Meno-Rage: Why Menopause Can Make You Feel Angry and How Yoga Can Help

By Dr Natalie Hutchins

If you’ve ever felt sudden irritability, low tolerance, or flashes of anger during perimenopause or menopause, you’re not imagining it there’s a physiological reason behind what many women describe as “meno-rage.”

What is Meno-Rage?

“Meno-rage” isn’t a medical diagnosis, but a shorthand many women use for the heightened irritability, emotional volatility, or anger outbursts that can accompany the hormonal transition at the time of the menopause and perimenopause.

Falling and fluctuating levels of oestrogen and progesterone affect several brain systems that regulate mood and stress response:

• Serotonin and GABA signalling: both influenced by oestrogen and the decline in oestrogen can lead to reduced calmness and emotional instability.

• The amygdala (the brain’s threat and emotion centre) becomes more reactive, while prefrontal control, the region that regulates emotional impulses, can be blunted by poor sleep or stress.

• Simultaneous life pressures at midlife (caregiving, work stress, ageing parents) further activate the sympathetic nervous system and HPA axis, amplifying cortisol release and the feeling of being constantly “on edge.”

The result is a nervous system primed for reactivity, in which small frustrations can feel like major threats.

How Yoga Helps: The Science Behind the Calm

Yoga addresses ‘meno-rage’  through both neurophysiological and hormonal mechanisms, offering a body-based way to down-regulate the stress response.

1. Autonomic Nervous System Regulation

   
   

   Slow, diaphragmatic breathing and mindful movement activate the vagus nerve, increasing parasympathetic tone and reducing sympathetic overdrive. This rebalances the body’s “fight-or-flight” response, lowering heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol.

2. Neurotransmitter Modulation

   
   

   Regular yoga practice has been shown to increase gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels, the brain’s main inhibitory neurotransmitter, which helps counter anxiety and agitation. Functional MRI studies demonstrate greater activation of prefrontal cortical regions after yoga, strengthening emotional regulation and impulse control.

3. Endocrine and Inflammatory Effects

   
   

   Yoga can normalise HPA axis activity, leading to lower baseline cortisol and improved circadian rhythm. It also reduces pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 and TNF-α, both of which are linked to mood disturbances and fatigue.

   
   

4. Physical Movement and Interoception

   
   

   The mindful, body-aware nature of yoga enhances interoception, which refers to the ability to sense and interpret internal body states by improving emotional self-awareness. Physical postures release muscular tension from chronic stress, while rhythmic breathing re-entrains calm physiological patterns.

The Takeaway

Meno-rage is not “in your head”; it’s a reflection of real neuroendocrine changes that affect how your body and brain process stress. Yoga doesn’t just help you “relax”; it retrains the stress pathways themselves.

Try it yourself with this ‘meno-rage’ focused routine

References

Streeter, C. C., Gerbarg, P. L., Saper, R. B., Ciraulo, D. A., & Brown, R. P. (2012). Effects of yoga on the autonomic nervous system, gamma-aminobutyric acid, and allostasis in epilepsy, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 18(7), 702–714.

Pascoe, M. C., Thompson, D. R., & Ski, C. F. (2017). Yoga, mindfulness-based stress reduction and stress-related physiological measures: A meta-analysis. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 86, 152–168.

Goyal, M., Singh, S., Sibinga, E. M., Gould, N. F., Rowland-Seymour, A., Sharma, R., … Haythornthwaite, J. A. (2014). Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being: A systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Internal Medicine, 174(3), 357–368.

Cramer, H., Peng, W., Lauche, R., & Dobos, G. (2018). Yoga for menopausal symptoms—A systematic review and meta-analysis. Menopause, 25(8), 848–860.

Ross, A., & Thomas, S. (2010). The health benefits of yoga and exercise: A review of comparison studies. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 16(1), 3–12.

Innes, K. E., & Selfe, T. K. (2010). Yoga for menopause-related symptoms: A systematic review. Menopause, 17(5), 1050–1060.