Claudine Holt is an occupational medicine physician and life and embodiment coach.

Why perimenopause feels like losing yourself

Conditions
February 5, 2026

Many women entering perimenopause struggle to put words to what they are experiencing. They often say, “I don’t feel like myself anymore,” even when they can’t identify a single symptom that feels concrete or diagnosable. Emotionally, something feels different. Physically, their bodies feel unfamiliar, more aches, more pains, weight changes, or a sense that it’s harder to “get back on track.” Cognitively, many notice brain fog or a lack of …

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Why perimenopause feels like losing yourself

Nervous system dysregulation vs. stress: Why “just relaxing” doesn’t work

Physician
January 31, 2026

During the COVID-19 pandemic, conversations about burnout and stress exploded, particularly among health care workers. Much of the advice centered on self-care practices: taking time off, scheduling massages and spa days, practicing mindfulness, protecting your evenings, using your PTO. While these strategies are valuable, they are not the full story.

Positioning self-care as the solution to stress oversimplifies a much deeper physiological process. For many patients (and clinicians) stress is not …

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Nervous system dysregulation vs. stress: Why “just relaxing” doesn’t work

How female social conditioning leads to burnout

Physician
December 10, 2022

There has been a lot of talk about physician burnout over the past few years, and as an occupational medicine physician, I’m happy to see that conversation is taking place. For too long, we just saw burnout as an acceptable hazard that just comes with the job.

But it’s become clear to me that there’s a big missing piece in the discussion of burnout — particularly when we try to answer …

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How female social conditioning leads to burnout

5 reasons why women in medicine are burned out (and what to do about it)

Physician
May 5, 2022

There has been a lot of increased focus on burnout in health workers over the past two years—with good reason.  The added stress of a global health crisis to an inefficient system created a compounding effect on a pre-existing issue.  This has led to soaring rates of burnout and increased the overwhelm, moral injury, trauma, and stress that clinicians were already facing.

The great resignation is at our doorstep as well.  …

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5 reasons why women in medicine are burned out (and what to do about it)