Put Your Own Oxygen Mask On
Put Your Own Oxygen Mask On
Managing our stress in menopause is vital
April is Stress Awareness Month
I’m always saying "Put your own Oxygen mask on" and probably forget to do it as often as I need to. But when we do that it allows a different mindset to emerge that changes and can put us into 'consciously maintaining that attitude' phase which is both empowered and challenging.
Empowered because we are putting ourselves first, challenging because other people resist that change in us. In turn, this leads to establishing and maintaining Boundaries, while remaining compassionate.
It would be wonderful to find that we get to a place where our lives are completely sorted out but in reality, everything is always changing, so we'll always be dealing with changes (good, bad or neither).
Most of us know the signs of stress and the risks associated with too much of it. We know that we have to manage it otherwise But sometimes it slips down because life is super busy and never more so than during perimenopause and menopause.
Chronic stress is a major issue during menopause. As our ovaries start to slow down the production of oestrogen and progesterone our body seeks other ways to produce it.
Oestrogen helps with the production of serotonin our happy hormone and with some of our cognitive processes including memory. As it declines can cause symptoms such as low mood, anxiety and brain fog.
Progesterone is for most the hormone that makes us relax and calm down. Which is helpful when stressed.
Our adrenal glands are one of those helpful areas that step in and top up our levels of oestrogen and progesterone. That is until we get stressed and then they go back to their day job, producing adrenaline and cortisol.
It doesn’t take a genius to work out that this is not going to end well if we don’t address the root cause of our stress - our stressors. As a footnote stress is part of life but chronic stress needs to be addressed as it can dial up our symptoms and impact our long-term health and well-being.
I firmly believe that Stress is going to be the next big thing in the menopause world, at least the management and/or prevention of it.
All women, no matter how severe their menopause is, need to develop methods of effectively managing stress. Our bodies are no longer able to do so in the way they did prior to the beginning of this phase.
Here are two videos on YouTube that I did with the amazing Kate Usher about managing stress during menopause. That I hope you find value in.
Mindful Menopause
And to support you in managing your stress I have recorded this mindfulness practice ‘Being Present to All That Is’ to help you start to address your stress. You don’t have to be a meditator to join in this practice. Just start where you are, but start (believe me that is the hardest part)
News, views and more..
This was a positive piece highlighting again that doing a bit more exercise can make a real difference. Modest increases in leisure time a physical activity can mitigate bone mineral density (BMD) loss in women experiencing menopause, according to a study published March 26 in Lancet Regional Health -- Americas.
Oprah has been spilling the beans on heart palpitations and not being taken seriously by her doctors. Up to 40% of perimenopausal people experience the symptom, according to a 2021 paper in Women’s Midlife Health. They feel pretty scary I can tell you as someone who ended up having ECG on a Saturday morning in Sydney, and luckily there was nothing to see.
This week on the podcast fellow TCM practitioner Jiaming Ju joins me on Thriving Thru Menopause to talk about why preparing for menopause earlier is key. Jiaming is also a celebrated longevity economist who is following in her family's tradition of herbal medicine.
Thank you to all my subscribers your continued support is heartwarming
Clarissa x
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