Menopause is certainly the gift that keeps on giving. Christmas can be hard to manage at the best of times, add in menopause symptoms and it can be a recipe for a difficult and stressful time. Knowing what your personal triggers are can help you to either avoid them or minimise them as much as possible. Hopefully this will lead to a less ‘menopausal Christmas’!
Here are some common triggers which ramp up during the festive period with a few ideas on how to reduce them.
- Alcohol – Let’s start with the obvious one. Lots of women find that alcohol is a trigger for hot flushes and in particular for night sweats. I’m not suggesting that you should avoid it if it’s something you enjoy at Christmas but just be aware that it might mean you flush more and sleep less. Certain drinks can affect some women more than others, red wine for example is known to be a major trigger. Being careful with your alcohol choice might help. Drink plenty of water between alcoholic drinks and remember there are some pretty good zero alcohol options these days too.
- Stress – Maybe this should have been number one! This is a bit of a chicken and egg because stress can trigger menopause symptoms but menopause symptoms can make you stressed. Do all you can to delegate, let things wash over you and stay calm. Easier said than done I know but nipping in the loo for some emergency deep breaths is perfectly fine.
- Heat – The time I’m most likely to become overwhelmed with feeling hot is when I finally sit down at the table to eat Christmas dinner. Going straight from a hot kitchen and rushing about to being seated in a warm room with lots of bodies is a sure way to guarantee an unbearable feeling of heat. That can put you off eating too. Even if you think you need the room really warm for your guests, just open some windows and doors and cool it down. They’ll soon warm up once they’re eating. They might be wearing their Christmas jumpers but you can choose a camisole top!
- Caffeine – You might be better to switch to decaf over Christmas if caffeine is a trigger for you. It can trigger palpitations and feelings of anxiety. It probably doesn’t trigger hot flushes; the research is mixed. You might find that you’re drinking more cups of tea or coffee than usual so it’s just something to be aware of.
- Lack of sleep – This is another one that can be tricky to resolve but remember that sleep deprivation can make all menopause symptoms worse. It’s hard if the menopause symptoms are causing the sleep disturbance but if it’s more from late nights or early mornings then you can make some adjustments. Maximising your sleep might make you feel more able to cope with the next day. It can reduce feelings of fatigue, mood swings and stress.
- Sugar – We’re usually surrounded by sugary foods at Christmas. That’s fine, it’s Christmas and we should enjoy ourselves. If you are someone who is sensitive to the ups and downs of blood sugar, then you might be wise to avoid large quantities. It’s lovely at the time but if the dip afterwards makes you moody and intolerant of others, nauseated or simply craving more, then you might just want to make another choice.
- Inactivity – Being physically active can really help to control menopause symptoms. If you drop your activity levels over Christmas, then your symptoms might increase as a direct result. You might also find you don’t sleep so well so it indirectly affect them too.
This might sound like I’m trying to ruin your Christmas. Less alcohol, sugar, caffeine, early nights and a cold house don’t sound very appealing. I’m honestly not here to spoil the party! I just want to highlight that this can be a very difficult time for women in perimenopause as the triggers are all around us. It’s fine to just accept that and do whatever you want, that may well be my tactic. But if your menopause symptoms are hard to control or you want to try to reduce the likelihood of them appearing then these are the main areas I think you can take some action. I hope they help a bit and I wish you a very Merry Christmas regardless!
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Featured image: Monika from Pixabay
