A Day in Menopause · A Hormonal Comedy by Nurit Rozenblat
Chapter Three: 08:16 — Who Stole My Energy?
At 08:16 Dana decided she was going to do something useful.
After a night with almost no sleep, and a morning in which she had already managed to get angry, laugh, cry over a video of a dog, and reconsider her marriage for thirty seconds, she felt it was time to come back to herself.
She stood in the middle of the living room and announced:
"I'm going to tidy the house."
Eyal, who was sitting on the sofa, raised his head.
"Now?"
"Yes. Why?"
"I don't know. I thought you were tired."
"I'm perfectly fine."
He nodded.
"Okay."
Dana looked around.
A few cushions out of place, a blanket thrown over the armchair, a pile of magazines on the table.
Ten minutes of work.
She picked up one cushion.
Arranged it.
Picked up the second one.
And then sat down.
Eyal looked at her.
"Finished?"
"I'm taking a break."
"What?"
"A break."
"But you only just started."
Dana looked at him.
"Would you like me to tidy you too?"
He immediately went back to his phone.
Dana leaned back.
Something was not right.
This wasn't ordinary tiredness.
She knew tiredness. Three children, work, a house, a whole life of running from place to place.
But this was a different tiredness.
As if someone had drained her battery to one percent without notifying her.
Dana, this could be related to the fatigue that appears during the transition.
"Really? That has a name too?"
Fatigue and exhaustion are common complaints during this period. Hormonal changes, hot flashes, fragmented sleep, and stress can all contribute to a feeling of no energy.
"So my body wakes me up all night and then complains that I'm tired in the morning?"
In simple words, yes.
"I want to speak to the manager."
You've already tried. There's no answer.
Dana looked at Eyal.
"I think my battery has run out."
He raised his head.
"Then rest."
"I don't want to rest."
"Then don't rest."
"But I'm tired."
"Then rest."
Dana stared at him.
"You do understand you're not helping me?"
"I'm beginning to understand."
At 08:27 Dana decided to fight the fatigue.
She got up from the sofa.
"I'm going for a walk."
Eyal raised his head.
"Want me to come?"
"No, I want some air."
"Okay."
She put on sneakers, took a bottle of water, and went out to the garden.
The sun had already risen.
The air was pleasant.
The birds were chirping.
Dana breathed deeply.
Started walking.
Ten steps.
Twenty.
Thirty.
And then she noticed the lounge chair by the pool.
It looked especially inviting.
She sat down.
Just for a minute.
Closed her eyes.
Dana.
"What?"
That isn't exactly a walk.
"I'm connecting with nature."
You're sitting.
"The trees don't move either, and nobody tells them they're not doing sports."
Interesting point.
Dana leaned back.
She felt as if her whole body were made of concrete.
"Tell me, is it normal to feel like this?"
It can happen, especially after a night like yours. But it's important not to attribute every exhaustion to hormones. If the fatigue continues, is unusual in its intensity, or comes with other symptoms, it's worth also checking factors like anemia, thyroid problems, or sleep disorders.
"And what can be done?"
Improve sleep quality, keep up moderate movement, eat regularly, drink enough, and give the body time to recover. If the fatigue is significant and persistent, the cause needs to be investigated.
Dana opened one eye.
"You're telling me I need to sleep."
Among other things.
"Great. Explain that to my brain at three in the morning."
At 08:39 Eyal came out to the garden.
He found Dana lying on the lounge chair.
Eyes closed.
Arms at her sides.
He approached quietly.
"Dana?"
"What?"
"Are you asleep?"
"No."
"Then what are you doing?"
"Meditating."
"Ah."
He looked at her.
"In sneakers?"
Dana opened one eye.
"I'm doing athletic meditation."
Eyal smiled.
"Nice. How many calories does that burn?"
"Depends how much they annoy me."
He laughed and sat down beside her.
"Do you want me to bring you something?"
Dana thought for a moment.
"Yes."
"What?"
"A bed."
"We have one upstairs."
"I want one here."
"In the garden?"
"Yes."
Eyal nodded.
"I'll check if we can order one."
Dana looked at him.
"Are you laughing at me?"
"A little."
She smiled.
He held out his hand to her.
"Come. Go up and rest."
Dana looked at his hand.
"I can't."
"Why?"
"If I get up now, I'll have to walk."
Eyal burst out laughing.
"That's usually what happens when you get up."
"You see? That's exactly why I'm staying."
At 08:51 Dana got up anyway.
Not because her energy had come back.
But because the sun had started heating the chair, and she was no longer willing to take any risk connected with heat.
Eyal walked her inside.
"You know what?" he said. "Today we don't have to do anything."
Dana looked at him.
"Anything?"
"Anything."
"No tidying?"
"No."
"No cleaning?"
"No."
"No shopping?"
"No."
"No cooking?"
"No."
Dana stopped.
"Are you sure you're feeling well?"
"Excellent."
She smiled.
"So maybe we'll order food tonight."
"Gladly."
"And you'll tidy the living room?"
"Yes."
"And put in a load of laundry?"
"Yes."
"And take out the trash?"
"Yes."
Eyal stopped.
"Wait. I thought we said we're not doing anything."
Dana smiled at him.
"Right. I'M not doing anything."
He looked at her.
And then started to laugh.
"Ah, I see."
Dana sat down on the sofa and put her feet up.
You see? Sometimes it's important to listen to the body and give yourself rest.
"Right."
Just don't expect Eyal to adopt the same approach.
Dana looked at her husband, who had already started arranging the cushions.
"I'm not worried about him."
"Why?" Eyal asked.
"Because you're in excellent shape."
He smiled.
"Thanks."
"And besides, you slept all night."
Eyal stopped with the cushion in his hand.
"I knew that would come back to me."
Dana laughed.
The time was 08:56.
The house still wasn't tidy.
The laundry was still waiting.
And the to-do list was still long.
But Dana had discovered something important:
Sometimes the best way to deal with a lack of energy is to stop pretending you have it.
And sometimes, if you're really lucky, there's someone at home who slept eight hours and can lift the cushions for you.
End of Chapter Three.
Continued in Chapter Four: 09:17 — Some Places Are Not for Scratching in Public
© 2026 Nurit Rozenblat. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or distributed without the author's prior written permission.
