Women, Change & Menopause
I’m talking about change in this blog. I want to acknowledge the enormous changes women go through in mid-life. The stirring for change is not just with careers or yearning for a new purpose but the changes that occur with Menopause simultaneously. And I have to say women are amazing with all they have to deal with at this time!
I regularly receive phone calls from women struggling with change in their lives. It’s often at mid-life, approximately between 40 and 60 years of age. It can be a time of emotional upheaval, questioning, and looking at what life is about now.
To be formal about it, psychologists call mid-life a transition of identity and self-confidence.
So why now?
Many things can trigger this stage of life: empty nests, children leaving home or about to leave home, which can leave a void, dissatisfaction with work, feeling tired or simply stuck and not knowing what to do now.
At mid-life, we can begin to question where life is headed and how satisfying it is or isn’t. There might be financial pressures, ageing parents, but ultimately, the questions often are:
What now for me? What is my career path now or Where is life headed?
Symptoms
All sorts of emotions come up during this time. Including -
Feeling stuck
Confusion
Loss of confidence
Career uncertainty
Wanting more meaning
Wanting to find a new sense of purpose
Then add Menopause!
Just when you are feeling stuck and topsy turvy, along comes Menopause!
Yikes! Which comes first, mid-life wonderings or Menopause? Who knows very much depends on the individual. It can be tricky to separate the two. Menopause can bring symptoms such as:
Brain fog
Hot flushes
Palpitations
Lack of sleep
Anxiousness
Irritability (especially at partners!)
Less energy
Decisions to be made about HRT
Of course, some women barely have a symptom. Lucky them!!
Women really do have a heck of a lot going on during this time.
How can you navigate this time?
As a start, here are a few pointers for this mid-life stage to get unstuck and find your way forward:
Embrace change – one of the best ways I know is to accept this time of life. Accept your changing body, accept the questioning of yourself, accept the lack of sleep. Fighting can only make you more annoyed and upset and possibly become a complainer.
Support – the above doesn’t mean you don’t talk to family or friends or find a group dealing with similar things. Make sure you keep talking and reading about this stage.
Go inward – with these career and life changes, go within yourself, ask yourself questions like “What is important to me right now?”, “What is the legacy I want to leave behind?”, “What do I really enjoy?”
Take care of yourself – doing what you have always done may not work now. Going hard at exercise or fitting in a million things in a day can be just too much. So be gentle and kind to yourself. Take time out, even if it’s ten minutes a day. Reframe how you plan your day and week to focus on you.
Morning ritual – Find the best way for you to start your day. Ideally, it includes exercise, a healthy breakfast, meditation, or affirmations. Find ways that will encourage you to start your day calmly and balanced.
Evening ritual – Similarly, in the evening. Reduce the effect of blue light from devices and TV by stopping about an hour before you go to bed. Decide what calms your mind, and do that. It could be a book, journaling, listening to music or chatting with a friend.
Get assessed – as soon as your periods start changing, please go to your doctor, get evaluated through bloodwork and read up about this stage. You will know then that the physical and emotional aspects of peri-menopause are entirely normal.
Find a life coach – 😊 What better way to get help and support than to find someone who will listen, have been through what you are going through, whether in life or your career and give you the tools to navigate this time?
Women are Amazing!
As women, we are amazing in what we have to deal with throughout our lives, and that’s just as a woman, let alone the life events that impact us. If this blog resonates with you, I encourage you to be courageous, grab this time, accept it, deal with it, and come out the other side, being the best version of yourself. You can do this!
Warmly,
