Meno...what??
PHOTO BY FUU J FROM UNSPLASH
Apparently it is World Menopause awareness month. I am the first to admit, I had no idea there was such a thing. I am thankful that this subject has been brought to the public attention by lovely ladies such as Divina Mccall. It certainly has been swept under the carpet for too long despite being the most natural thing to happen in the process of evolution!
I have often wondered, and am probably a tad guilty of this myself is why we find it so difficult to talk about the "m" word. It feels almost shameful to mention it in conversation for fear of bringing up the most taboo subject ever! However, I do think things are turning and more women than ever are voicing their concerns, speaking out and demanding that they receive the right treatments such as HRT. Navigating the world of HRT is no mean feat (believe me, I've been there) but it can be done. Once you have decided that this is the way forward for you and hopefully, your doctor is on your side, then the benefits of HRT not only prevent you from developing conditions such as osteoporosis (my biggest fear) but also helps improve your quality of life.
Speaking from personal experience, going on HRT was definitely the right course of action. It made sense that once the body loses oestrogen, a plethora of issues can suddenly crop up. Hormonal imbalance causes low moods, aches and pains in the joints, lost of interest in sex and lethargy ...sometimes just getting out of bed is an ordeal. It can drive some women to the point of not caring about themselves at all. I have seen clients who just don't understand why they feel so low and literally don't care if they ate themselves to the size of a small elephant. It's almost a form of self punishment.
How to move forward and not collapse into a heap of self pity
One of the lessons I have learnt in the last few years is we can all help ourselves by firstly accepting this milestone in our life. The act of denial simply makes the whole thing a trillion times worse. Your body is changing physically and emotionally yet you are still going around putting the brakes on.
Now, I never thought I would hear myself say this but "embrace the changes!" Once you are on board mentally, you create a more positive mindset for change. And remember, all thoughts create emotions which create a chemical reaction in the body and we definitely do not need any more disruption to our already highly delicate balance of hormones!
Be kind to yourself. The most difficult thing for us ladies to accept without a guilt trip but seriously be kind to yourself. This simply means stop acting as if you are Superwoman. There is no need to multi task end of. Treat yourself kindly and with respect when those hormones start ranging . Recognise that this is the process and it's ok to feel crap, ugly and unfeminine and this is NOT I repeat NOT the same as feeling sorry for yourself.
Cultivate a daily meditation/self-hypnosis practice. My belief is that EVERYONE needs to meditate. The practise of meditation is not to clear your mind of all thoughts but to focus your attention (which is a blessing) when your hormones take you on a roller coaster ride to everything that has happened in your entire life to all the possible disasters that could happen in the space of 5 minutes. Meditation allows you to get out of your body, disconnect from the constant chatter. A simple but highly effective way to meditate is to focus on your breath. Just say silently to yourself "I'm breathing in 1, I'm breathing out 1, I'm breathing in 2, I'm breathing out 2. Every time you get distracted, you go back to one again.
Recognise, acknowledge and accept this is not forever! It may feel like it but again acceptance is key here. This too shall pass.
Get whatever medical, psychological help you need. As I mentioned earlier, being in the right mindset is so important. As a hypnotherapist, I teach ladies some wonderful techniques they can use and these techniques are easy to learn and easy to apply so please do contact me for further information !
Lastly, one of the best things you can do is to read material that makes you laugh out loud! Humour is the best medicine and humour will create the right chemical reactions in your body that make you feel warm and fuzzy inside. When our spirit is lighter we see the bigger picture. Thank you for reading this and if I can be of any help please drop me a line.