Perimenopause: Why Didn't Anyone Tell Us?

Update: 2025-10-09

Description

Divorce rates are at historic lows—except for women over 50. Anna Snead, co-founder of The Agenda Period, reveals the hidden connection between perimenopause and what she calls “menopause divorce” on ThirtyFiveSixtyFour. Ever wonder why you suddenly can’t stand things you once tolerated? Anna’s been coaching women through these hormonal shifts for years, and she’s discovered something fascinating: that late luteal phase clarity you experience before your period? During perimenopause, it becomes your constant companion. Karen and Anna dive into why 75% of divorces are initiated by women during this phase—and it’s not because you’re “crazy.” Your brain is actually giving you unprecedented clarity about your life, needs, and boundaries. Anna challenges the narrative that perimenopause is just hot flashes and brain fog, reframing it as your “pro-self” era.

Ready to stop apologizing for who you’re becoming? Anna shares game-changing insights about the hormonal shift from “pro-social” to “pro-self”—and why this isn’t a crisis, it’s an awakening. From revealing why only a handful of species (including one devoted octopus) experience menopause, to explaining how men can use cycle awareness as relationship “cheat codes,” this conversation rewrites the perimenopause playbook. Anna introduces The Agenda Period app that syncs with your calendar and gives you the “now what” guidance most trackers miss. You’ll discover why taking your basal body temperature matters beyond fertility, how the moon connects to your cycle, and why Anna’s football coach husband now period-coaches his buddies. Most powerfully, Anna dismantles the shame around this transition and offers practical tools—including her viral “marriage saver” mirror tracker—to help you embrace this creatively fertile period of life.

Anna Snead is the co-founder of The Agenda Period, a former high school teacher turned life coach and cycle educator who’s passionate about body literacy and empowering women through hormonal understanding. With a background spanning 16 years in education, Anna discovered the profound connection between menstrual cycles and life decisions while coaching her very first client through what appeared to be a divorce—until Anna noticed the pattern between her client’s cycle phases and relationship feelings. This revelation launched Anna’s mission to help women become their own “cycle scientists.” As a 46-year-old navigating perimenopause herself while raising a daughter, Anna combines personal experience with professional expertise to make cycle awareness accessible and actionable. Through The Agenda Period app and educational content, she’s disrupting the silence around women’s hormonal health, teaching both women and their partners how to harness cycle knowledge for deeper relationships and self-understanding. Anna believes perimenopause isn’t an ending but a powerful transition into wisdom-sharing and authentic self-advocacy.

In this episode:

(00:00 ) Introduction: Anna Snead and The Agenda Period
(03:03 ) What is “Menopause Divorce”? The 75% Statistic Explained
(06:23 ) The Hormonal Shift: From Pro-Social to Pro-Self
(08:15 ) Perimenopause Brings Clarity, Not Just Symptoms
(10:55 ) Why You’re Becoming More Introverted (It’s Hormonal!)
(13:41 ) Reframing Perimenopause as Purpose, Not Ending
(16:49 ) The Agenda Period App: Your “Now What” Cycle Guide
(20:32 ) How Men Can Support Partners Through Cycle Awareness
(23:16 ) Tracking Ovulation When Periods Are Erratic
(26:21 ) The Marriage Saver: Teaching Partners Your Cycle Language
(29:56 ) Moon Cycles for Non-Bleeders and IUD Users
(32:40 ) Natural Progesterone: Anna’s Game-Changing Experience
(35:09 ) Perimenopause Starting Earlier: The Birth Control Connection
(38:23 ) Daily Check-Ins: Your Most Important Relationship Is With Yourself
(39:26 ) Closing and Next Steps
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Resources:

The Agenda Period Website: https://theagendaperiod.com The Agenda Period App (iOS and Android): Search “The Agenda.” in app stores The Agenda Period on Instagram The Agenda Period on TikTok The Agenda Period on YouTube

About:

ThirtyFiveSixtyFour is a podcast for listeners between the ages of 35 and 64. Available on all major podcast platforms, the show offers an engaging journey through the various challenges and experiences of midlife. ThirtyFiveSixtyFour presents a distinct departure from the traditional midlife crisis storyline. Instead, it champions the perspective that midlife should be viewed as a period marked by play, discovery, transformation and possibility.

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