Have you been impacted by changes to your mood, irritability, sadness, aggressiveness, problems
focusing, lack of motivation, stress, anxiety or depression? If you are experiencing Peri
Menopause or have reached Menopause these feelings are directly attributed to the changes in
your hormone levels. The drop in estrogen and progesterone impacts your psychological and
physiological being.
In this article, we share some insights into mental health and how you may be impacted during
your Peri Menopause and Menopause life phase and the lifestyle strategies that will support you to
have a positive experience.
Hormone Health & Mental Health
According to recent research published by Liptember, 1 in 2 women are currently experiencing poor mental health. While mental illness can impact all genders, women suffer from certain mental health conditions at higher rates than men as a result of both biological and gender-related differences.
The Liptember statistics also divulge that menopause has a major impact on women’s mental health. 82% of women experience stress and 50% of women experience anxiety. There are lots of barriers to women accessing support particularly in Menopause. This is attributed to a lack of education and awareness, especially in the workplace. Women can be apprehensive to talk openly about Menopause and what they are experiencing. They may feel afraid, shame, fear judgement or have difficult accessing services due to financial reasons.
Women are susceptible to anxiety and depression due to:
- Changes in hormones
- Stress and the impact of life long stress
- Other symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats, poor sleep
- Negative mindset about this phase of life
At the recent Make Menopause Matter Summit hosted by Australian Menopause Society in Cairns, we had the pleasure of hearing Professor Jayashri Kulkarni present her work around Menopause-related depression and anxiety. She highlighted in her research that…
“In addition to numerous somatic symptoms, one in three women will experience significant psychological changes during the transition into menopause. Previous studies have demonstrated that women are not only at an increased risk of depression and anxiety during peri menopause and the menopausal transition, but also that depressive symptoms experienced in peri menopause are of higher severity compared to pre-menopause and post-menopause.”
Peri Menopause Signs & Symptoms
If you are moving into your 40s and you may have started noticing some changes to your body, menstrual cycle or moods. To learn more about Peri Menopause read our blog, What are the First Signs of Menopause. This is where we share the common signs of Peri Menopause, the hormonal and physical changes you are likely to experience and how to manage this phase with lifestyle habits.
Lifestyle Strategies for Your Mental Health
Supporting yourself with lifestyle strategies during the transition to Peri Menopause and Menopause will have a positive impact on your experience.
SELF CARE
Find time for self care. Choose an activity or routine that is something you enjoy. Doing something you want to do, rather than doing something because you think it is what you should do, will keep you more focused and likely to make it a more regular habit.
MOVE YOUR BODY
Evidence from an Australian 30 year study that focused on the health of more than four hundred women in their mid-to-late lives highlighted that moving your body for 1 hour each day is the greatest support for healthy ageing. This is both from a physical and mental viewpoint.
NOURISHMENT
Nurture your body with good nourishing meals that include plenty of fruits and vegetables. See food as fuel for not just your physical body but your mental health. Our brain craves good, nutritious food which then also has a flow on effect to our gut health.
CONNECTION TO SELF
Take time to connect with yourself. As women, we all wear the busy tag with a badge of honour, but it impedes our ability to truly connect to ourself and what we need at any given time. Take a few moments to stop. Be still, breathe, go slow, rest.
CONNECTION WITH OTHERS
Educate yourself and others by seeking support. Many women tell us that they think something is
wrong with them or they’re suffering early onset dementia because they have not been educated on Peri Menopause. Get professional support by speaking with your doctor, naturopath, find a Menopause or Health Coach. Lisa and Natalie are both certified Health Coaches, click here to learn more.
And also connect with others going through Peri Menopause through support groups, open up to close friends or family members and you may be surprise to learn they are also going through a similar life phase.
POSITIVE MINDSET
Shift your mindset about this phase of life. Move away from the dreaded thought that “life is over” when you reach Menopause. We have been conditioned to think that life ends when we enter Menopause due to societal expectations, ageism and sexism. Today women are living 30-40 years beyond that one day of Menopause and we have so much life still to give. The many women we work with find a renewed sense of self and empowerment, much like a rebirth when they reach Menopause. There are also documented career life cycle research which shows women are still ambitious, excited and driven to continue to work and make an impact in their 40s, 50s, 60s. We love the 4 phases of a woman’s career outlined in this Forbes article.
Mental Health Support
If you are experiencing mental health issues the most important step to take is to get help.
Address what you are experiencing before it gets worse. There are lots of professional support
services out there that can help.
We also offer a number of services to support women at our Wellness Hub in East Keilor. These include:
- Menopause Health Coaching, click here to learn more.
- Nutritional Food Coaching for Menopause, click here for more information
- Yoga, click here to book or read more
- Meditation, click here to book or learn more
OTHER SUPPORT SERVICES
– Lifeline Crisis Line, 13 11 14, a 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention service
– Head to Health, click here to visit for resources and information
– Beyond Blue, 1300 22 46 36 or click here for more information on women’s mental health.