Archive for category: Mental health

The food you eat can moderate your mood

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Do you know that the food you eat can moderate your mood?  That it can help fight depression, for example?

 

That’s because, even though most of the fibre you eat isn’t absorbed by your digestive tract (stomach, small, and large intestines), it still helps your mood by feeding the good bacteria that lives in your gut.

 

The other day I was in downtown Toronto and I visited one on my favourite restaurants (the Canteen).  Unusually, I ordered one of the unhealthiest meals on the menu – burger and fries.  Yes, it tasted good.  And yes, I paid for it later!

 

That evening I felt stuffed, hot, and so miserable I even cried over some minor thing (so minor I don’t even remember what it was).

 

Time is limited to do everything we must.  Shopping for fresh/real (not from a box) food and cooking those ingredients at home may be difficult for you.  In order to save time, you might buy pre-cooked frozen meals, packaged processed food, eat out, or take-out.  Not only do those foods usually contain more salt and fat than you should consume in a day, but also they probably do not offer you the amount of fibre you need to stay happy.

 

Yes, FIBRE is very important for mood!

 

Studies have shown that a Mediterranean-style diet is helpful for depression if it includes

  • 7-9 servings per day of vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, Brussel sprouts) or fruits (apples, berries, mango)
  • legumes (chickpeas, beans, lentils)
  • daily consumption of nuts
  • whole grains (oats, barley and others).

 

I grew up eating and continue to eat a Mediterranean-style diet.  I love my raw veggies, fruits, oats, nuts, and legumes.  I cook from scratch and freeze a lot for the days I don’t have time to cook.  (I also make a menu list weekly with accompanying shopping list and go shopping only once per week).

 

The reason I’m telling you about the connection between food and mood is because a lot of changes happen during the menopause transition and it’s helpful to connect the dots:

  • You are what you eat
  • Food influences your body and how you feel

 

If you haven’t been feeling your best lately, write down what you eat and how you feel, physically (bloated, itchy, hot, headache), and mentally/emotionally (fatigued, sad, anxious, angry).  Maybe you can eventually see a pattern between what you eat and how you feel.

 

Once you connect the dots you can start eating (and cooking) more foods that are helpful to your gut bacteria and as a consequence to your mood as well.

 

Listen to this episode of The Dose – What does my mental health have to do with the health of my gut? to learn more about your food affects the microorganisms in your gut and how they affect your mood, for better or for worse.

 

Want to know more about menopause? Sign-up for me biweekly MenopausED Newsletter here

Who do you want to be this holiday season?

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If you’re going through the menopause transition you may already have difficulty sleeping, feel fatigued, and have brain fog and now the demands of the holiday season are upon you.

Who do you want to be this holiday season?

 

A calm woman enjoying a meaningful holiday? Or a frazzled, overwhelmed b*@%h who’s at the end of her rope and just wants the holidays over with?

Anxiety can trigger hotflashes/night sweats and the extra work and stress of this busy time of the year can exacerbate other menopause symptoms— insomnia, irritability, anger, brain fog.

 

What to do?

Assess how you’re feeling (is menopause making you exhausted, overwhelmed, anxious, tense, angry, drained?) and adjust your holiday plans AND EXPECTATIONS to help you have an easier holiday season and menopause.

 

The gap between reality and perfection is satisfaction!

 

Don’t give in

…to stopping your healthy routines because of lack of time or too much to do. If you have a routine—for exercise, walking, breathing, or for relaxing at bedtime—you need to keep it up during the holiday season, more than ever!

… to FOMO.

… to saying yes to all requests. If your heart isn’t in it, just say “No, thank you”.

… to “must dos”. Ask yourself, is _____(insert option) something I really must do? If the answer is no then don’t. Saves you time, effort, and energy.

…to what the holidays ought to be and look like. Like me you may be missing a deceased relative and may not be surrounded by family. As sad as that may be we can still celebrate the holidays, our way. Not the “expected way”…

 

Don’t give up.

It may be even harder to find time to look after yourself and your needs, to move intentionally, eat nutritiously, and have enough rest, but don’t give up.

Eat the desserts and sweets sometimes AND vegetables & wholesome non-processed food most of the time.

Drink one glass of wine AND one glass of water.

Make sleep a priority. Go to bed earlier. Watch less TV (do you really need to watch It’s A Wonderful Life for the 35th year in a row?) and less social media feeds (you don’t need one more Pinterest or Instagram decoration idea!).

 

Be choosy. Keep it simple.

Do you really need three sets of lights on the staircase?

Do you really need to decorate the house and the yard with a million Christmas decorations?

Do you need to bake three different recipes of cookies to share?

Would the family be satisfied with just one side dish versus three?

 

Don’t do it alone.

No, you are not superwoman. You’re human and going through a hormonal change; fatigue tends to stymie your best intentions.

If you have a partner or family, let them know what you have in mind for this year’s holidays so you don’t get pushback when you unexpectedly change traditions. Manage expectations for the holidays, yours and your family’s.  A S K   F O R  H E L P.

 

Make lists.

Memory loss and difficulty concentrating (brain fog) are common and normal in menopause.

Make a list, rather than trying to remember the many things you must get done in the next few weeks.

Take it out of your brain and onto paper. Lists are useful because they document what we ordinarily forget.

Make lists for meals (menu and accompanying shopping list), cards to write, gifts to wrap, people to call or visit…

 

Plan ahead. Start early.

Plan ahead (and make lists!) for your decorating, gift giving (intentional, appropriate, meaningful), gift buying (local and small business), meals, cooking, and baking (ahead of time as much as possible), wrapping (reuse gift bags, use flyers or magazine pages to reduce waste and save trees), and sharing (cookies, recipes, cards, happiness, smiles, and joy).

Start earlier and do a little bit at a time. You’re more likely to keep up your energy and not burn out.

 

Be kind to yourself.

Give yourself a break, literally. If you’re less tired you’re less likely to be irritable and snap at those around you.

Take a nap. Up to 20 min, before 3 PM. Seriously good for you!

 

Don’t multitask.

Multitasking used to be highly prized until the brain specialists discovered that it is the most toxic thing you can do for your brain (Multitasking Damages Your Brain And Career, New Studies Suggest).

You aren’t actually getting more done, you’re just performing several tasks one at a time quickly. No one can focus properly on two simultaneous tasks. So give your brain a break and do one thing at a time. Better concentration, better results, less brain fatigue.

 

I hope these tips will help you be and feel like the woman you want to be during the holiday season. And beyond.

For this Holiday Season I wish you what I wish for myself:  good health, peace, calm, contentment, and joy!

 

For every challenge that (peri)menopause poses there’s a solution. I can help you!

Connect The Dots

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What should you expect in perimenopause?

Expect the unexpected. And connect the dots.

 

In perimenopause (the years leading up to menopause) your ovaries start showing signs of aging (they age faster than you do!) and do not perform as predictably and regularly as they used to.

In perimenopause things start to change.

 

Many say perimenopause is puberty in reverse. In puberty you learned to live with sex hormones like estrogen (the predominant female sex hormone) and progesterone as your ovaries matured.  In perimenopause these hormones are fluctuating again and declining.

Because estrogen acts in so many tissues and organs in the body it’s common to experience many changes during perimenopause which can last 3-6 years or even longer for some.

It’s OK not to feel any changes other than the end of period.

6 in 10 women tend to experience several changes (aka symptoms).

 

2 in 10 experience severe and debilitating changes that can turn their lives upside down.

 

Most people know about hot flashes but most are not aware that sleep difficulties, brain fog, anxiety, mood swings, depression, anger, and loss of self-confidence can also be part of the perimenopause experience.

 

Changes can be physical, cognitive, and emotional. And as with many other changes in life, it may be hard to accept and to go through. But being prepared will make it easier and should reduce the accompanying fear and worry.

 

Menopause isn’t new but now women are working right through it. And it can be downright difficult to cope with. Add to that the fact that menopause is

  • overlooked by our healthcare system
  • overlooked by our workplaces
  • is a big taboo that no one talks about.

No wonder the majority of women feel isolated and think they are the only one.

You may be feeling alone but you’re not the only one.

 

I don’t mean to scare you with a long list of challenges. In fact, you probably won’t experience all these symptoms—definitely not all at the same time—and because perimenopause is a journey, your experience may change with time. And things do get BETTER in postmenopause when hormone levels stabilize.

My main goal is to help you connect the dots and empower you to be your own health advocate.

 

When you go to the physician and your complaints are dismissed, or you get a diagnosis that doesn’t sit right with you (depression and anxiety are common examples), I want you to connect the dots – think about all the things you’re experiencing and feeling. Being aware and connecting these experiences will help you see that what you’re going through is probably related to the hormonal changes of midlife.

Because, contrary to what you may have been told by a doctor—that this is just part of life and therefore you must put up with it—even though menopause is unavoidable, suffering is an option.

 

There are myriad options to improve your symptoms, make your journey easier, and help you feel like yourself again and enjoy a vibrant and productive life.

Let me help you find the best for you.

“Just get out there”

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A few years ago I celebrated my birthday by joining a guided kayak tour of Isla Espiritu Santo in Baja California.

The first night was memorable for all the wrong reasons.

 

We were camping on a beach and I just couldn’t get comfortable, my pillow wasn’t the right size, the ground wasn’t flat enough, and my thoughts were very negative. These thoughts kept popping into my mind:

“why the hell do I book myself into these adventures to have a good time and end up in discomfort”

“I’m too old for adventure vacations. I should know better and avoid the hassle”.

“I shouldn’t have booked a kayak trip to Greenland next summer if I can’t even enjoy camping in a nice warm beach”.

The first morning was also memorable but for a very good reason.

 

The first travel companion I met when I groggily and grumpily got out of my tent was Warwick, a 70-something year-old Australian man travelling alone and recovering from cancer. He greeted me bright-eyed and bushy-tailed with a happy “morning mate”. I grumbled some greeting back and he asked what was wrong (what could possibly be wrong on a sunny, picture-perfect, white sandy beach, right?). I explained I hadn’t had a good night. To which he replied:

“The older we get the harder it is to be comfortable.”
“Don’t let that prevent you from enjoying yourself. JUST GET OUT THERE!”

 

Warwick’s words changed my outlook on life F.O.R.E.V.E.R.

 

Since then, whenever I feel physically uncomfortable, I think of Warwick’s advice and it helps me to see the situation in a new perspective and with more positive mindset. That helps me to keep trying things that get me out of my comfort zone; and those things help me feel alive, youthful, and vibrant.

This week, with Warwick’s words in mind, I pushed myself to go cross-country skiing in the park after the first snowfall of the season; even though I felt more like staying home and not risking an injury. Of course, one hour later with rosy cheeks and a dripping nose, I was very glad I was OUT THERE.

Winter weather, for me and probably you, is here. Cold and snow are probably going to be around for a while.

Don’t let that keep you from going outdoors. The benefits for your menopause transition and overall health are immense.

 

  • There’s no cold, just improper outwear. Make sure you have boots or shoes that fit well and have a good grip. Ice cleats can give you extra traction when you’re walking on snowy or icy surfaces. You can buy these at department or sporting goods stores.
  • Walking on natural uneven terrain is better for your body, joints, bones, and muscles than on flat indoor surfaces and treadmills.
  • Natural light, early in the day, helps regulate your melatonin levels and improve your circadian rhythm. Combine that with avoidance of screens two hours before bed and your sleep might improve. What do you do instead of watching TV or being at the computer in the evening? Read a book, take a bath or shower, talk with a friend or partner, play a game, stretch, meditate, do breathing exercises, and go to bed early; the earlier sleep is the most restorative.
  • Movement burns calories and helps you maintain or lose weight, which tends to creep up in perimenopause.
  • Exercise releases endorphins, happy hormones, that make you feel happier and less moody and blue.
  • Walking fast is a form of cardio-exercise which is good for your heart
  • Walking is also good for your brain. Together with enough water intake (2 litres a day, before 7 PM) it improves cognition and decreases the brain fog that’s commonly reported during the menopause transition.
  • Walking and other weight-bearing exercises, along with optimal ingestion of calcium, vitamin D, and magnesium, is good for your bones. It helps decrease the risk of osteoporosis which otherwise rises greatly in the years following your last menstrual period.
If you haven’t built the habit of walking, I strongly encourage you do so.

 

Start small and safe. In time speed it up and increase the distance to 10,000 steps which research from the Universities of Australia and Denmark show is the ‘sweet spot’ for lowered risk of disease and death.

Whatever way you walk, some is better than none. Sitting is the new smoking.

 

Would you like to improve your menopause journey, feel like yourself again, and have a vibrant and productive life? Give me a call.

 

The Menopause Stages

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The menopause stages can be confusing. Premenopause. Perimenopause. Menopause. Postmenopause. What do all these words mean and why is it important to use them properly when describing where you are in the continuum of menopause?

Here are some reasons why it is important to know where you are in this journey:

• to know what to expect
• to get the most effective and safe symptom management since, for example, hormone therapy will differ if you take it in perimenopause versus in postmenopause.

Premenopause/Reproductive Years

Between puberty—when ovulation (and accompanying production of estrogen and progesterone), periods, and fertility start—and perimenopause are the reproductive years, whether or not a woman gets pregnant.

Perimenopause/Menopause transition

Female sexual hormones—estrogen (the predominant female hormone) and progesterone—start fluctuating in perimenopause, indicating the start of changes in ovarian function. Women who previously had regular menstrual periods may start noticing changes, such as shorter intervals between periods, lighter or heavier bleeding, shorter or longer bleeds, spotting between periods, and in some months even no bleeding at all. This is usually the first change women notice in perimenopause, but many women also report hot flashes, fatigue, aches and pains, difficulty sleeping, headaches, dry itchy skin, mood swings, anxiety, depressive feelings, low sexual desire, hair loss, weight changes, body shape changes, palpitations, irritability, foggy brain, bladder problems, dizziness, and others. Perimenopause can start in a woman’s late 30s or early 40s and last 2-6 years.
Perimenopause is a journey. The unpredictability of not knowing when the next period is going to come, when or if ovulation is going to occur, and experiencing spotting can be upsetting and frustrating for many women.
Women who are sexually active and don’t wish to get pregnant must use birth control until at least 12 months after the last period because ovulation is unpredictable in perimenopause but may still occur. Perimenopause can start in a woman’s late 30s or early 40s and last 3-6 years.

Menopause

Menopause is the end of ovarian function, the end of ovulation and fertility, and consequently periods stop as well.
How do you know when you are in menopause? Menopause is confirmed when you haven’t had a period for 12 consecutive months. The next day you are in postmenopause! Congratulations! Celebrate this milestone!
All women go through menopause if they live long enough, and for most women it is a normal and natural event.
Menopause usually happens between 45 and 55 years of age, and the average age of menopause in North America is 51. Some women may experience early menopause, before 40 years old.

Induced menopause/surgical menopause

Induced menopause occurs when a woman undergoes removal of both ovaries and/or chemotherapy and radiation treatments (which damage the ovaries) for certain types of cancer. Women who experience induced menopause at a younger age experience more severe symptoms due to the very sudden drop in estrogen levels and are at higher risk for diseases related to low estrogen levels, like osteoporosis, dementia, and heart disease.

Postmenopause

These are the years after menopause is confirmed and postmenopause lasts for the rest of the woman’s life. Many women will live past their 80s and will spend one-third of their lives in postmenopause. It’s important to understand the protective effect of estrogen against diseases like stroke and heart attack, osteoporosis, and diabetes to help you make healthy lifestyle choices to ensure healthy aging and prevent disease.

I’ll go to jail before I hit menopause!

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I kid you not, these words, “I’ll go to jail before I hit menopause”, were written in the chat by one of the attendees of my PAUSE-itive Get-Together events.

Several woman mentioned their irritability in perimenopause. People around us say and do things that provoke our internal reaction, leading to an external overreaction that no-one, ourselves very much included, expects or understands. Take your pick of adjectives:  over the top, out of character, overblown, uncalled for, something I regret or feel embarrassed about later.  But “I’ll go to jail before I hit menopause” is not a good option!

For most women irritability is less of a problem in postmenopause; on the other hand not giving a damn about what others think seems to be more common in postmenopause.

How can you minimize irritability in perimenopause? 

Breathe awareness is a calming technique you can use every time you feel yourself becoming irritated, before you say or do something you’ll regret later.

I highly recommend this breathing class, How We Breathe Matters, I took with Deborah Rubin last fall to lower my stress. It was one of the best $20 I ever spent.

Deborah says “Healthy breathing practices are one of the most effective ways to stabilize your emotions, build resiliency, improve health issues and cultivate immune and respiratory health, all of which are especially beneficial while you navigate this unique time together.” She refers to the pandemic but you can add perimenopause to the mix.

Yoga is also effective. You can learn to do it and then take 5-10 minute yoga breaks throughout the day to stay calm, or whenever you feel you’re getting irritable. The only instructor who was able to make me fall in love with yoga and benefit from it was Yoga with Adriene, free online. She started 2021 with a Breathe 30 Day Yoga Challenge that you can start any time. I’ve done it and I recommend it.

I was introduced to Yoga Nidra by Restore Yourself with Michelle.  All I had to do was lie down comfortably and allow her voice and instructions to slow down my brain waves and feel very calm and thought-less during the 35 minutes of the practice. I also felt very relaxed and energized for hours afterwards.

Tai Chi is something I’m learning this year. It’s continuous, soft, slow, rhythmical movement with the breath. I’m a swimmer and because of the pandemic I haven’t been able to swim for 5 months and I find Tai Chi the closest activity to swimming, albeit much dryer and slower!!

Meditation. Many apps teach you how to get started and help you to practice daily. My version of meditation is called “brain time-outs”. I get away from my desk, stand in front of a window, look out as far as my gaze can go (to give my eyes a break from screens), and I keep my brain focused on my breath. I allow no other thoughts for 5-10 minutes. Very calming and brain-cleansing! This is also the technique I use to fall back to sleep in the middle of the night when the odd night sweat wakes me up. It works 99% of the time.

Stay connected. If you have a friend who understands what you’re going through and is willing to lend an ear so you can dump it all out, it may be very cathartic and helpful.

These days there are a lot more causes of irritability than fluctuating hormones:  the pandemic, lockdown, kids at home, homeschooling, bored teenagers moping around the house, working from home, too much work, not enough work, etc. can all contribute to stress. If you think you are stressed out, not just irritable, take action.

February is American Heart Month and it is important to remember that stress can increase your risk for heart disease. If you are stressed, take care of it – talk to your doctor about it.

To learn more about stress, watch this North American Menopause Society (NAMS) video What Women Need to Know About where Dr. Marla Shapiro interviews Dr. Rebeca Thurston, Pittsburgh Foundation Chair in Women’s Health and Dementia and Professor of Psychiatry, Clinical and Translational Science, Epidemiology and Psychology about the insidious effect of stress in our modern lives.

 

Teresa Isabel Dias is a pharmacist and Certified Menopause Practitioner (NCMP) who provides education and support on symptom management for women at work and at home so they’ll feel like themselves again and enjoy a vibrant and productive life.

Grab a quick guide and subscribe to the MenopausED Newsletter on the MenopausED home page.

If would like to know how Teresa can improve your menopause transition then schedule a complimentary Discovery Call at MenopausED.org.

12 Tips for Menopause-Friendly Holidays – TIP #12: STAY CONNECTED

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The most common comment I hear from the women I work with is “I thought I was the only one”! To learn from others we need to stay connected.

If you stay connect during your menopause transition, it will help you see that you are not alone in your journey. Even though you go through menopause in your own unique way, sharing your experiences and learning from other women going through a similar journey is very helpful and reassuring.

During the pandemic we are kept physically away from our family and friends and may feel very alone and lonely.

Your menopause challenges probably didn’t go away when the pandemic started and may have become worse due to anxiety, stress, worry, too much work or not enough work, family circumstances, finances, and more.

“During crisis situations, it is important that we lean on each other for support as we are stronger as a collective than as a single individual,” says Dr. Matthew Boyle, a psychiatrist at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto. And he adds “social connections can be ways to help reduce stress – and that’s a great health benefit in a time like this.” As I say, stay connected!

This is the last of my 12 Tips for Menopause-Friendly Holidays. I hope you learned something new and I helped you navigate the change and improve your quality of life.

I wish you and your loved ones a very healthy and happy Christmas and New Year!

 

Teresa Isabel Dias is a pharmacist and Certified Menopause Practitioner (NCMP) who provides education and support on symptom management for women at work and at home so they’ll feel like themselves again and enjoy a vibrant and productive life.

Grab a quick guide and subscribe to the MenopausED Newsletter on the MenopausED home page.

If would like to know how Teresa can improve your menopause transition then schedule a complimentary Discovery Call at MenopausED.org.

12 Tips for Menopause-Friendly Holidays – TIP #5: ENGAGE IN POSITIVE THINKING

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You’ve been in situations where you and someone else are going through the same experience but see it completely different (is the glass half full or half empty?).  When you engage in positive thinking you’ll feel better and enjoy better health.

You may not see much to be positive about while living through a pandemic with bothersome menopause symptoms, but seeing things more positively (seeing the glass as half-full) may help you live longer, have less depression and distress, cope better in times of stress, be more resistant to colds, and have better heart health and psychological and physical well-being.

If you’re optimistic then positive thinking comes naturally to you. If you tend to be pessimistic here’s some homework to become more positive. To really engage in positive thinking requires practice and consistency and please do attempt to this at home:

  • Periodically check your thoughts – are they negative or positive? If they are negative try to put a positive spin on them.
  • How do you talk to yourself when things don’t go well? Practice positive self-talk. Be your best friend and talk to yourself like you’d talk to your BFF. Be kind, gentle, forgiving, and encouraging with yourself.
  • If a negative thought comes on, take a mental step back and try to assess your bad thought rationally.
  • Think about things you’re thankful for. Even during a pandemic and a bumpy menopause transition there are things to be thankful for. Find them and remember them often. Gratitude helps you to see the glass half-full. Keep a gratitude journal and write in it daily.
  • You can’t stop the pandemic but you can choose how to respond to it. Instead of worrying about what might happen, act on what you can change. For example, you can follow public health advice like wearing a mask and staying away from indoor gatherings.
  • If your menopause transition is bothering you remember that for every (peri)menopause challenge there’s a solution!
  • Surround yourself with positive people. Having a safe community of women in (peri)menopause is very important – it will help you feel understood and listened to, and it will lift you up.

 

Teresa Isabel Dias is a pharmacist and Certified Menopause Practitioner (NCMP) who provides education and support on symptom management for women at work and at home so they’ll feel like themselves again and enjoy a vibrant and productive life.

Grab a quick guide and subscribe to the MenopausED Newsletter on the MenopausED home page.

If would like to know how Teresa can improve your menopause transition then schedule a complimentary Discovery Call at MenopausED.org.

 

12 Tips for Menopause-Friendly Holidays – TIP #4: USE HUMOUR AND LAUGHTER

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Humour and laughter may allow you to feel in control of a situation and make it more manageable. It also helps to release fears, anger, and even stress.

Humour therapy (yes, there’s such a thing!) uses the power of smiles and laughter to aid healing. Scientists are researching the way laughter appears to change brain chemistry and boost the immune system.

You need a strong immune system now more than ever (eating colourful fruits and vegetables also helps, read TIP #6 on Saturday).

Humour improves the quality of life for you and those around you. You’ve probably heard the expression laughter is the best medicine! If you can make people laugh, and laugh with them, you’re bonding and improving each other’s emotional and physical health.

You may have been told when you were a child to stop being goofy and silly. If that’s the case adulthood is the perfect time to ignore that advice. Even in the hardest of times you may be able to see something humorous.

Allow yourself and those around you to be silly and laugh together.

Don’t feel guilty for laughing during the pandemic. We often laugh as a way of expressing anxiety over new and uncomfortable situations.

Read about the short-term and long-term benefits of laughter according to the Mayo Clinic, one of the most reputable resources on health, Stress relief from laughter? It’s no joke. When it comes to relieving stress, more giggles and guffaws are just what the doctor ordered. Here’s why.

Remember to watch more comedies and less news.

Tell jokes.

Watch funny YouTube videos. Funny cat videos are among the most popular on YouTube, for a good reason!

Force yourself to laugh at something and you’ll start laughing for real. It works!

If you bought presents in advance and can’t remember where you hid them, LAUGH!  Life is too short. Live it fully and joyfully!

Laugh at life and you’ll feel less stressed!

Positive thinking is so important, especially now, as we’re living through a pandemic that seems to be getting worse every week.

You can’t stop the pandemic but you can choose how you deal with it.

 

Teresa Isabel Dias is a pharmacist and Certified Menopause Practitioner (NCMP) who provides education and support on symptom management for women at work and at home so they’ll feel like themselves again and enjoy a vibrant and productive life.

Grab a quick guide and subscribe to the MenopausED Newsletter on the MenopausED home page.

If would like to know how Teresa can improve your menopause transition then schedule a complimentary Discovery Call at MenopausED.org.

12 Tips for Menopause-Friendly Holidays #3: MANAGE YOUR STRESS

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You planned your holiday (TIP #1 and TIP #2) but inevitably something will go awry and you’ll feel anxious and stressed. It’s normal and expected, especially during a pandemic. Especially now, you need to manage your stress.

Hot flashes are often linked to stress and anxiety, so the better you manage your stress the easier your menopause journey will be.

Take time to relax and unwind:
  • Allow yourself breathing breaks or brain time-outs.  My version of meditation:  stand or sit in a quiet place for 5 to 10 minutes and  just think about your breath going in and out; you may not succeed in keeping all your thoughts away the whole time, but let them go and focus again.
  • Take a bath (and don’t rush it!)
  • Read a calming book
  • Listen to soothing music
  • Do yoga/stretching
  • Look out the window and actually SEE what’s out there
  • Mindfulness-based stress-reduction techniques help you learn to be less reactive and more accepting.
  • Try this breathing exercise throughout the day at regular intervals, and often, to keep stress at bay:  close your eyes, breathe in through your nose, slowly, to a count of five, hold for five, breathe out through your mouth slowly for a count of five, wait for five, and then repeat a dozen times or until you’re calmer. It’s an amazingly easy thing to do and has such great effect! It’s good for your mind and your heart will slow down. You’ll leave the fight-or-flight state and get into the rest-and-digest state which is so much healthier for you!

 

Teresa Isabel Dias is a pharmacist and Certified Menopause Practitioner (NCMP) who provides education and support on symptom management for women at work and at home so they’ll feel like themselves again and enjoy a vibrant and productive life.

Grab a quick guide and subscribe to the MenopausED Newsletter on the MenopausED home page.

If would like to know how Teresa can improve your menopause transition then schedule a complimentary Discovery Call at MenopausED.org.

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