<p>Today’s guest, <strong>Amita Sharma</strong>, shares her deeply personal experience with perimenopause in the corporate world, the mental health toll it took, and how she turned that struggle into <strong>NourishDoc</strong>, a global wellness platform for women 40 and over.</p> <p>This award-winning episode of <em>Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads</em> brings you a powerful, eye-opening conversation about the intersection of menopause, mindfulness, and mental health. With over <strong>2 million downloads</strong>, we are proud to be the <strong>2024 People's Choice Podcast Award Winner for Health</strong> and the <strong>2024 Women in Podcasting Award Winner for Best Mental Health Podcast</strong>.</p> <p>We want to hear from YOU. Drop us a voice message or leave your thoughts at:<br><strong><a href="https://castfeedback.com/67521f0bde0b101c7b10442a" rel="noopener">https://castfeedback.com/67521f0bde0b101c7b10442a</a></strong></p> <hr> <p><strong>Mental Health Quote:</strong><br><em>"The sooner you embrace yourself, the sooner you start living your truth. Otherwise, you're just wearing a mask."</em> — Amita Sharma</p> <hr> <p><strong>What This Episode Covers</strong><br>Amita opens up about the <strong>invisible toll of perimenopause</strong>, from brain fog and depression to sleep deprivation and lost libido—all while trying to survive in a high-stakes, male-dominated tech career. We explore how <strong>mindfulness, acupuncture, holistic nutrition, and boundary-setting</strong> became her survival tools, and how that journey became the seed for <strong>NourishDoc. This comprehensive wellness platform</strong> helps thousands of midlife women worldwide.</p> <p><strong>SEO Keywords:</strong><br>Menopause mental health, perimenopause anxiety, midlife women support, mindfulness for menopause, holistic wellness, mental health for women over 40, Amita Sharma, NourishDoc</p> <hr> <p><strong>Meet Our Guest: Amita Sharma</strong><br>A former high-tech executive turned wellness innovator, <strong>Amita Sharma</strong> is the founder of <strong>NourishDoc</strong>. Her lived experience as a <strong>perimenopausal woman in corporate America</strong> ignited a mission to support other women through the mental and physical chaos of midlife. NourishDoc offers integrative, evidence-based programs for women 35+, tackling sexual health, menopause symptoms, mental clarity, and long-term chronic condition prevention.</p> <p><strong>Amita’s Links:</strong><br>Website: <a href="http://www.nourishdoc.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">http://www.nourishdoc.com/</a><br>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Nourishdoc/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.facebook.com/Nourishdoc/</a><br>X (Twitter): <a href="https://x.com/nourishdoc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://x.com/nourishdoc</a><br>YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@nourishdoc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.youtube.com/@nourishdoc</a><br>Instagram: <a href="http://www.instagram.com/nourish_doc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">http://www.instagram.com/nourish_doc</a><br>LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/amita-sharma-nourishdoc/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.linkedin.com/in/amita-sharma-nourishdoc/</a></p> <hr> <p><strong>Key Takeaways:</strong></p> <ol> <li>Perimenopause isn’t just hot flashes—it deeply impacts <strong>mental health</strong>, identity, and daily functioning.</li> <li><strong>Holistic wellness tools, such as yoga, journaling, and red-light therapy,</strong> can help restore balance.</li> <li>There’s a serious <strong>education gap</strong> in healthcare—many doctors are not trained to recognize or treat perimenopause.</li> </ol> <hr> <p><strong>Actionable Tips from Amita:</strong></p> <ol> <li><strong>Track your symptoms</strong> and advocate for testing—don’t wait for your doctor to connect the dots.</li> <li>Start <strong>mindfulness and journaling</strong> daily to help process changes and center yourself.</li> <li>Explore integrative therapies<span>, such as <strong>acupuncture, dietary changes, and vaginal health supplements,</strong> to enhance</span> quality of life.</li> </ol>   <hr> <p><strong>Important Chapters & Timestamps</strong><br>00:00 – Intro & Meet Amita<br>03:00 – From Architecture to High-Tech to Holistic Health<br>07:00 – What Perimenopause <em>Really</em> Feels Like<br>12:00 – Mental Health Impact: Depression, Anxiety & Fog<br>16:00 – Cultural Stigma & Workplace Silence<br>22:00 – Loss of Libido, Intimacy, and Sexual Health<br>28:00 – How NourishDoc Empowers Women<br>35:00 – Systemic Gaps in Women’s Healthcare<br>43:00 – Amita’s Advice to Her Younger Self</p> <p><strong>References:</strong></p> <ul> <li>NourishDoc Research & Programs – <a href="http://www.nourishdoc.com/" rel="noopener">http://www.nourishdoc.com/</a></li> <li>WHO and NIH studies on menopause-related mental health</li> <li>PubMed clinical research (as referenced by