5 Tips to Make Menopause Better

There’s no doubt that there will be intrusions in this new phase of life.

Kids have a way of returning to the house. Parents are getting older and may need assistance. And those who can work are often still working; or out of work and more stressed.

But there are some things you can do to make menopause better and a more positive experience, no matter what else is going on in your life.

Here are 5 tips that will help you make menopause better:

1. Stop Stinkin’ Thinkin’  It’s not always easy to feel positive. But it may be possible to look at your glass as half full instead of half empty. There is a lot of data on the benefits of positive thoughts and optimism on health. And even though there are likely things in your life that are not the way you want them to be, there are also some things that are pretty darn good. Focus on those. Before you go to bed, write down three things you are grateful for in a journal, and keep those next to your bed. Look at those three things before you go to sleep. And at the end of the week, look over the 21 things that will be on your list. At the end of a year that’s 365 things in your journal that you’re grateful for. Even in the worst of times, there are still going to be things to be grateful for. It helps to rid of stinkin’ thinkin’.
2. Stay Connected – Everyone needs a posse. Even one good friend makes all the difference. Having two or three means that there will almost always be someone available when you are. In times of social isolation, like living through a pandemic, getting together may depend on phone calls, facetime, skype, zoom or similar tools. The most important thing is to stay in touch. Dinner over zoom is much better than eating alone.
3. Find the Fun – In today’s world it’s really easy to get down in the dumps. Try staying away from the evening news; there’s nothing fun on it. Watch a comedy on TV. Call a friend who makes you laugh. And avoid things and people that bring you down.  The more joy in your life, the more joyful you will feel. That may mean avoiding some “friends” and family members who bring you down. It’s not worth filling your life with things or people who don’t make you happy. Laughter increases endorphins, the feel-good hormones.
4. Make some ME TIME – How often do you pamper yourself, especially during this pandemic? Even going to the hair or nail salon can be difficult or scary. So what can you do to be nice to you?  Exercise. Go for a walk in nature. Do a meditation. Cook a meal you love. If you are having symptoms that are affecting you, call your healthcare provider and find out what can be done to feel better. Consider MenopauseCoaching. Get tips from other posts on this blog or from HotYearsMag.com digital magazine. Getting rid of menopause symptoms like hot flashes can go a long way to making life and you feel a lot better.
5. Be Present – It’s said that people who think about the past are depressed, and those who think about the future are anxious. But being in the moment is the one place that is free from “what was” and “what could be.” This is where meditation and mindfulness really come in handy. If you remember back to when you took your labor classes, you learned to focus on a photo of your favorite person or place to take your mind off the labor pains. Meditation is sort of like that: it asks you to think about a lovely place, or to relax your mind and allow your thoughts to pass by, rather than follow them. You still think and feel, you just don’t get stuck following a worry around. After a while you can learn to almost feel like you’re watching yourself. And getting out of the stressful place you are in allows you to relax. It takes a little practice, but in a week to ten days, you’ll be amazed how far you’ve come.

So start taking control of your life. Look for what is good and positive, give yourself a hug, get your menopause symptoms under control, take a deep breath, and enjoy this day. It’s a wonderful way to make menopause better. Once you realize you do have at least some control over that, rinse and repeat.