shoulder, all my hips, all my this or my that, that's all part of perimenopause and that's what's coming for me.
[00:01:47] Or then you know, you're really gonna start to shift your body to prep for those things, which is not good. Okay. Because there's a whole bunch of random symptoms that are. Collectively being [00:02:00] added to perimenopause. And if you think that that's perimenopause for everyone, you're wrong. And it's not. And so I, I would hate for you to program yourself to think that that's what's coming for you.
[00:02:10] Right. And that, that's the downside of this overexposure of the perimenopause conversation is that. It seems like doom and gloom and it's so bad and it's, you know, all of these like, my body's just gonna fall apart. And that's, you know, it's horrible living. Right? And that's just not the case. Every woman is different.
[00:02:26] And I will say that how you have lived your life, when you come up to perimenopause, your bad habits come to bite you in the butt. Seriously. Okay? They catch up with you. Um, and that's why every woman will have a different experience. And so what are you seeing in the, in the community, Mel? Is it more like the confusion around the symptoms or?
[00:02:47] Melissa: Yeah. I think firstly just to, just to kind of tag onto what you were saying before about that expectation, I think we do see this a lot on the calls where women come in and. there's this idea that's been [00:03:00] put in their head like, oh, this is gonna happen to me. and that creates this expectation that, ah, this is just what happens.
[00:03:07] And that kind of complacency is something that we really work to try to get, get out of them because it takes away the power. That you can change that. Like yes, there are these, like you had mentioned, there are these symptoms that women are really struggling with and it's really difficult, but to just throw your hands up and say, oh, well this is just perimenopause.
[00:03:30] Slap a label on it and now I know what it is and I don't have to do anything about it isn't helpful. Right? Like there is the power to be able to. Change how you feel and to do something differently. And so I think again, the, establishing between whether it's burnout or whether it's perimenopause, is a helpful tool for people to really just kind of understand a little bit more.
[00:03:52] 'cause I think burnout, people feel like, oh, I can tackle that. Like I can, I can fix that. Right? Whereas perimenopause seems like final, it's like [00:04:00] this is just how it is. But I think in both cases there is a sense of responsibility and empowerment that comes with it, that you can actually make, make a difference.
[00:04:09] So, yeah, I think to answer your, question just now. What we see is, you know, women come in, they have e extreme fatigue. They've got hormonal imbalances, they're irritable, they even look at sugar and they're gaining weight. they're having body pains, aches, inflammation, and. They don't know, is it burnout or is it perimenopause?
[00:04:31] Right. We, we see some people who are really leaning on, oh, it's burnout. Some people who are, you know, it's really perimenopause. so I think providing some clarity for them could be really helpful.
[00:04:39] Vesna: So yes, I think that's great observation, that the complacency is there and it's, it's accepted, right? And, uh, with the acceptance in, in, not in, not a good way. It's more passive the way that they accept it. It's like, oh, well this is it.
[00:04:53] This is my life now. the symptoms can look very similar like you just described those symptoms, right? And then [00:05:00] once you're in perimenopause, women, you know, the hot flushes and the night sweats become the real distinguishing, factor for it. But what's more important, so the symptoms are one thing.
[00:05:09] So some women can have the fatigue and the brain fog and the weight gain and irritability, and the cheeriness. And that can all be part of burnout. And it is very much a, a symptom picture of burnout. And then it really comes down to having your pathology test done right, because we have to see where the hormones are at to really decide, well, is it burnout or is it perimenopause?
[00:05:35] but there is a link between the two of them. That's why the symptoms crossover. Because as a woman is going through transitioning, you know that perimenopause, that transition time into menopause, during that transition, there is a shift in the way that your body makes hormones, right? So there's a, a decrease in your estradiol and progesterone, but there's, your body starts to make these transitional hormones, which come [00:06:00] from.
[00:06:00] Your adrenal glands and from your body fat. And so when you're in burnout or adrenal fatigue, or you've had a chronic high stress and you're exhausted, well those glands are already preoccupied with the job of keeping you going during a very stressful life. So to then put that extra pressure on them to help with the transitional hormone production is not a priority.
[00:06:26] dealing with stress becomes the priority for your body because our bodies were designed that when we are in mortal danger, that's the most imminent threat to our survival. So everything else is hijacked. Right, and so what, that's why women have carried through this chronic stress and chronic patterns, and I'm not just saying like life stress.
[00:06:49] I'm talking about we start to develop these stressful patterns or ways of thinking or beliefs or perceptions, or we definitely have patterns that keep us stuck in that chronic state of [00:07:00] stress or your nervous system. Just stay stuck in that, right. So therefore there's an inability for your body to make those transient hormones.
[00:07:07] And then you gain body fat because your there's a struggle to make those hormones right? And so then your, your body's gonna increase body fat to be able to make that happen, okay? And so that's why the symptoms overlap and they're very much related and like, you know, as I said in the beginning. The ways you've been living is gonna catch up with you as you come through perimenopause. And that's one of the ways, and the other way is that it really impacts the thyroid. So thyroid health and, and perimenopause is very much related. And so stress hijacks thyroid, hormones or thyroid nutrients that are important for conversion.
[00:07:38] So it really kind of affects that, which then plays that. Extra stress or burden on those systems that are required to make that transition as smooth as possible for you. And it's not smooth because it's really bumpy and you're really struggling and the body is struggling.
[00:07:57] Melissa: Yeah.
[00:07:58] I think what you're [00:08:00] saying is that they compound each other and they can feed into each other, and these stress hormones can impact, the, the hormones related to perimenopause and vice versa. And it's all, it can all be kind of, put together. So focusing on lifestyle changes, dietary changes, um, which are a lot of things that we do in the program.
[00:08:19] Can be helpful to alleviate those symptoms, whether they are burnout or are perimenopause.
[00:08:24] Vesna: So women have come through the program and been like, well, the doctor told me it was perimenopause, but I've just gone through your Bye-bye burnout program, and I finally feel better. Right, and that's why, because those habits are going to help switch off that overactive stress response.
[00:08:39] It's going to, you know, nourish the key systems that produce energy and restore the adrenal glands and, the hormones required for mood and for sleep and all of that, right? It's gonna repair all of that. So therefore your body can transition a lot easier into menopause without. All of those
[00:08:57] symptoms. you know, people [00:09:00] often will leave a comment when we have the webinar and say like, is this, does this help for this? Or does this help for that? I don't know if you've seen that. Like, does this work for, you know,
[00:09:08] if I've had a hysterectomy Yeah.
[00:09:10] Does this work if I've had hysterectomy? Does it work for, you know, this, does it work for men? You know, like all kinds of questions. And, and the truth is, is that when you switch the body. Off or the, the stress response off and you put your body into this relaxation response. When you repair the key systems that produce our energy, that restore our brain chemistry for our mood, that help us to sleep and our our hormones
[00:09:36] for sleep, like when all of that is repaired, that is the foundation of health, that is the foundation for healing almost anything because.
[00:09:46] Reduces or eliminates inflammation and gets the body out of a stress response. So then remember how I was saying like when it's in a stress response, everything's hijacked, like that's nothing else is a priority. So when that is switched off, then the body can go back [00:10:00] to work doing what it needs to do to fix everything
[00:10:03] else, if
[00:10:04] Melissa: it's almost like the doors have opened to allow for. What needs to happen to actually happen because the, the, it'll close off those doors to preserve what's there and then, you know, there's just, once the doors are open, it's better functioning, better flow. and we, we, we go into this, um, in a new part of the accelerator program.
[00:10:24] So we do have a perimenopausal, section now within the accelerator program in the hormonal health bonus. So this is something that we, we kind of look at a little bit more deeper, um, within the burnout context, but also going deeper into perimenopause. The correct pathology, like you had mentioned, making sure that we are getting those specific perimenopausal, pathology tests
[00:10:47] to really see what's going on and to be able to work.
[00:10:49] Yeah.
[00:10:49] Vesna: Yeah, we're looking at, your FSH, your lh, your estradiol, your testosterone, your sex hormone binding globulin, like all of these factors that are important to assess where you are at. [00:11:00] Is there a reduction in your hormones? Are you starting to go through perimenopause?
[00:11:04] What is deficient and what needs supporting? Rather than getting a blanket statement, which I think a lot of women get, is like, oh, just your hormones. yeah. So I think, you know, to go back is like, yes, they influence, they compound each other, they influence each other.
[00:11:19] They're very much related. and so the way that you've come to this point in your life, your history will determine what your transitional period looks like.
[00:11:30] Melissa: And so do you think that perimenopause is overdiagnosed? In the, in the conventional medical system in a way
[00:11:39] that,
[00:11:39] Vesna: I don't know if it's overdiagnosed in conventional medicine. It's overdiagnosed online on Instagram, that's for sure.
[00:11:46] Melissa: yes.
[00:11:47] Vesna: I dunno, with the medical community, you know, women get brushed off. Like, I certainly had clients. And friends that I've spoken to that, you know, haven't had proper hormone testing but are told that they're in perimenopause
[00:11:59] just [00:12:00] based on some of their symptoms and because of their age.
[00:12:02] so I don't think, you know, that's not right, but, um. I think more of the over-diagnosis tends to be self-diagnosis by listening to people online talking about it and, and resonating with the symptoms, right? Like, I have those symptoms, that must be it. but as you can see, they can definitely overlap with other things.
[00:12:21] Melissa: What would you say to somebody who is feeling a little dismissed or who feels dismissed in that way, where it's just, oh, it's just perimenopause? What, what, what would be your next, course of advice for them or action?
[00:12:34] Vesna: Yeah, look for support, like get the support that you need, like even if you are dismissed by your doctor, um, and given one solution, you know, HRT or whatever it is, but. You know, look for what works for you. Like what resonates with you. Like there are many options. There are many solutions to one problem.
[00:12:55] There are many, and I think that, you know, depending on who your [00:13:00] source is, the doctor is gonna give you one solution, right? Um, if you don't like that solution, go look for what feels right for you. And so that's really a case of, again, you know, as we talked about before, like being responsible for your health and taking accountability and being in charge.
[00:13:16] and not waiting for someone to tell you what to do that doesn't feel right for you or doesn't align for you or tell you nothing at all. Just don't even do anything. That's just accept it. You know, like women get told that all the time. so I would be researching and looking for what you need right now, but I would be starting with hormonal tests, you know, like. You can go on, um, pathology, online pathology labs, like eye screen and look for a perimenopause blood test. They're there. Like just get it done. Um, and know for yourself. And then once you know, then you have some evidence of like, this is what's going on for me. So what, what do I wanna do next? That feels right for me. You You know, what's the road that I wanna go down for future long-term health? and longevity and bone health and muscle health and all of that, which [00:14:00] also has to change in perimenopause. There's many things, like we talk about this in the evolution program, right, which is our metabolic program, but we talk about how, you know, bone health changes and muscle mass changes.
[00:14:11] We start to get muscle loss and sarcopenia and belly fat because of. This change in the hormones, which creates insulin resistance, which is commonly linked with belly fat, but we lose muscle. We replace it with inflammatory fat and has a long term impact on chronic disease.
[00:14:30] And so just leaving it as it is is really, I think in this day and age, not is not good advice because.
[00:14:40] The world we live in is a little bit more toxic. Our food is a little bit more toxic. Our water is a little bit more toxic, and it just isn't like it was before. Right? Our body could, you know, in my mom's generation, there wasn't many perimenopausal symptoms, right? Women today are really struggling with it, and [00:15:00] so there's been a shift in the way that we live in the food that we consume in everything that has had an impact on our bodies and our hormones. so I think kind of just to close out this topic, the most important thing is that get a confirmation of where you're at. Are you in perimenopause? And if you are, do you believe that stress and chronic stress and you know, this demanding life that you live maybe for a long time is also contributing to your symptoms?
[00:15:29] Like you would just know, like, yeah, my life has, like a woman coming into perimenopause has often got kids, aging parents a career, and there's just a lot happening for you. And so to say that, you know, stress isn't a factor. Well, I would be surprised. You know, I would just be surprised. But, um, whether or not it's enough to, you know, impact your hormones is another question.
[00:15:55] But first, you need to get clarity on where you're at, right? Whether it's perimenopause, burnout, combination that [00:16:00] are compounding each other and affecting each other. And then look for the right support, right? Don't be, don't dismiss it as you know, if you are struggling. Normally the, the strength of the symptoms will have a woman search for s for solutions anyway.
[00:16:14] Like she can't sleep, she's got night sweats, hot flushes are driving her crazy or brain fog where they just can't remember anything anymore. Like that will have a woman looking for solutions. but for those with the milder symptoms, I would still urge you to investigate because of the long-term impact of hormonal imbalances combined with this stress burnout that really start to change our bodies, hormones, our metabolic health, our muscle health, and therefore affect our long-term health and longevity.
[00:16:43] So those would be my suggestions. Get it checked out, get it clear, and do it online yourself if you need to. but definitely, um, support your body through this process. And the other thing that I want to mention, you know, 'cause when we're putting this topic together, one thing I thought about is that I don't think [00:17:00] women realize that the reason why women go through menopause is in order to enhance their lifespan and longevity. So it's not like a, this is it for you, right?
[00:17:11] You are, um, You are,
[00:17:13] done now, right?
[00:17:14] Melissa: Yeah.
[00:17:15] Vesna: But it is actually, and I did read somewhere that it's only whales and women that go through menopause,
[00:17:22] Melissa: Hmm.
[00:17:22] Vesna: right? Animals like we have dogs. They will always, unless we desex them, they will always, um. Yeah. And so it's, for us in order to maintain many years to come, health and longevity.
[00:17:37] So it's not, this is it, you're done. This is actually really that next phase to extend your life, to live a fuller life, right? To do, keep doing what you wanna do and, and live and create what you wanna create in the world and, and make things happen. And, you know, it's, it's not the end. Um, and I think that really needs to be highlighted because a lot of women, the information out there is very different.
[00:17:59] Melissa: Mm-hmm. That's beautiful. [00:18:00] And I think it's a, it's a really good, It's a really good mindset to have as well, because we work a lot with mindset. Um, and how you approach that healing journey and how you approach feeling your optimal is really important. And looking at perimenopause as just a transition into it, into another beautiful phase of your life.
[00:18:19] And it's not, uh, my, you know. Those years are behind me. Um, I think that that is really important as you've spoken about when talking about feeling optimal and feeling healthy and feeling better. Having that positive mindset and that positive reframing, um, helps bring about better symptoms quicker.
[00:18:38] Vesna: Awesome guys. Well, if you can leave a comment below. If you see the comment box, definitely leave a comment if you're on YouTube, but I hope you got a lot out of this and I'd love to hear your thoughts. Leave them below. Thanks guys. Thanks
[00:18:47] Melissa: you.
[00:18:48]
