Menopause, Brain Fog, and Going Back to School in Your 40s & 50s

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Are you finding yourself restless in the work you’ve been doing for the last 20+ years? Maybe the passion you once had has faded, and you’re sensing a pull toward something new, a different career, a fresh start, a path that finally reflects you. Or perhaps you’re that mom or spouse who put your dreams on hold so your family could thrive. You supported your spouse’s career. You raised your children. You held everything together. And now, for the first time in a long time, you’re whispering to yourself, “It’s my time now.”

And yet… something still holds you back.

Maybe it’s the brain fog that makes you second‑guess your sharpness. Maybe it’s the hot flashes that show up at the most inconvenient times. Maybe it’s the fatigue that whispers, “You don’t have the energy for this.” Or maybe it’s the quiet fear that you’ve been out of the classroom too long, that you won’t remember how to study, that you won’t fit in, that you won’t measure up.

I completely relate to what you're experiencing. I had similar emotions when I returned to school in my mid-40s to pursue a doctoral degree in Biblical Studies, and again now in my early 50s as I advance my career in healthcare. I repeatedly questioned myself, “What am I doing? What am I trying to prove? Do I have the stamina for this? Will I be able to learn quickly?” Those questions were persistent and genuine.

But here’s the truth no one told you loudly enough:

You are not starting from scratch — you are starting from experience.

You’ve navigated life, family, work, crisis, transition, heartbreak, healing, and reinvention. You’ve solved problems no textbook could have prepared you for. You’ve developed resilience that younger students haven’t even lived long enough to imagine. You’ve carried responsibilities that required strategy, emotional intelligence, endurance, and wisdom. Those aren’t just “life skills.” Those are academic skills. Those are leadership skills. Those are strengths.

Menopause may bring changes, but it also brings clarity — a stripping away of what no longer matters and a sharpening of what truly does. Brain fog may slow you down, but it does not disqualify you. Your age is not a barrier; it’s a badge of wisdom. This season is not a decline. It’s a recalibration. A reawakening. A reclaiming.

And that whisper — “It’s my time now” — is not a passing thought. It’s an invitation. A reminder that purpose doesn’t expire. Dreams don’t have an age limit. And calling doesn’t disappear just because life took you on a detour.

Going back to school in your 40s or 50s isn’t a sign that you’re behind. It’s a sign that you’re brave. It’s a sign that you’re listening to the part of you that refuses to settle. It’s a sign that you’re choosing growth over comfort, purpose over predictability, and your future over your fear.

So, if you’re feeling that tug, that holy restlessness, that quiet longing, that spark you thought had died, please pay attention. You are allowed to begin again. You are allowed to choose yourself. You are allowed to pursue the dream you postponed.

And you can do it, even in this season of hot flashes, hormone shifts, and brain fog. You can do it because you’ve already done harder things. You can do it because you’ve already survived seasons that tried to break you. You can do it because you are wiser, stronger, and more capable than you’ve ever been.

This is not the end of your story.

This is the chapter where you rise.

A New Year awaits friend!

Thank you for reading!

Margaret