June 2019

Menopausal Hotties - A is for Anxiety. Or is it?

The hottest topic in town: Menopausal Hotties...

menopausal hotties port

A is for Anxiety. Or is it?

Say what?! Who’s anxious? Not me. Or am I?

My heart’s racing with a feeling of doom. Oh no. Why is this happening? Will it stop and how can this be???

As a businesswoman, mum and grandmother, most people would describe me as a confident, centred person.

However, during the perimenopausal phase I remember getting bouts of anxiety, feeling panicked for no reason; these feelings coming from out of the blue with no rhyme nor reason for it either.

Really confusing, scary times and a complete shock to the system that rocked my confidence to the core.

What the hell is this, what triggered it and how can I get rid of it? Questions I’m sure many hotties have also asked themselves.

After the initial shock, it was time to do some digging around. And voila! The digging paid off.

It seems that anxiety is far more common a symptom than we may admit to or previously realised. And more so during the perimenopausal stage of the menopause.

And guess who - or to be precise - what, is to blame? Correct! you’ve guessed it, that pesky pair of hormones - oestrogen and progesterone - as they plummet faster than your (already fragile) confidence!

Those plummeting hormone levels and game-changers continue to affect us, playing havoc with our bodies, mind and spirit, bringing on a surge of symptoms, with anxiety chief amongst them.

Other additional symptoms include:

  • sleep disruption/deprivation
  • negative body image worries
  • brain fog
  • fatigue/lack of energy
  • hot flushes/night sweats
  • irritability...

The list goes on...

...So is it any wonder dearest hotties, that this heady combination exacerbates life’s existing stressors, heightening our anxiety levels?

In fact it would be more worrying if we didn’t feel a little anxious with all these challenging changes we are experiencing.

Wow! Let’s face it hotties - we are bloody amazingly strong aren’t we? Move over Schwarzenegger the hotties are in town and we WILL be back...

These symptoms can be especially prevalent during the perimenopausal stage, and often continue into full menopause (menopause is classed 12 months after your last period).

I was shocked to read that nearly a quarter of perimenopausal women (around 23%) reported anxiety amongst their list of symptoms.

Those bloody hormones have a lot to answer for! It can feel so unfair can’t it? How dare you hormones give us another thing to worry about!

Fear not hotties, we are female warriors. We are a tribe that’s HOT to trot, who together can overcome anything.

We have many superpowers, including the superpower of adaptation, we will find a way to navigate a new path, shaping, reclaiming and celebrating our new hottie futures.

Remember to discuss specific worries, symptoms and treatment options with your doctor or healthcare professional, and in the meantime why not explore a few lifestyle changes proven to help you self-manage or conquer some of those perimenopausal symptoms?

There is no silver bullet. And one size doesn’t fit all. We are all unique, therefore combinations work differently for each of us. Trial and error is key.

What time is it? Time to experiment and flex your adaptation superpower, that’s what time it is!

Here are a few suggestions you may want to try. Each one is reported by many menopausal warriors to have made a positive difference to their symptoms. Now choose your weapon(s) and prepare to do battle:

  • Acupuncture: Practiced for centuries, to help many menopausal women manage several symptoms. I’m not a big fan of needles, but as the saying goes ‘no pain no gain’. So it’s well worth a shot. And apparently you only feel a small prick...
  • Quality sleep: important for reducing anxiety. However, going through menopause makes that a challenge. No sh*t Sherlock! Try keeping a pre-sleep journal. Write down thoughts that may make you anxious or nervous before you drop off to the land of nod. Put those thoughts to rest, setting them aside so you can free up your mind, ready for sleep. Keep the room calm and cool. My room fan was one of the best investments I’ve ever made.
  • Mindfulness/meditation: another tool which can help settle the mind by living in the moment, being aware of the now, setting aside some time to reflect and relax. Practice breathing techniques beneficial for controlling anxiety symptoms. There are some great free apps to trial - Headspace and Calm being a couple of popular choices with some of the #TeamHeaven hotties.
  • Exercise: known to release feel-good hormones, increase circulation, boost energy, oxygen levels and so much more. Exercise is essential in helping the body, mind and spirit be the best it can....With long summer days and lighter evenings, it is a great time to start. Try adding something you enjoy. Little and often is the name of the game.
  • Talking: it’s good to talk, we can vouch for that hey hotties?! Chatting to your friends, family, colleagues and fellow hotties can be a real source of comfort and knowledge. After all, a problem shared is a problem halved. Remember to be a listener as well as a talker. Conversation is a two way street.
  • Diet: a healthy diet will give you essential nutrients to support the changes we are going through. Try and cut down on caffeine, especially before bedtime; aim to swap those caffeine-fuelled drinks for caffeine free alternatives. Caffeine is a known stimulant which can increase anxiety, palpitations and even flushes, so leave it behind.

As always, we welcome your feedback and insights. So who’s up for the challenge? Who is joining me in trying out some of these? Don’t be shy hotties! Share your experiences with us. Together we are stronger.

We may be menopausal hotties but A doesn’t stand for anxiety, oh no, not in our hottie world.

‘A’ stands for Awesome, Aware and [taking] Action. Fear not hotties, you have got this.

Go you Amazonian warriors, go!

Love

Julie x

Tags: Menopausal Hotties