How do I navigate major life transitions like perimenopause without losing myself?

Perimenopause isn't just a biological event—it's an identity shift, and that matters more than we usually admit. Your body is changing, yes, but so is how you see yourself in the world. I've found that women often feel caught between who they were and who they're becoming, and that liminal space can feel destabilizing. The key is to notice what you're grieving and what you're actually gaining. Are you mourning a version of yourself, or mourning what you thought this phase would feel like? These are different losses requiring different responses. Some of what you're losing—certain physical capacities, perhaps—is real. But some of what feels lost is actually just shifting into a different form. I'd suggest creating small rituals of acknowledgment. Talk to someone you trust about the internal experience, not just the symptoms. Journaling about what you notice—not just hot flashes, but moments of clarity, shifts in what matters to you—helps you author this transition rather than just endure it. You don't lose yourself here. You integrate more of yourself. The work is staying conscious while it happens.