5 Menopause Lessons Learned From The New England Patriots

Even if you’re not a football fan, there is a good chance you have heard that the New England Patriots win a lot of their games and their quarterback, Tom Brady, is very, very good.

On January 20, 2019, the Patriots won their third in a row trip to the Super Bowl, the Holy Grail of football. It’s their 4^th time out of the last five Super Bowls they have made an appearance.

I know, some people hate the Patriots and some people love them. But either way, what does their winning yet another trip to the Super Bowl have to do with lessons about menopause???

Actually, quite a bit!

1. Stay Positive. Tom Brady is 41 years old, 18 years older than the Kansas City Chief’s quarterback Patrick Mahomes, whom the Patriots beat. Brady could be Mahomes’s father. Tom’s one of the oldest players in the National Football League (NFL). But age isn’t what defines him. It’s his mindset, exercise ethic, diet, and sleep that set him apart. These are the things that optimize every person as they age, or enter menopause. What you believe is possible has a big impact on outcome.

2. Mindset. The Patriots believe they can win. Even in the waning moments of a game in which they are behind, they stay focused, present, and positive. With the symptoms of menopause coming on strong day after day, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, unable to overcome those symptoms, or just give up. But that needn’t be the case, if you believe there are solutions to your symptoms (and there almost certainly are) and you get the right help identifying solutions, you, too can win.  Mindset is key in sports and in life. As Tom Brady said after Sunday’s game, “You have a lot more experience (at this time of life). That’s what this is. Experience.”

3. Preparation. Before every game, the Patriots understand their opponent. They study them. They prepare several options for each situation. They don’t let the mistakes of the past impact the possibility of getting things right in the present. In perimenopause and menopause, getting prepared with knowledge of what you are up against is important so you know what to expect, and what options you have to do something about it.

4. Gratitude. When you hear the Patriots talk after Sunday’s game, they are not boasting about what went right. They are not complaining about what didn’t. They are grateful for the win. As Tom Brady was quoted as saying, “This game is hard to win. The next game is harder to win. This game, you just celebrate it for what it is. Then we go to work on the Rams (their Super Bowl opponent).” Menopause is also hard to “win.” But gratitude for what is currently going right helps to make what isn’t easier to combat.

5. Build Support. Neither Tom Brady nor any of his teammates come out and win alone. As Brady said, “I just take it for what it is and enjoy it. I love my teammates. I love my coaches. I love my family. It takes a lot of people to support you, for all of us. I’m just happy for all of us.” If you surround yourself with positive people, identify a team to support you consisting of friends, family and the right healthcare professionals, you will have the best chance of overcoming your symptoms and feeling healthy, happy and hormonally balanced. My patients and menopause coaching clients certainly feel this way. The women who have the most positive experiences during menopause don’t have that happen by chance. Like the Patriots, they have a plan and a blueprint to guide them through the challenges, and adequate support.

Want to know how much your perimenopause and menopause symptom are impacting your life? Visit www.MenopauseQuiz.com and get immediate feedback.