Stood in the middle of a presentation last Tuesday and completely lost the thread. Not just the word, the actual thread of what I was saying. Just... gone. I could see my manager's face doing that polite waiting thing and I wanted to disappear through the floor. I've been a comms manager for twelve years. Twelve years. I don't lose threads. I'm 51 and I genuinely don't know if this is perimenopause or if I'm just exhausted or both, but something has shifted and it's starting to scare me a bit. I used to be the one people came to when they needed something explained clearly. Now I'm standing there grasping at words like they're soap in the bath. The only thing that's helped even slightly is keeping a proper sleep cutoff. I used to answer emails until 11pm because that's just how the job is. I've been trying to stop at half nine and actually get horizontal by ten. On the nights I manage it I'm not fixed but I'm... less underwater the next day. That's genuinely the best I can say for it. Also been experimenting with what I eat around 3pm because the afternoon crash is when the fog is worst. Used to grab whatever biscuits were in the kitchen. Now I'm trying to have something with a bit more substance before the crash hits rather than after. Still working out what actually makes a difference vs what I just hope is making a difference. When I finally see my GP I want to be able to describe this properly, the work stuff specifically, not just "I feel tired". Has anyone found a good way to explain cognitive slips to their doctor without sounding like you're being dramatic? Because I'm not being dramatic. This is my livelihood and it's wobbling. x