Here I am shamelessly ripping off a Led Zeppelin song title, and here’s my take on things as I see them today.
I can’t tell you how many websites, and books have been written recently about Menopause, including me, I’m crafting my own one, and don't tell me why, but I have taken my foot off the pedal. I have a great method and message to get out there, but at the end of the day, is my story and message any different from anyone else?
I’m not sure.
I’m not trying to be in a competition of having the best coffee table book with lush pictures of myself or graphics, I’m trying to arm women with fantastic knowledge so that they can look after themselves better.
I speak to women in their 30’s who are like ‘I’ll give you a shout when I need you’ and I’m like hi, I can hear your body shouting for help. Everything I do and say, its not because I know better, it’s because I know what I’ve been through, and missed the signs and signals of how everything started, and I want it to be less crap for the woman I’m talking to.
The important bit for me is just to start the conversation and make women aware of what is happening now, and what could happen in the future as we fabulously mature.
Having a menopause voice during a global pandemic can’t be more a challenge if we tried. We ( as mature women), were possibly just getting our colleagues and managers in places of work to be mindful and inclusive of having colleagues and managers who are going through menopause, and now we are in a place where we are still trying to keep the conversation going, but you may be working from home and not visible.
Now its all digital, and there’s a respiratory disease to through into the mix, so all of a sudden, working from home, managing your household and possibly your family, whilst having severe hot flushes, bloating, and weight gain, doesn’t really compare to an airborne virus sweeping through the world.
I met my niece for lunch today, and then got the messages in, and I cannot begin to tell you how anxious everything made me.
People driving far too close behind me, being in an unfamiliar neighbourhood and not knowing what lane I should be in, being in lovely wee cafe, but really feeling nervous about anyone I don’t know standing closer than 2 metres from me, clenching my fists waiting in the queue at the supermarket.
Is that menopause or is it just the overall anxiety that we as people are feeling at the moment?
I have written about this in the past, but routines and rituals are very calming for me just now, fresh smells, having things tidy and organised makes me feel better. I made the big mistake of watching The Home Edit, and oh boy, my wardrobe looks ace, kitchen cupboards are next. Little projects in ma hoose give me a positive focus and I suppose I like the visual outcome of it.
Regardless of menopause, what makes you feel good or makes you feel calm? Make a list, remind yourself of these simple pleasures.
Cycling to work for me is just ace.
I wear a face covering for 8 hours a day, so cycling home and not having wear one is wonderful and such a destresser. Doing a double cleanse on my face when I get home (use a hot face cloth and a favourite cleanser - no wet wipes!), is also so soothing and ding dong, its time to dig out the slow cooker again!
The big thing from this post is stress reduction - That has the most impact on how I feel, and keeps my hot flushes and anxiety at bay. Think about things that stress you out, and then every single day, try to make steps towards reducing your stress. Here’s a good one. If you are like me, and travel to a place of work at present, leave earlier.
Don’t leave your meals to chance, plan out what your lunches and dinners are for the whole family so that you are not making those decisions when you are stressed. If I do that, thats when I am going to order a carry out instead of cook, it always sounds like a good idea, then afterwards I feel crap.
Stress reduction is what I do for a living with massage, and I also have to keep an eye on my own stress levels as it can bring about a really bad bout of menopausal sweating which, guess what, stresses me out even more.
Be mindful of how you are looking after yourself, and watch out for little things that can creep up on your and all of a sudden become HUGE!
Right. Off for a gin.
Onward!