Brain fog made me forget the route to work. Then it made me leave my career.

Sarah Stevens, 48, was a teacher for 21 years before perimenopause brain fog forced her to walk away from the career she loved. Here, she shares how supporting her gut health helped her find clarity, confidence and a completely new path.

The moment everything changed

I was driving to school one morning, following the same route I had taken every weekday for the past 10 years, when suddenly my mind went completely blank.

I was approaching a junction I knew by heart. A turn I could normally do on autopilot. And yet I could not remember whether I needed to go left or right.

I slowed the car, heart pounding, staring at the road ahead as panic washed over me. Left or right. I asked myself the question again and again, willing the answer to come.

It did not.

I sat there gripping the steering wheel, convinced something was seriously wrong. This was not forgetfulness. This was not stress. This felt frightening and unfamiliar.

21 years of loving my job

I am a teacher, or at least I was. Teaching had been my life for 21 years. I loved the students, the rhythm of the school year and the sense of purpose it gave me. I have two teenage children, a busy family life, and I had always been organised, articulate and confident.

Then perimenopause arrived. Quietly at first, and then all at once.

When brain fog takes your words

The brain fog was the most frightening part. During parent-teacher meetings, I would open my mouth and completely lose the word I needed. Simple words. Everyday language. I would forget pupils' names mid-conversation or struggle to describe their work clearly.

Inside, I was terrified. Outwardly, I was mortified.

At the same time, my health was deteriorating in other ways. I have lived with colitis for years, but during perimenopause it flared badly. Constant inflammation, urgency and exhaustion left my gut feeling permanently unsettled.

I went to my GP and was supported with medication for my colitis. Whilst this helped a great deal with my symptoms, perimenopause symptoms like brain fog lingered and my anxiety never really went away.

The hardest decision of my life

It became clear to me that teaching, at least in the way I had always done it, was not a job I could continue while feeling like this. The cognitive load, the pace, the constant decision-making and the pressure of being "on" all day were simply too much.

In February 2025, I made the hardest decision of my life. I resigned from my role. I officially left the profession in April 2025.

Walking away from a career I loved after 21 years felt like grief. But I was so embarrassed by my cognitive symptoms that I could not face another term of meetings, lesson planning or standing in front of a classroom pretending everything was fine.

I told people I needed a change. The truth was, I did not trust my own mind anymore.

Finding the right support

As I began trying to feel better, I realised something important. I did not want to leave education or helping people behind. I just needed a role that was less demanding, more focused and more sustainable for where I was physically and mentally, but where I could still make a real difference.

That was when I sought specialist support from a menopause specialist, who took a much more holistic view of what was happening to me.

She explained that perimenopause affects the entire body, including the brain, gut and nervous system, and that supporting these systems together was key. She helped me understand how hormonal fluctuations can disrupt gut health, sleep and cognition, and how this can show up as anxiety, inflammation and brain fog.

Small, practical changes

She suggested a number of practical, manageable changes. I was encouraged to increase protein-rich foods to support energy and concentration, and to include more omega-3-rich foods to help with inflammation and brain health. I was advised to cut back on sugar and alcohol, which can worsen anxiety, sleep disruption and gut symptoms.

Sleep became a priority. She explained the role of magnesium-rich foods and the importance of a calmer, more consistent bedtime routine to help regulate the nervous system. Gentle movement rather than intense exercise was encouraged, alongside proper rest without guilt.

The gut-hormone connection

She also explained the crucial role of gut health in hormone regulation, particularly a group of bacteria known as the estrobolome, which helps process and regulate oestrogen in the body. If the gut is out of balance, hormone symptoms such as brain fog, anxiety and inflammation can worsen.

As part of this wider approach, she recommended Better Gut, a probiotic designed specifically for women in perimenopause, to support gut health alongside dietary changes.

None of it felt extreme. It felt achievable. So I started to make a few of these small changes every day.

What shifted

I started taking one capsule of Better Gut probiotic once a day, alongside more movement (walking daily, some simple strength exercises), less sugar and alcohol, and added protein. Simple swaps like having eggs for breakfast and salmon for dinner.

After about three weeks, something shifted. My colitis symptoms were less noticeable. The constant inflammation settled and my digestion felt calmer than it had in months.

But what surprised me most was my mental clarity. The brain fog began to lift.

I could find words again. I felt less anxious and more grounded. I was not suddenly a different person, but I felt more like myself for the first time in over a year.

A new career, a better life

As my confidence returned, I felt ready to think about work again. I knew I still wanted to support families and children, just in a way that felt manageable and meaningful.

I now work as a neurodiversity family support practitioner, supporting children and parents more closely on an individual basis. The pace and pressure is not like teaching, but I feel like I make a real difference.

I love my new job. I feel calmer, more present and more fulfilled than I did before. In many ways, I am happier now than I ever was in my teaching career.

Looking back, perimenopause did not end my career. It changed it for the better.

What I wish more women knew

All is not lost when perimenopause hits. With the right medical guidance, alongside natural and practical support, there is a plan. There is another way of looking at this stage of life that can be stabilising, empowering and genuinely life-changing.

I did not lose my mind. I found a new way forward.

Better Gut is a daily probiotic formulated specifically for women in perimenopause and menopause. It contains six clinically studied bacterial strains chosen to support the gut-hormone connection, ease digestive discomfort and help restore balance from the inside out.

If you are experiencing persistent memory loss, brain fog or cognitive changes, please speak with your GP or a menopause-informed healthcare provider. These symptoms are common in perimenopause but should always be checked.

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