The Menopause: Turns out it’s not the beginning of the end, it’s the start of a rather fabulous middle!
Are you one of the many women who can say …. “Actually, I’m quite looking forward to the menopause”? I hope so as it’s about time we reframed this whole chapter and do look at the more positive aspects of the menopause.
For years, menopause has mainly been painted as the moment the curtain drops, the lights go out and the orchestra packs up. But what if it’s more like the interval? A chance to stretch your legs, grab a drink and come back feeling more yourself than ever.
How about thinking more like this: it isn’t a loss. It’s a shift. A recalibration. A moment when the body says, “Right, those sex hormones have been running the show for decades. Let’s give the rest of the team a turn.” It’s not shutting down; it’s redistributing power. A hormonal reshuffle.
Is this too radical a thought??? Am I being very controversial here??
Yes, we can’t ignore that it is a fact. Women have a biological clock. We lose our sex hormones, muscle mass & bone density.
BUT there are always different ways to look at these facts and do something positive mentally and physically to manage this stage of our lives.
Space & freedom to change your mindset
And with that comes the need to recognise what YOU, as an individual needs: space and freedom to change your mindset.
Space to accept yourself in a way you maybe never have. Space to feel mentally stronger, spiritually grounded and far less bothered by the nonsense that used to keep you up at night. There’s a clarity that arrives—sometimes slowly, sometimes with a dramatic fanfare—but it arrives.
Yes, there may be hot flushes, anxiety & heaps of other symptoms, but we can look into the best ways each of us can manage these symptoms – whether using HRT or acupuncture or supplements, whatever makes you feel better.
Be Proactive & find out what you can do
The main symptom which hit me in my perimenopause, was anxiety. It was also around the time I lost my father. I suddenly had panic attacks, I couldn’t drink alcohol or not much as I had heart palpitations.
I didn’t understand it and found it really scary how my mind went totally overboard with anxious thoughts & how my body reacted to them.
What did I do? I went on HRT, but I also researched anxiety. I was proactive in helping myself both understand what was going on and to seek support.
I looked into having hypnotherapy, I tried CBT – rapid eye movement (which was amazing) but I also bought some books on it to understand it (Anxiety Panicking about Panic by Joshua Fletcher or a more scientific but interesting book, Rewire Your Anxious Brain but Pittman & Karle)
These books helped me understand so much more about what happens with the brain & body when anxious. I highly recommend them.
I also looked which supplements were good to help the nervous system and checked they would be ok for me to take.
So it may be time for you to stand up against some of your symptoms. Learn about what is happening and build some confidence around what you can do. A confidence that isn’t loud or showy, just deeply rooted.
Reframe your menopause
Remember, trying to reframe the menopause is about seeking out the positives. No more periods, whoop whoop! A renewed feeling of feeling stronger mentally. It can be easier obviously, once you are over the worst of your symptoms.
- Begin to look at what an amazing a person you are.
- Jot down the gratitude you have for all your body does for you and appreciate it.
- Appreciate what you have done in your life, everything you have achieved. Never underestimate how amazing you are and have been.
- Embrace your age and try to gain confidence in yourself, its YOUR time.
Menopause isn’t the end of everything.
It’s the beginning of a new, unapologetic, wonderfully liberated version of you. A time to stop shrinking, stop apologising and start owning the space you’ve earned.
