Breaking free from Shame in Menopause

and some tips on sleep for International Sleep Day

Women have been shamed and stigmatized over menopause for years

There are over a billion women worldwide going through menopause. Given these statistics, you might think that we’d be able to talk about menopause openly. But this fundamental part of women’s lives is still stigmatized and flooded with shame, even in 2020. Much of this comes from our culture’s shame of aging: the belief that once women lose their fertility, they must be dried up, washed out and utterly devoid of sexual attraction or vitality.

And this being perpetuated by the current narrative, particularly in the UK, that is uses words like depleted and deficient to describe our hormonal status rather than the more helpful conversation that menopause is not a disease. It’s the beginning of the next stage of your life. And new beginnings can be exciting, with opportunities for growth and change.

Women have come a long way: Remember that we only got the right to vote a century ago! But it’s still a work in progress when it comes to leveling the playing field on how we view health and physical changes among the sexes. Take erectile dysfunction, for example. Was this condition stigmatized and labeled a disease? Not quite. We developed medications so men could pop a pill and move on with their lives. Women need information and solutions to maximize the second half of their lives. And fortunately, this is beginning to happen: Gender-based medicine is now an established area of research and clinical care, though still significantly underfunded.

Changing public opinion is hard work and doesn’t happen overnight. But if we embrace menopause as a natural and common part of life, we’re halfway there.

This week on the podcast I was joined by licensed mental therapist Kyira Wacket and we talked specifically about shame, from an emotional point of view. Ktira really talked about the importance of acceptance and connection as key areas where we can help ourselves break free from the shame and stigma too many of us feel. You can listen to the full episode Ending the Shame of Menopause And download some amazing resources from the show notes.

It may seem overwhelming to be in the midst of menopause, but remember: It’s not a disease. It’s a natural transition with potentially exciting possibilities for growth. Use this next stage to make the rest of your life the best of your life. 

---

Today is International Sleep Day.

The stats are frightening especially for perimenopausal and post menopausal women. Too many of us are getting less than the recommended 7 hours and many less than 6 hours.

Poor sleep is one of the most common perimenopause symptoms I see with my clients and one is often having a huge impact on the quality of our lives through menopause

Sleeping badly on a long term basis leads to the build up of amyloids (toxins) and risk of detrimental health issues including heart disease, diabetes, cancer, Alzheimers

The reasons why we sleep badly is complex and our hormones have a big role to play. These are 6 key hormones. Sometimes called the 'sassy six'

Oestrogen

Progesterone

Testosterone

Cortisol

Insulin

Melatonin

So you can see why perimenopause can be a contributing to sleep as all 3 of our sex hormones, oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone are declining. The night sweats which are a key contributor to a broken nights sleep. Butalso anxiety, heart palpitations, restless legs, joint pain and acid reflux are all symptoms that can *F* with our sleep.

And the impact, good and bad, of our lifestyle, nutrition, stress and general aging is important to be aware of and act on.

🍷Cutting back on booze,
✨Creating sleep friendly bedrooms,
☕ No caffeine after midday all help.

And even some evidence that daytime 'amyloid' cleaning activities like

💆‍♀️massage
🏋exercise
🌳walking nature

can promote the movement of cerebrospinal fluid to reduce toxin build up.

I put together this video with my good friend Kate Usher based on my mindfulness training and experience on how to get better Sleep.

And look out my upcoming podcast episode with Dr Kat Lederle a leading sleep expert and chronobiologist. There are sure to be some amazing insights and tips.

---

This week has been exciting as my book collaboration with Kiwi fitness professional Tracy Minnoch called My Menopause Memoir has been published!. I recorded an episode of her podcast SexyAging a while back. I have been impressed how much she has grown in this menopause space. In her own words ‘So many symptoms and so many times I felt like I was "just hanging on" while trying to kick it with the young ones. I had so much more to offer like - experience, mentoring, strategic thinking, creative to concept delivery, delegation and prioritisation. But I was overwhelmed with the toll that my symptoms were having on me. No knowledge, no support’

So, if you are female, if you know a female, if you work with women 40+, a sister, a cousin, a female boss, if you are training a woman 40+, if you are group trainer and you see these women in your classes, then CLICK THE LINK TO ORDER A DIGITAL OR SOFT COPY https://linktr.ee/Tminnoch

Spring feels just around the corner as I see the croci popping up around my garden and the sun is shining.

Love your feedback, comments and more just drop me an email I love hearing from you.