Hello fellow readers, 

Hi, my name is Veronica, and I am the not-so-proud owner of the perpetual “I’m exhausted” line due to the fantastic Perimenopause.

I guess you have decided to read this blog post because the “Perimeno-bloody-pause” made you think “riiiiiiight, this is me”. Before I start, I am not a menopause expert; I’ve just been given the opportunity to write a Blog post for the amazing Amber at Lemon Virtual Assistant.

And here I am, sharing my story on how a perimenopausal woman improved her life’s quality.

Guess what time it is? As I write this? 5.15am. I’ve already had coffee #1 and done some mobility work (also spent one hour scrolling mindlessly on Instagram, my bad).

When perimeno-bloody-pause started, roughly, 8 years ago, my internal body clock decided 4am was in fashion and never reverted to a less unholy hour to wake up. But today? Today 3.27am seemed like an even better option, like a trial an error kind of thing when it comes to waking up times, see what works best for this lady.

Don’t get me wrong, early mornings and I are super best friends. I have heaps of the same annoying energy young children have without caffeine (not to be trusted, imo). If it wasn’t for the fact that hoovering is illegal at 4am, (thanks, Camden Council), I would be here cleaning, cooking, maybe even drinking wine whilst listening to my favourite pop songs from the 90s. But, as I am not allowed to do so, I write this blog instead. You’re welcome.

In February 2024 I decided something had to change…and in May 2024 my new work-life started.

But let me quickly walk you through how my daily routine on working days looked like before May this year.

Picture this:

4.30 a.m. – Coffee #1, mobility work.

5:15 a.m. – Coffee #2, Instagram scrolling.
6:30 a.m. – Gym, because “use it or lose it”.
8:00 a.m. – Arrive at work (Dental Practice receptionist and manager life!) for a shower and breakfast and…coffee #3 (SURPRISE!!!!!).
9:00 a.m. – Let’s get this party started!

Life’s okay until…

13:00 p.m. – Lunch. I can feel my soul leaving my body before my eyes. Tiredness is here to stay. How badly do I want to go home and take nap? Do I need this job? Can I fake my own death?

Fatigue? Tick! Exhaustion? Tick! Brain fog? Tick! It’s all there, hugging you like that over-the-top family member you don’t really like, (you know the one, they pinch your cheeks, and you secretly want to smoother them with a pillow). Now it’s all about watching those minutes tick by and watch how the afternoon draaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaags on for, what it seems, like a year.

5:30 p.m. (or 7 p.m. if it’s a long one) – I made it! Short *happy dance* as I’m too tired for a long *happy dance*. Home, sweet home! What now? Prep for tomorrow and couch potato life until I pass out.

Get up, repeat, cry a little.

Forward to 1^st of May 2024

There’s no such thing as a “typical day” anymore, and I love it. My workdays now look something like this:

4:30 a.m. – Coffee #1 (a ritual, not a beverage). Followed by my “bend before you break” mobility routine.
5:30 a.m. onwards – Whatever the hell I want, as long as my clients’ work is completed on time.

The perks of WFH (and why I really do not want to ever work from an office again)

Naps, daily. Not a catnap either, as a true Spaniard, my naps are an art form. I lay down, and my body wakes up when it’s good and ready. Could be one hour. Could be three.

No set mealtimes. no more stuffing my face at 1pm because it was lunchtime. Now, if my stomach grumbles at 10:47 a.m., guess what? I eat. Shocking, I know.

Enhanced productivity. Deadlines are met by 9am, “power-hours” are between 6 and 11am; this time frame is perfect to allow me to focus on time consuming (boring) tasks. The afternoon (after my nap) is spent tackling little tasks like email & diary management or following up treatment plans.

Not going to lie, at times it has been stressful, at times I found myself wondering if I was mad and double guessing my life choices.

Let me also share a little secret…if anybody offered me the opportunity of working 8 hours a day without set hours, I would jump head first and say YES PLEASE!. In this economy? Being employed full-time knowing you don’t have to worry about anything, and get paid at the end of the month? It would be silly to let this opportunity pass me by. Don’t judge me.

But, as I write this sipping coffee #2, and dreaming about my nap later (*happy dance* again), everything sounds like another early morning’s problem.

Be happy and take care of yourself!

Much love.

Vee xoxo 

Veeva Solutions website - www.veeva-solutions.co.uk/