Who Took My Chill? A Midlife Mood Mystery

🎭 The Midlife Mood Plot Twist (You Didn’t See Coming)

Let’s be honest: midlife mood swings are the plot twist nobody warned us about. One minute, you’re calmly sipping tea and reading a book. The next, someone breathes too loud and you’re ready to flip the table. And who among us was previously notoriously stoic (read: never cried over anything) and then one day realized she would shed tears while watching a sappy movie...or even a dog rescue ad? (Raising my hand here). You’re not alone—and no, you’re not “crazy.” There’s actually a very reasonable explanation for this hormonal hijacking of your emotions. Let’s talk about it.

🧬 Hormones: The Mood Managers You Didn’t Hire (But Can’t Fire)

Meet estrogen and progesterone, your long-time hormonal co-stars who’ve been quietly supporting your emotional and mental stability for decades. Estrogen in particular has been busy helping make serotonin (your “feel good” brain chemical), boosting dopamine (motivation and pleasure), and keeping acetylcholine (focus and memory) humming along. Progesterone? She’s been your internal chill pill—activating GABA to help keep anxiety in check and stress responses in balance.

But then midlife hits, and it’s like these two decide to go AWOL—no forwarding address provided.

🚨 Estrogen Drops = Serotonin Drama (and Oxytocin Ghosting)

When estrogen starts dropping during perimenopause and beyond, your serotonin levels tend to follow. Suddenly, things feel more overwhelming, your patience wears thin, and you start wondering why everyone is so... annoying.

If you've noticed your once-cheerful demeanor has taken a detour into “Why am I so irritable?” territory, that’s probably your serotonin talking. Or rather—not talking, because it's stuck in hormonal traffic.

But estrogen isn’t just tight with serotonin. She’s also besties with oxytocin, the “I am loved, I am safe, I am connected” hormone. During your fertile years, estrogen gives oxytocin a boost—especially around ovulation—to help encourage bonding, intimacy, and yep, reproduction. But in menopause, when estrogen packs her bags, oxytocin often disappears without saying goodbye.

The result? Many women in midlife feel unexpectedly disconnected—from their partners, their kids, their friends… even themselves. This loss of oxytocin might be one of the most underestimated emotional shifts of midlife. But don’t worry—we’ll dive deeper into this next week and talk about ways to bring oxytocin back online (hint: you don’t have to make out with anyone to do it).

😩 Progesterone Leaves = GABA Rides Shotgun

Progesterone is the unsung hero that helps you feel calm, grounded, and able to cope. But when it declines, it takes GABA (your calming neurotransmitter) along for the ride. Cue the anxiety, restlessness, and those “wired and tired” nights when your body is exhausted but your brain won’t stop reminding you of that embarrassing thing you said in 2003.

🎢 And Don’t Forget the Dopamine Dip

Dopamine is your motivation, your pleasure, your “let’s get stuff done” juice. Without enough estrogen, dopamine production also falters. Translation? You’re not lazy—you’re chemically underwhelmed. And as estrogen’s influence over acetylcholine fades, you may find yourself forgetting why you walked into a room. Again.

🔄 So... What Does Fasting Have to Do With This?

Now that you’re side-eyeing your hormones and wondering if there’s a refund policy, here’s the good news:

A well-designed fasting lifestyle (tailored for your body and your cycle) can help bring balance back to the hormonal and neurochemical chaos.

Here’s how:

• Fasting improves insulin sensitivity, which helps stabilize blood sugar—and when blood sugar is stable, so is mood.

• It increases ketone production, and ketones have neuroprotective effects, helping your brain function more clearly and calmly.

• Fasting supports gut health—and your gut is a major production site for neurotransmitters like serotonin and GABA.

• Over time, fasting can help regulate cortisol, reducing anxiety and reactivity.

In other words, it doesn’t just help with belly fat—it’s a full-brain support strategy.

🧠 The Bottom Line: Mood Mayhem Isn’t Just in Your Head

Midlife mood swings aren’t a character flaw. They’re a biological traffic jam in your neurotransmitter network. But you’re not powerless.

By shifting to a fasting lifestyle that works with your unique rhythm, you can start giving your brain what it needs to rebalance—and maybe even laugh a little along the way.

And if you find yourself crying over a dog rescue ad again, just remember: that’s estrogen’s exit interview playing in the background.