Category: sleep

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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!

“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.

 

Brain fog is real

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In perimenopause, the years leading up to menopause, they work unpredictably.  Your sexual hormones, estrogen and progesterone, fluctuate and you may experience many physical, cognitive, and emotional changes, including brain fog.

 

Working through perimenopause can be dreadful if you experience:
  • fatigue
  • insomnia
  • hot flashes and/or night sweats
  • irritability
  • mood swings
  • palpitations
  • anxiety and worry
  • memory loss, problems with recall and/or brain fog
  • reduced concentration
  • loss of confidence

 

Brain fog can be a consequence of simply getting older, in both men and women.

 

For midlife women, fluctuating hormones during the menopause transition can cause brain fog.

 

In midlife you are at the peak of your career and the demands on your cognitive function—from work, family, older parents, and others—are very high.

 

What can you do to decrease brain fog?

Menopause symptoms, such as poor sleep, may exacerbate brain fog. If night sweats, which are hot flashes that happen at night, wake you up frequently, night after night, month after month, that’s going to affect your cognition, your brain function. You feel and function worse. But night sweats should be treated. Call me and find out how.

Mood swings are common in menopause. If you’ve had depression in the past, check with your doctor if you’re feeling depressed to ensure it gets treated.

Eat well. The Mediterranean diet lowers the risk of pre-clinical Alzheimer’s disease (this benefit was been shown in a large randomized trial!). Read more about the Mediterranean diet on my blog.

Exercise. Engage in various types of exercise—cardio, strength training, and balance—for better heart, brain, and bone health. You don’t have to walk 10,000 steps/day. Just 15 minutes/day of brisk walking improves your cognitive function.

Manage your stress in whatever way works for you: baths, reading, meditation, slow breathing, listening to music, waking in nature, talking with a friend. Be mindful, live in the present moment.

 

If you’d like to know how to minimize night sweats, improve your sleep, and decrease brain fog then book a FREE Discovery Call with me.

Sleep: Chief nourisher in life’s feast

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Poor sleep sucks!  And it can cause a range of bothersome symptoms:

  • Making it harder for you to function during the daytime
  • Making you hungrier during the day, leading to your eating more comfort foods
  • Irritability
  • Poor judgement
  • Brain fog (forgetfulness and difficulty concentrating)
  • Reduced motivation or energy
  • Making errors or having accidents more often than usual
  • Fatigue, and
  • Ongoing worry about sleep.

Sleeps cleans the brain of harmful waste products and damaging free radicals.

Lack of sleep is a serious threat to the brain and it may deteriorate cognitive function and increase the risk of dementia.

Some factors that affect sleep:

  • Alcohol – decreases REM sleep early in the night, but as the alcohol wears off there is a REM sleep rebound with prolonged REM stages and shorter deep-sleep stages.
  • Medications – Sleeping aid medications increase light sleep but they can decrease deep restorative sleep. Antidepressants suppress REM sleep.
  • Body temperature (hot flashes and night sweats)
  • Sound
  • Hormone fluctuations (steep drop in estrogen levels). Estrogen levels will level out and, YES, you will sleep again (just like, if you had children, you may remember those sleepless nights and after that you were able to sleep again)
  • Sleep disorders – sleep apnea, Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), and others

Dr, Maria Sunseri writes in her book Sleep After Menopause: 2nd Edition (short, inexpensive, and a sleep-changing read)

…when we are super conscious of waking and we fall back asleep we do not feel like we are sleeping. We have amnesia for the actual time of falling asleep, but then we wake and “alert” ourselves over and over with the passing of the clock time such that we do not feel that we have sleep in the intervening time even though we did sleep.

 

That’s why one of the best tips for better sleep is to turn the clock around.

Really?

Yes, because it doesn’t matter what time of the night it is when you wake up.  What matters is that you will get back to sleep, and fast.

Here are other tips to help you get back to sleep:

  • Avoid alcohol
  • Your bedroom should be a quiet, dark, and cool, room (16 – 20 °C)
  • Get natural daylight exposure
  • Exercise regularly but not within 3 hours of going to sleep (exercise raises your core temperature and makes it harder to fall asleep)
  • Take a warm shower before bed. It helps to cool you down and you’ll fall asleep faster.
  • Don’t drink caffeine past 12 PM. Caffeine can linger in your body for up to 8 hours.
  • Wear light sleeping clothes and light or no bed covers (only a sheet if you experience night sweats).
  • Magnesium (100 – 200 mg) at bedtime may help you sleep

 

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.

How We Breathe Matters for Vitality, Stamina, and Longevity

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How We Breathe Matters for Vitality, Stamina, and Longevity.  Healthy breathing practices are one of the most effective ways to stabilize your emotions, build resiliency, improve health issues, sleep, and cultivate immune and respiratory health, all of which are especially beneficial while you navigate this unique time of uncertainty.

We’ll discuss:

  • The symptoms and health issues that can develop from unhealthy breathing
  • The effectiveness and benefits of nose breathing versus mouth breathing
  • The body chemistry of optimal breathing to maximize oxygen uptake to the brain, organs, cells, and tissues
  • The biomechanics of healthy breathing

Practices to:

  • Bolster your immune defence
  • Soothe your mind and emotions
  • Energize your body
  • Enhance endurance and fitness ability

Most of these practices are part of the Buteyko Breathing Method, also known for helping with asthma, anxiety, stress, sleep apnea and insomnia, plus fatigue, and depression.

Join us for “How We Breathe Matters for Vitality, Stamina, and Longevity” to learn a few easy tips and practises for maximizing your health, immediately. And you could win a free online workshop with Deborah in July!

Learn more and register here.

Teresa Isabel Dias BSc Pharm, RPh, NCMP is a pharmacist and a Menopause Practitioner certified by the North American Menopause Society. Many women experience physical, emotional, and mental challenges in midlife due to hormonal changes. Teresa provides education and support on symptom management for women at work and at home so that they feel like themselves again and enjoy a vibrant, and productive life.

Deborah Marcia Rubin is a certified Wellness Educator, Therapeutic Yoga Teacher, Buteyko Breathing Educator, Meditation Instructor, Speaker and designer of the Clarity Process. She is a visionary who embraces the power, beauty and grace within each individual. For more than 47 years, Yoga asanas (postures), pranayama (breathing) and meditation have been an integral part of Deborah’s lifestyle. Her unique teaching ability combines the richness of postures, the power of breathing, and the silence of meditation, which motivates and sustains her students to explore their full potential.

“Yoga is a never-ending journey of self-discovery which inspires me to keep learning, growing and integrating the subtler aspects of Being for a fuller, more dynamic and compassionate life.” ~ Deborah

What You Say Counts: Rewrite Your Sleep Story Now

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For women, the pandemic has exacerbated menopause symptoms and increased sleep disturbances as we navigate uncertainty and increased stress.  Join me for this special event, What You Say Counts: Rewrite Your Sleep Story Now.

What You Say Counts: Rewrite Your Sleep Story Now

 

  • Are you sick and tired of waking up tired?
  • Does the mental chatter of your mind keep you awake at night?
  • Is your wildest dream having a good night’s sleep?

 

North Americans are sleeping less and less over the last century. Through the pandemic, almost half of Canadians have experienced significant sleep disturbances as we navigate uncertainty and increased stress. For women, the pandemic has exacerbated menopause symptoms, including disrupted sleep.

 

Sleep is a foundational pillar of our health and wellness. When we have poor or inadequate sleep, it impacts our ability to focus and to regulate our emotions, our decision-making abilities, and more.

 

Your words count. They are more powerful than you might think. As a result, you may be unwittingly compounding your stress and reinforcing a narrative that is sabotaging your sleep.

 

It doesn’t have to be so hard!

 

Imagine leveraging the biggest influencer on your life… your mind.

 

In this session, you will:

  • Discover untapped potential of your mind
  • Understand the true power of your words
  • Learn 3 tips to rewrite your sleep story
  • Experience a guided visualization to release anxiety for more restful sleep

 

Learn more about this event and register here.

 

 

Teresa Isabel Dias, BSc Pharm, RPh, NCMP is a pharmacist and a Menopause Practitioner certified by the North American Menopause Society. Many women experience physical, emotional, and mental challenges in midlife due to hormonal changes. Teresa provides education and support on symptom management for women at work and at home so they feel like themselves again and enjoy a vibrant and productive life.

 

Laura Feltz, TNLP, MTLT, TCHt is an International Institute of Hypnosis and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). After leaving a highly successful no-time-for life corporate career, Laura found joy in removing the mask of perfection, aligning her life and rebuilding her health. Now, as an International Institute of Hypnosis and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), Laura uses her experience, style, and tools to assist others in aligning their lives, living their passions…and yes, is teaching others what she’s learned about avoiding those sleepless nights too.

 

Learn more about this event and register here.

Rocking Midlife Podcast “Navigating Menopause with Teresa Dias”

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In this Rocking Midlife Podcast, “Navigating Menopause with Teresa Dias”, my esteemed and very funny hostess, Cat Coluccio, and I cover all sorts of areas, ranging from night sweats to dry vaginas.

Ten years ago, when I was in my late 40s and my oldest son was in his late teens he asked me if I was bipolar because my moods were so extreme. That led me to research what could be contributing to my moods and I discovered that I was in perimenopause.

I realized, WOW! If I, a well-educated healthcare professional, had no idea of what was going on in my body and my mind then a lot of other women who’re going through similar challenges must know even less.

That’s when I decided to get my menopause practitioner certification (NCMP) through the North American menopause Society (NAMS), so I could make women’s midlife journey easier.

There’s a lot of secrecy, shame, denial, and taboo about menopause.

I’ve learned a lot through experience, listening, counselling, and educating women going through the hormonal changes of midlife.  I believe there are three things that must be accomplished so that ALL women can have an easier menopause, not feel they’re going crazy, and realize that they’re not alone on this journey:

  • We must normalize menopause, talk about it, and break the taboo because ALL women go through menopause and there’s no shame in it.
  • Women need to be aware of menopause, be prepared for it, and understand what’s causing the changes, in order to avoid worry, fear, and needless suffering.
  • Women need to know that for every challenge that (peri)menopause poses there’s a solution, and they need to know where to find support when they need it.

Cat says

This Rocking Midlife Podcast, “Navigating Menopause with Teresa Dias”, is one that every midlife woman needs to listen to.

In fact, every woman’s family should listen in too so they can learn how to support the menopausal woman in their life.

I certainly learned things that I didn’t know, as let’s face it, menopause is rarely discussed as being a normal season of life. Teresa’s business is called MenopausED, a virtual women’s health practice specialized in menopause. She raises awareness about menopause and provides education and support to women in midlife to help them navigate this season.

You can find the podcast here, https://catcoluccio.com/2020/12/10/navigating-menopause/

 

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 #7: SLEEP PROPERLY

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It’s no surprise that today’s uncertainties—health, family, job, personal finances, all the bad news from around the globe—can disrupt your ability to sleep. On top of that, your menopause may be causing sleep difficulties. But the good news is that you can learn to sleep properly.

Lack of sleep can make you even more stressed, depressed, and grumpy. If you are well-rested you are less likely to feel the need to fill up on caffeine and eat sugary treats. You’ll cope better with the demands of the busy festive season, and the brain fog, fatigue, and irritability common in menopause are less likely to bother you.

If you’re having trouble falling or staying asleep, here are a few things you can try to sleep properly:

Limit caffeine intake.

The stimulant effects of caffeine, in coffee, tea, soft drinks, and chocolate, can linger in your body for up to 20 hours.

Don’t drink alcohol in the evening.

It is a sedative but it disrupts your sleep (it cuts down the amount of deep, restful sleep you’ll get).

Follow a regular sleep routine.

Try to go to bed and wake up at about the same time every day, even on weekends

Sleep is good for you!

Prioritize it over Netflix and your social media. It takes time to get to the deep regenerative sleep, so go to bed early.

Don’t look at screens for at least one hour before bed.

The blue light decreases your levels of the hormone melatonin, tricking your body into thinking it’s not time to sleep. Use the settings in your computer, smart phone or tablet to turn on” dark mode” or “night mode” to reduce the amount of display light.

Get a bedtime routine.

Relax and “turn off” your brain, such as meditation, breathing exercises, and stretching before bed.

Sleep in a quiet, dark, cool room.
Magnesium at bedtime helps you sleep.
If you can’t get a good night’s sleep, then take a nap.

Napping is healthy; it improves alertness, concentration, and memory Take a short nap, 15-20 minutes – a longer nap may not make you more energetic, in fact it may make you groggy. Nap after lunch but before 3 PM so as not to disrupt your night’s sleep.

 

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.

 

Tips to minimize hot flashes in hot weather

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The heat is on! Are hot flashes bothering you? Night sweats waking you up at night? Get some tips to minimize hot flashes in hot weather and improve your menopause summer experience!

You may find your hot flashes have worsened since the temperature has gone up.  In menopause, slight increases in body temperature can trigger hot flashes.

It happens to me every summer. When I think my hot flashes are over, along comes the hot weather…

Hot flashes and night sweats are known as “vasomotor symptoms”.  In this online workshop I’ll give you some tips to minimize hot flashes in hot weather, to improve your life, work, and sleep.

Ask and get answered all your questions about this natural but sometimes challenging stage of life.

Please join me for this FREE event — learn more and register here.

 

Do you want to talk to me one-on-one?  I do personal consultations, and I do FREE 15-minute discovery calls – contact me here.  There’s help, I can help you!

Teresa Isabel Dias holding mug - Please do not confuse your Google search with my Pharmacy degree

 

Teresa Isabel Dias is a pharmacist and a menopause practitioner (NCMP) certified by the North American Menopause Society (NAMS). She lives in Toronto and all her services are available online-101 consultations, live workshops, and webinars. Sign up for her free biweekly MenopausED Newsletter www.menopaused.org to learn more about menopause and women’s health.

 

Four fundamentals of good health to boost your immune system

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Especially right now we need to maintain a healthy immune system to reduce our chances of getting sick with the corona virus.  There are many unsubstantiated claims flying around, some made by people seeking only a quick profit.  But here are four fundamentals of good health to boost your immune system.

I’ve always believed, and experts agree, that a healthy lifestyle that incorporates the four fundamentals for good health is good for the immune system:

  1. Healthy diet
  2. Physical exercise
  3. Proper sleep
  4. Be aware of your thoughts

 

Let’s look in more detail at the four fundamentals of good health to boost your immune system:

 

1. Healthy diet

There is little evidence that supplements boost the immune system. Experts say that the best you can do is to eat well, meaning lots of colourful vegetables and fruits, which contain lots of vitamins and minerals, and drink lots of water.

Vitamin C boosts the immune system but you should get it mainly from dietary sources—which means the food you eat, not from pills. Eat lots of food rich in vitamin C like citrus fruits, berries, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and spinach.

There must be some synergy in all the components of an orange or red pepper that are better for us than laboratory-synthesized ascorbic acid sold as a vitamin C supplement.

Read more about a healthy diet that is also good for your brain in this article by Dr. Lisa Mosconi.

Eating healthy foods will also help you to avoid weight gain as we hunker down to slow the spread of COVID-19. I’m a big fan of the Mediterranean-style diet.

 

2. Physical activity

Exercise not only boosts your immune system but also improves your brain function and your emotional health.

We are being told to stay home to slow the spread of COVID-19, but don’t hold on to that as an excuse to not move. There are many ways you can still move or exercise.

Walk around your home or backyard, dance, do jumping jacks with your kids, or go up and down stairs. Take advantage of the many free exercise and yoga classes available online. I discovered this CBC offer and I do it every other day.

If it’s allowed, go outside. Fresh air and being in nature are also good for you. Call a friend and enjoy the company (but maintain your physical distance!).

 

3. Sleep

It’s no surprise that all today’s uncertainties—health, family, job, personal finances, a constant barrage of bad news from all around the globe, etc.—can disrupt your ability to sleep.

But proper sleep is essential for good health and a strong immune system. Now it’s more important than ever.

While we sleep our brain gets rid of toxins that we accumulated during our waking hours and it rejuvenates itself. Neurons (brain cells) grow and are repaired while we sleep; that’s also when we create and organize memories. Sleep also helps with decision-making, hence the saying “Sleep on it”! And we all have many important decisions to make these days regarding work, business, finances, health, family, friendships, etc. With proper sleep you’ll make better decisions with less stress.

Many women in perimenopause and menopause report difficulty sleeping. But before you head for the medicine cabinet ensure that you have good “sleep hygiene”, which is a variety of habits and practices that help in getting a good sleep. Learn more at the National Sleep Foundation.

 

4. Be aware of your thoughts

To calm yourself down, you must become aware of what’s going on in your mind, of your thoughts, and you should recognize that catastrophizing is useless. Your thoughts are not reality. The more you think the more you suffer.

As Eckart Tolle says “You can stop your thoughts by recognizing the futility and distractive nature of that type of thinking and begin to see that a lot of unhappiness are produced by the narratives of your mind”.

Tolle recommends that you re-direct your attention away from your thoughts to the energy of your body and breath; that will calm the activity of your mind.

Learn more at his website.

 

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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