Yes, Perimenopause Is Exhausting – Try This Easy iPad Coloring Routine (No Energy Required)

Some days, your brain just taps out. Not in a dramatic way. Not in a crisis way. Just quietly refuses to cooperate. You open your phone, forget why. Walk into a room, no idea what you needed. Try to start something simple and immediately feel overwhelmed.

The worst part? You know you should probably “do something to feel better” but you don’t have the energy to figure out what that is.

That’s where perimenopause tends to live. I shared more about my experience in my post about going from Mom Life to Perimenopause.

When Your Capacity Is Basically Gone

There’s this assumption that if something is “good for you,” you’ll just do it. But perimenopause doesn’t work like that. When you’re dealing with brain fog, a fatigue that doesn’t match your sleep, and a body that feels unpredictable even low-effort things can feel like too much.

Instead of asking, “What’s the best self-care routine?” a better question is: “What can I do when I have almost no capacity?”

This Is Where Coloring Came In

I didn’t want a complicated routine, a long journaling practice, or anything that required consistency. I needed something I could pick up mid-exhaustion and not overthink. Something that I could do just for me and that I could finish in one sitting.

I shared the about Perimenopause Coloring & Reflection Book when I released the print version.

[You can grab the physical book on Amazon here]

That version matters. It’s something you can hold, flip through, and step away from screens with. But after putting it out into the world, I knew I had to get it out for digital coloring as well. Because some days you need to just print one page, so you don’t feel overwhelmed. Some days you need to just pull out your iPad and take some time to breath and think.

Purchase Digital Version Now

Why I Made a Printable/iPad Version

Perimenopause doesn’t just make you tired it changes how much effort everything takes. Some days getting up feels like a lot and focusing feels like a stretch. Even simple “relaxing” activities feel complicated.

I realized that even coloring, something that’s supposed to be easy, can still require too much setup on low-capacity days. You have to find your supplies, clear a space, sit upright somewhere, commit to the activity, and sometimes that’s just not happening.

I Made Coloring Even Easier

I created a printable (digital) version of the book so you can use it in the lowest-effort way possible by printing one page or by using your iPad.

Now you can open the Perimenopause with a Side of Snark Coloring Book on your iPad (even when you are waiting for a doctor’s appointment), color from the couch, stop whenever you want, come back without any mess or setup. No pressure. No prep. No “I should be doing this better.” You also get to remove the burden of your marker being permanent – just erase or undo what you did and start again.

The iPad Version is Amazing

I didn’t expect this part. But using it digitally? It’s easier on your brain. Which makes it way more usable on the exact days you need it most.

So if you’ve never colored on your iPad before, I’ll walk you through exactly how to do it.

How to Color This Book on Your iPad (Using Procreate)

If you’ve never done this before, don’t overthink it. This is very beginner friendly. Procreate is my favorite app for digital coloring and creation. You can choose your brush (maybe you like painting, maybe color pencil or just want a marker style experience – brushes have it all!), you can use a color palette to make sure you don’t get overwhelmed with your color options, you can use the blend tool to blend smoother, and/or you can use layers to do your shading quick and easy.

What You Need

iPad
Apple Pencil (or stylus)
Procreate

Step 1: Import Your Page

Download your PDF
Open Procreate
Tap +
Tap Insert File ? choose the PDF
Find the page you want
You can copy the canvas to put it in its own page or you can color it right there.

Step 2: Set the Line Art to Multiply

Tap your coloring page layer
Change it to Multiply
This lets you color underneath the lines

Step 3: Add a Layer Underneath

Tap +
Drag the new layer below your line art
Now you’re ready to color

Step 4: It’s Time To Color

Pick your favorite brush
Pick your favorite color palette (Follow me on Instagram for palette ideas)
Color slowly and slowly build your shading, texture and bring your imagination to life

Faster Coloring: Use Color Drop

Pick a color
Drag it into a section
If it floods everything:
undo
adjust the threshold by sliding your pencil

Hint: Remove All Pressure if You Need

You don’t need shading, blending, or a “finished” look. Flat color is enough. Messy is enough.

Sometimes coloring is about giving your brain something gentle to focus on.

Why This Works When Nothing Else Sounds Good

When your system is overwhelmed, your brain isn’t looking for productivity. It’s looking for something predictable, something contained and something that doesn’t demand decisions.

Digital coloring checks all of those boxes because you can just sit down and open your iPad to just color for five minutes without any cleanup or guilt. That’s the level of effort that actually works on hard days.

Another Option for Simplifying Coloring: Print One Page at a Time

You can import any PDF coloring page into your favorite iPad coloring app, but you can also use this digital coloring book to simplify by just printing one page at a time. Sometimes a full coloring book can be intimidating, especially if you feel like you have to finish the whole book. The digital version can help you remember just one page being done is enough.