If you’re in perimenopause or menopause, chances are you’ve done a lot of research.
You’ve listened to podcasts.
Saved Instagram posts.
Read articles about hormones, supplements, sleep, stress, and weight changes.
Collected menopause information like it’s your second job.
And honestly? That makes sense.
Learning feels productive.
It feels responsible.
It feels like progress.
But here’s the truth I see over and over again in my menopause coaching practice:
Motion is not the same thing as action.
Motion vs Action: What’s the Difference?
James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, talks about the difference between being in motion and taking action.
Motion is preparation that feels productive.
Action is the behavior that actually creates change.
In menopause, motion often looks like:
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Listening to podcasts about hormones
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Saving posts about supplements or workouts
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Researching menopause symptoms late at night
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Reading expert advice without implementing it
Motion feels good. It reassures us that we’re “doing something.”
But action is what actually shifts your daily life.
Action is what changes:
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How you sleep
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How you feel in your body
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How you manage stress
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How you show up at work, at home, and for yourself
Why So Many Women Get Stuck in Motion During Menopause
This part matters.
Women who are stuck in motion are not lazy.
They’re not unmotivated.
They’re not failing.
They care deeply about getting it right.
So, they keep learning.
They keep gathering information.
They know exactly what they should be doing.
And yet… nothing is actually changing in real life.
Because information alone does not regulate your nervous system, improve your sleep, or ease your symptoms.
Action does.
How to Make Action Easier in Menopause (Using Atomic Habits)
One of the most helpful ideas from Atomic Habits is this:
Habits aren’t about willpower. They’re about design.
That’s especially important in menopause, when brain fog, fatigue, overwhelm, and stress make “just try harder” completely unrealistic.
Here are two habit principles that matter most during this phase of life:
1. Make the Habit Obvious
(Reduce decision fatigue)
In menopause, decision-making is harder. Your brain is already working overtime.
Instead of asking yourself:
“What should I be doing to feel better?”
Action looks like:
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Placing supplements next to your coffee maker instead of in a cabinet
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Leaving walking shoes where you’ll actually see them
This isn’t about discipline.
It’s about working with a changing brain instead of fighting it.
2. Make the Habit Easy
(Lower the bar — on purpose)
Menopause is not the season for all-or-nothing thinking.
Action looks like:
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A 10-minute walk instead of a 60-minute workout
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A protein-forward breakfast instead of a perfect meal plan
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One consistent bedtime habit instead of a full evening routine
Small actions done consistently are far more powerful than perfect plans that never happen.
If You Know a Lot About Menopause but Still Don’t Feel Better
If you’ve ever thought:
“I know what I should be doing… so why don’t I feel any different?”
This is often why.
You’re not broken.
You’re not doing menopause wrong.
You’re just stuck in motion.
Awareness is an important first step.
But action is where things actually begin to shift.
Turning Knowledge into Real-Life Change
Inside my menopause coaching work, I help women bridge this exact gap.
We turn:
“I know what I should be doing”
Into:
“I’m actually doing it — and my life feels different.”
Through structure, support, accountability, and realistic strategies, we move beyond information overload and into habits that work with your menopausal body and nervous system.
If you’re ready to stop collecting information and start creating real change, you can learn more about working with me here:
And whether or not coaching is the next step for you, I’m cheering for you to choose action in whatever way makes sense for your life right now.
You deserve to feel better.