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It may still feel like winter in some parts of the country—we see you, late-season sweaters and surprise chilly mornings—but the calendar says otherwise. We’re well into spring, and summer will be here before we know it.
For many of us, that means longer days, outdoor dinners, weekend trips and finally remembering what it feels like to leave the house without a jacket. But for women in midlife, warmer weather can also bring a very specific set of challenges.
During perimenopause and menopause, shifting estrogen levels can affect the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that helps regulate body temperature. As those hormonal shifts occur, the body’s thermoneutral zone—the range in which we feel comfortable, neither too hot, nor too cold—can become narrower. In other words, it may take a much smaller temperature change to set off a hot flash, night sweat or sudden wave of heat.
And when the weather is already warm? The body has even less room to adjust.
High temperatures, humidity, travel, disrupted sleep, alcohol, spicy foods, stress and even the wrong clothing can all make symptoms feel more intense. Add in the fact that midlife physiological changes can reduce the body’s cooling efficiency, and heat becomes more than just uncomfortable—it can affect sleep, hydration and overall well-being.
It’s one more reminder that midlife health is not separate from the seasons. Our bodies are constantly responding to the world around us, and the way we care for ourselves should shift accordingly.
That doesn’t mean we need to dread the warmer months. It means we deserve to prepare for them with more information and less shame. Staying hydrated, dressing in breathable layers, cooling the bedroom before sleep, paying attention to personal triggers and talking to a healthcare provider when symptoms interfere with daily life are all acts of self-preservation.
Summer should still feel like possibility. But as the temperature rises, so should our understanding of what midlife women actually need to stay well. |
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Meet the Therapist Helping Women Stop Running on EmptyTrained therapist, speaker and author Israa Nasir has spent her career helping people better understand their emotional lives. As the founder of The Well Guide, a digital mental health brand, Nasir creates grounded, accessible tools for people who may look “high functioning” on the outside but feel stretched thin on the inside.
Her book, Toxic Productivity, explores why so many of us tie our worth to what we accomplish—and how to begin building a healthier relationship with work, rest and self-trust.
Recently, Nasir spoke with Flow Space and shared why high-achieving women are especially vulnerable to burnout, the warning signs that should not be ignored and how creativity can help us reconnect with joy. |
In your work, you explore the concept of “toxic productivity.” Why do so many high-achieving women feel pressure to constantly perform and accomplish?A lot of high achieving women are raised in home environments that demand excellence. It comes from inside; you make it your self perspective. When you get out into the real world, it's also demanding this from you. You have to work harder to be seen, creating a high pressure and high comparison environment, which leads many to burnout.
Midlife can be a time when women are balancing careers, caregiving and dealing with their own health. What are some early warning signs that someone may be heading toward burnout?
It's almost like midlife is another round of puberty, but you kind of know yourself a little more than you did last time. Some signs to look for: your body. We're trained not to listen, but drop in, pay attention to rhythm, pains, etc. Another sign is feeling very disconnected from your life, like suddenly your accomplishments don't make you feel content or full. That's a sign that you may be busy but not purposeful. And the final one is a low-grade simmering resentment ... If that's the predominant emotion you're carrying, that means your boundaries are being crossed.
If someone wants to build a healthier relationship with work and productivity, what’s one small mindset shift that can make a big difference?Add some creativity to your life. Doodling, reading. These activate a different part of your brain and will show you all joy doesn't need to come from productivity or work.
How do you find flow—that moment, or ability, to be fully immersed and present in the moment—in your life?
To try to engage as many senses as you can as possible in the thing that you're doing. Doing something tactile with your hands or having unstimulated time … No music, no TV, etc. You drop into your body completely and activate the state of flow. |
Staying Well in Warm WeatherSummer has a way of making everything feel a little more possible. Longer days invite us outside, warmer nights make travel feel irresistible and, suddenly, the routines we’ve been keeping all winter start to shift.
But while the season can bring more movement, connection and joy, it can also place new demands on our bodies—especially in midlife. Heat, travel, disrupted schedules, outdoor activity and time spent near the water all require a little more preparation than we may have needed in previous decades. And when we’re already navigating hormonal shifts, changing metabolism, sleep disruptions or chronic health needs, “summer wellness” becomes less about vague self-care and more about practical, body-aware planning.
That might mean thinking ahead before traveling with GLP-1 medications like Ozempic or Wegovy, which can require careful temperature control, extra supplies and a plan for managing side effects while on the go. It might also mean paying closer attention to the aches and strains that come with summer’s more active routines, from barefoot beach strolls to hiking in unsupportive shoes—especially since plantar fasciitis is more common in women and can make every step feel harder than it should.
And as many of us head toward pools, lakes, beaches and vacation rentals, it’s also worth taking an honest look at water safety. Many adults overestimate their swimming ability, and women are more likely than men to report that they can’t swim. Refreshing those skills before summer is not just smart—it’s a powerful way to protect ourselves and the people we love.
The good news is that none of this means we need to approach the season with fear. It simply means we deserve to meet summer with the same thoughtfulness we bring to every other part of our health. A little planning can help us travel more comfortably, move more confidently and stay safer in the places that bring us joy. Because feeling good this summer starts with listening to what our bodies need now—not what they needed 10 years ago. |
CELEBRATING the launch of the Women’s Health AI Consortium, a first-of-its-kind industry group created to establish shared benchmarks and ethical standards for AI in women’s health. With leaders from Willow, Ema, Oura and other big names involved, the initiative aims to ensure women’s health tools are clinically safe, culturally aware and built with women’s real lives in mind—not incomplete data or one-size-fits-all standards.
READING Dr. Kemi Doll’s A Terrible Strength: The Hidden Crisis of the Black Womb and Your Survival Guide to Healing, a powerful new book that examines the systemic gynecological health crisis facing Black women. Blending science-backed information with lived experience, Doll offers readers the language, tools and clarity needed to better advocate for their care.
APPLAUDING Hone Health’s new Menopause Time Off Movement, which is pushing employers to recognize menopause as a legitimate workplace health issue. Along with practical tools for companies and employees, Hone is launching an MTO Fund that will award 50 $1,000 microgrants to people navigating menopause without access to paid leave.
EXPLORING Flo Health’s new doctor-backed in-app suite of perimenopause tools, which includes a symptom checker, a scientifically validated "Perimenopause Score," a "Menopause Timeline" and personalized relief options—all designed to help women better understand what’s happening in their bodies and take the next step toward medically verified care. |
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Off-Kilter: Finding Balance in Perimenopause Please join Flow Space + Balance on Thursday, June 4, at 5:30 p.m. in New York City for a special preview of the film Balance: A Perimenopause Journey, about two monks who lose their cool when they hit this phase. A candid conversation will follow about midlife, hormones and sisterhood. Because when it comes to women's health, if silence is what ails us, community is the cure. Drinks & lite bites will be served. RSVP here! |
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