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Episode Description

Walked into a room and forgot why you're there? Blanked on a colleague's name? Stared at your vitamin bottle wondering if you already took them? You're not losing it—your brain is just maxed out. In this episode, Dr. Julie Merriman explains the science behind why your memory feels like it's failing (spoiler: it's not), and gives you permission to stop blaming yourself.

What You'll Learn

• Why you're forgetting things (and why it's not early dementia)
• The real science behind "cognitive load" and working memory
• How stress, sleep deprivation, and perimenopause affect your brain
• Why your brilliant brain is actually protecting you
• Permission to stop trying to be superhuman

Key Takeaways

The Science: Your brain handles up to 50,000 decisions daily as a healthcare professional. Chronic stress reduces prefrontal cortex volume, and fluctuating estrogen during perimenopause directly impacts memory formation and retrieval. Your working memory capacity shrinks when you're overwhelmed—it's not failure, it's triage.

The Truth: You can still remember the Krebs cycle, every patient allergy, and what your teenager said three years ago. Your brain isn't broken—it's refusing to waste energy on low-stakes information when you're running on fumes.

The Permission Slip: You're allowed to forget things. You're allowed to write everything down. You're allowed to ask someone to repeat their name. Your brain is doing exactly what it's supposed to do—protecting you by conserving energy.

Resources Mentioned

• Free 20-Minute Soul Joy Method Call: [www.juliemerrimanphd.com]
• Soul Joy Challenge: [www.juliemerrimanphd.com]

Research Referenced

• University of California study on daily decision-making
• Neuroscience journal research on stress and prefrontal cortex volume
• Studies on estrogen's role in memory formation and retrieval

About the Host

Dr. Julie Merriman helps healthcare professionals in midlife reclaim their joy and build their next chapter without burnout. Through the Soul Joy Method, she combines science-backed strategies with real talk to help you stop blaming yourself and start living fully.

Connect

• Website: [www.juliemerrimanphd.com]
• Instagram: [@dr.juliemerriman]
• Facebook: [Dr. Julie Merriman Wellness, LLC]

Remember: You're not broken. You're not too old. You're not losing it. You're just carrying too much, and your brain is begging you to put some of it down.

#ActuallyYoureFine #MidlifeWomen #Perimenopause #CognitiveLoad #BurnoutRecovery #HealthcareProfessionals #SoulJoy