Menopause Awareness Month is in October with Menopause Awareness Day on the 18th October 2024. The purpose of the month, and day, is to raise awareness of menopause and the support options available for improving health and wellbeing of our family and friends.
If you can put a positive psychological spin on some of the multitude of symptoms that present when women go through menopause, it can help.
When I was going through the hot flushes in bed, I used to say to myself: “I am lying on a sandy beach in a faraway land, the sun has just come out from behind that cloud, and it is melting me! Enjoy this beach feeling”. As the flush subsided, I would imagine the cloud had returned and I was a little chilly. I topped up my feeling good by saying I was flushing out the toxins as if I had just done a run!
What is perimenopause?
Perimenopause is when you have symptoms of menopause, but your periods have not stopped. Perimenopause ends and you reach menopause when you have not had a period for 12 months.
Symptoms of menopause can have a big impact on your daily life, including relationships at home or at work, social life, family life, and work. It is a natural process of ageing, but the hormone changes can make us feel like a different version of ourselves, maybe a little out of control.
What are the symptoms of menopause?
Farmer Palmer’s proudly has a team that includes women between 40 and 60 years old. We also recognise that as night sweats improve, women may develop any of the following, often hidden from others;
- Changes to your mood like; low mood, anxiety, mood swings, and low self-esteem.
- Brain fog; problems with memory or concentration need recognition. It is slightly different from the ‘baby brain’ all those years ago!
There are things you can do to help with menopause symptoms, including medicines that can replace the missing hormones and help relieve your symptoms. Please see your GP for more details on this and whether this is the right option for you.
Lifestyle changes to help with menopause
- Some positive self-talk can help your mental wellbeing.
- Examine your nutrition, exercise (walking, running or dancing), rest and sleep. Eating well, exercising, and looking after your mental well-being can help with symptoms during perimenopause and menopause.
Things you can do to help mood changes
Talk to other people going through the same thing, like family, friends, or colleagues. You can even speak to the friendly team at Macmillian through their Support Line.
How to ease hot flushes and night sweats
- Consider light clothing, a cool bedroom, and a cool shower
- Avoid potential triggers, such as spicy food, caffeine, hot drinks, smoking, and alcohol.
- A top tip from a friend was to introduce individual duvets on a bed, so you can enjoy the perfect nights sleep by the side of your loved one, without fighting over the duvet!
- Find a self-talk mechanism that makes you feel in control.
Protecting against weak bones
- Build in some weight-bearing exercises and resistance exercises (for example, using weights).
- Ensure you are getting fruit, veg, and good sources of calcium, such as milk, yoghurt, and kale.
- Get some sunlight on your skin as this triggers the production of vitamin D, which can help keep your bones healthy, or supplements in winter.
