I’m Not Anxious About Anything
So Why Do I Feel This Way?
Many women say something similar to me this time of year, often with a hint of embarrassment in their voice.
“I don’t know what I’m anxious about,” they admit.
Nothing specific is wrong, yet their body feels unsettled anyway.
That disconnect alone can be deeply unsettling.
Because anxiety is usually tied to a story, this version feels unfamiliar.
Earlier experiences of anxiety often came with a clear worry or fear attached.
Menopause-related anxiety, however, does not always follow that pattern.
Instead, it arrives as a sensation rather than a thought.
The Anxiety That Has No Narrative
This kind of anxiety does not announce itself with panic or catastrophe.
Rather than fear, it shows up as heightened sensitivity.
Sounds feel louder than they used to.
Emotions sit closer to the surface.
Fatigue arrives faster and lingers longer.
Your body is reacting to stimulation that once passed unnoticed.
As tolerance narrows, even neutral experiences can feel overwhelming.
Nothing is “wrong” with this response.
What’s happening is that your nervous system is processing input differently now.
Why Reassurance Often Falls Flat
When anxiety lacks a story, logic rarely helps.
Telling yourself everything is fine does not settle your body.
Reasoning your way out of the sensation only adds frustration.
That mismatch can make anxiety feel even more out of control.
Physiological anxiety requires physiological support.
Safety cues calm the nervous system faster than explanations.
Gentle reassurance works best when paired with physical grounding.
What This Season Is Asking of You
Menopause has a way of revealing what no longer fits.
Tolerance for noise, obligation, and emotional labor decreases.
Capacity shifts, even if identity has not caught up yet.
Anxiety often becomes the messenger that says something needs to change.
This message is not permanent.
Nor is it a sign that you are failing.
What it reflects is a body asking for fewer demands and more care.
A Different Way to Respond
Instead of asking how to eliminate anxiety, try asking what feels safest right now.
Creating quieter evenings often helps more than powering through.
Choosing fewer conversations can restore emotional bandwidth.
Letting go of constant availability gives your nervous system room to settle.
You do not need to correct this version of yourself.
Support, not discipline, is what allows regulation to return.
You Are Not Regressing
Although this phase can feel like emotional backsliding, it is not.
What’s emerging is discernment, not fragility.
Your nervous system is becoming more honest about what it can tolerate.
Wisdom often arrives through sensation rather than thought.
This season does not require endurance.
What it asks for instead is gentleness.
When the body feels supported, anxiety softens on its own.