There’s a lot going on in our body and often in our lives when we hit menopause. It can sometimes feel as if you’re being thrown multiple curve balls from different directions. Feeling overwhelmed is very common. All of this means that making changes is difficult. Sticking to them can be even harder. But, this is actually a point in our lives when our lifestyle plays a huge role in how we feel and also how we’ll feel in the future.
Menopause is actually a perfect time for us to make changes. Here are five reasons why:
- It gives us a sense of control.
Many women say they just feel out of control in menopause. Their moods can be all over the place, symptoms such as hot flushes appear randomly and body shape changes seem to happen overnight. This can be frustrating and even distressing, especially if you’re a self-professed ‘control freak’! Having something you can choose, predict and be in charge of can feel calming. You know you’re doing something positive to help yourself and that can re-instate a sense of control.
- It can help to reduce symptoms.
Lifestyle changes can make such a big impact on how we feel and done regularly can help to reduce some symptoms of menopause. Whether you’re using HRT or not, lifestyle is crucial and should not be forgotten. Changes take effort and motivation but the reward can be a lessening of symptoms so let’s use this opportunity. Improving your sleep, exercise and eating habits are great places to start.
- It can remind us who we are.
We get to choose what changes we make. When we’re thinking about what positive lifestyle things we want to introduce into our lives we can be really mindful to select ones that align with who we are. Many women feel they’ve lost their identity so this is a chance to remind ourselves who we used to be or even more powerfully, who we want to be. If we’re trying to reduces stress levels, then making a resolution to spend more time with friends that make us laugh might be something that helps us feel like ourselves again. Choosing what exercise you used to love and restarting it can be a great way to get back that former-self feeling.
- We can future proof our body.
Age is our biggest risk factor for many diseases such as heart disease, stroke and cancer. We also know that we become more at risk of osteoporosis (low bone density) and sarcopenia (low muscle mass) around the time of the menopause. These conditions can affect us in the present but they also have a huge bearing on our future. What we do now will determine what we can do in twenty years’ time. We can significantly impact our risk of all of these major conditions. Now is therefore the ideal time for us to look at our personal risks and set some great habits to help future-proof our body. Making positive lifestyle changes in menopause can be hard but our future self will be so grateful.
- We’re more likely to stick to them.
Starting a new habit is never easy. There’s that wave of enthusiasm at the beginning but it quickly fades and motivation vanishes. There is however evidence that there are better times than others in life to make changes and these are when we are in some kind of transition. That might be getting a new job, being bereaved or being diagnosed with a medical condition such as type 2 diabetes. We’re more likely to stick to new routines and habits. Menopause is a huge life transition and that means it’s a great time to look at our lifestyle and make changes.
I hope that has convinced you that although it’s hard, menopause can be a time of opportunity and an ideal point in our life to make some lifestyle changes.
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Featured image: Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
