Menopausal Hotties
The hottest topic in town: Hottie’s Menopause Manual
The Emma Heaven magazine is proud to present the Hottie’s Menopause Manual..
Did you know that there are - brace yourselves - 34 reported symptoms associated with the menopausal journey?
Ohhh yes hotties you read that right! Not 3 to 4 but a goddamn 34 of the cheeky little blighters. You may want to make a cuppa or pour yourself a large glass, and sit comfortably as it’s a looooong list.
Do not fear though warrior hotties, as we are going to take them in our stride and steadily work our way through them.
Hopefully this will arm you with the knowledge, power and humour required in order to deal with the emotional and physical minefield that is the menopause.
We continue with…
4. Fatigue
Well hotties we are getting through our list of 34 reported symptoms of the menopause.
Remember, you may not experience them all, or even none at all, but for the majority of us, we will have at least several of these and to varying degrees!
This month the focus is on that other ‘F word’ - Fatigue!
So if you're reading this and struggling to stay awake and it’s not ‘cos you’ve been burning the candle at both ends, or, you have little interest to continue reading this, then it’s more than likely it’s the dreaded ‘F word’ which assails many a hottie. Yes, you could well have menopausal fatigue.
It's very real and super frustrating as it can leave you feeling in a constant state of blahhhh and mehhhh….you’re all too familiar with trying to disguise a(nother) yawn, or furiously blinking to keep your eyes wide open and to stay focused! It can be the stuff of nightmares.
Energy is totally zapped from even the most basic of tasks, seeming like too much effort or totally wiping you out. Overnight you feel as if you’ve gone from being the life and soul of the party to counting down the seconds until you can leave to go climb into your PJs or steal a nap on the party host’s sofa!
Concentration becomes quite the challenge. Wakey wakey hotties - hope you're still with us, or have rejoined after a much needed power nap. Ohh and I’m sorry to say that a good night’s sleep may also be another ‘casualty’ and a long distant memory thanks to the menopause. And don’t even mention ‘memory loss’ to me - it feels like a relentless menopausal circle. Sigh…Oh how I’d so love to be a square right now, I’m so tired of this menopausal cycle. And I’m way too knackered at the moment to even think of exercising...
As we approach menopause, our hormones bob up and down like a rubber duck floating on a wild stormy sea.
Decreasing female sex hormones - progesterone and estrogen - can make us less able to relax enough to get that much needed sleep. This sleep deprivation affects everything we do. I think it’s time to call in the sleep fairies - oh how I so wish that they were real; I swear it’s the lack of sleep ‘delirium’ kicking in!
As fairies (sadly) don’t exist, here are a few things we can do to help kick fatigue to the kerb:
If you’re able, try taking a power nap of 20-30 minutes is ideal. If it’s good enough for Olympians it sure is for us hotties.
Get fresh air: Fill your senses and lungs. Taking a walk in nature can rebalance and re-energise us. Yes, it really is a walk in the park. Or as the cognoscenti are known to call it, ‘forest-bathing’...
Don’t over exercise: Whoop whoop now that’s a tip I am totally here for. Aiming for 30 minutes a day will have a positive impact such as a power walk, yoga or cycling - these will boost your circulation and increase your energy.
Swap out the high caffeine drinks for herbal or decaffeinated teas/coffees and drink plenty of water, especially in the warmer months.
Turn off the technology. Swap it out for journaling, meditation or listening to music; perhaps unwind with a relaxing podcast, or read a book.
Emptying your mind of worries or tasks can help you unwind, ready to embrace those sweet Zzzzz’s 💤.
Stay cool: Keep the bedroom nice and cool; natural cotton-rich bedding will help draw heat away and keep you cooler if you're ever ‘visited’ by the night sweats!
Be kind to yourself. You are important. Make time for you.
Medications can help to rebalance lost hormones - there are so many positive benefits and it’s worth a visit to your GP to discuss what you need to navigate your way through menopause. There is also a huge range of herbal supplements to explore too.
The important thing to remember hotties is to know that you have the right to feel your best, and to be your best. Help is out there. Please don’t settle. Let’s banish the fatigue and sparkle brighter than ever before. We deserve it. YOU deserve it!
Love
Julie
Hottie’s Menopause Manual
32. Irritability
When your nearest and dearest accuse you of spending far too much time in the company of the following people:
- Oscar the Grouch (Sesame Street)
- Dr Gregory House (House)
- Statler & Waldorf (The Muppets)
- Al Bundy (Married With Children)
- Ben Harper (My Family)
- Victor Meldrew (One Foot in the Grave)
…is it time to admit that you have turned into a right irritable f*cker?!
Or are you just suffering from yet another precious gift bestowed upon you by Mother Nature, as you navigate that exhausting, mind-boggling journey called the peri/menopause?
Right then ladies…please be upstanding for symptom number 32: Irritability.
Now we all feel a bit antsy or fretful from time to time, however, if you're experiencing these feelings a bit more frequently than usual, so much so that family, friends and colleagues feel the need to point it out to you with the snide, sarcastic comments, then fellow Hotties, you are well within your rights to inform them to back the f*ck off, mind their own business and keep their unhelpful and unwanted opinions to themselves.
You are a woman, quite literally on the edge and close to the tipping point! So if they want to see the monster reveal itself, then leave them to crack on and deal with its all-consuming wrath. They will learn the hard way that they do not antagonise the monster or unleash the beast.
As with all of the other psychological and emotional changes, this is down to imbalances of those good ol’ trouble-making hormones, oestrogen and progesterone, wreaking havoc on us.
It might also be a result of being hangry. When our blood sugar levels drop too low, our bodies raise them back up by releasing cortisol, which in turn, makes us feel irritable.
Ways to tackle and manage this, without resorting to violence and maiming your nearest and dearest who dare to judge are:
However, as with anything related to our bodies and our health, if you are experiencing difficulties, it makes sense to seek advice from your GP or health professional to see if there are any underlying causes, medications or other treatments that may explain or help your symptoms.
And as always we love a little jiggle and giggle to a thumping good playlist, which helps to stop us getting so bloody damn irritated!!!
Here’s one we prepared earlier:
Three Little Birds - Bob Marley and the Wailers
Lose Yourself - Eminem
Happy - Pharrell Williams
MMMbop - Hanson
Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go - Wham
Walking On Sunshine - Katrina & the Waves
Xanadu - Olivia Newton-John
Beautiful Day - U2
Crazy - Gnarls Barkley
I Believe In A Thing Called Love - The Darkness
Dancing Queen - ABBA
Reach - S Club 7
I’m In The Mood For Dancing - The Nolans
Spice Up Your Life - Spice Girls
What A Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong
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