The nervous system continually gathers information, interprets what is happening around you and coordinates your response. It influences your thoughts and emotions, but it also affects physical processes such as breathing, heart rate, digestion, movement and sleep. Understanding how the nervous system works can help you recognize why your body responds the way it does, and how you can gently help it return to a greater sense of safety and balance.

Working mothers are often caught between two competing messages. On one side, women are encouraged to pursue education, develop their talents, build careers, and become financially independent. On the other, mothers are still expected to carry most of the emotional, logistical, and domestic responsibilities at home.

Perimenopause is the transition leading up to menopause. It often begins during a woman’s 40s, although it can begin earlier or later. During this transition, the ovaries change how they produce estrogen and progesterone. Hormone levels may rise and fall unpredictably rather than declining in a smooth, steady pattern. A woman has reached menopause after going 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period. Before that point, perimenopause can continue for several years.