Recognize that women have much more control and agency over their hormone and menopause-related symptoms than they might initially believe, fostering an empowering mindset.
Proactively prepare for perimenopause and menopause by addressing underlying health issues, lifestyle factors, and stress, as this transition can exacerbate existing problems.
Actively manage stress, as it can significantly worsen menopausal symptoms such as night sweats, mood disturbances, fatigue, weight gain, and hot flushes.
Implement small, gradual lifestyle changes, such as a five-minute walk for daylight, and build up slowly, especially if you are feeling exhausted, to avoid overwhelm and ensure sustainability.
Prioritize increasing your daily movement and exercise, starting with small, achievable steps like a short walk, rather than overcommitting to intense routines immediately.
Prioritize a diet of clean, whole foods, including fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, lentils, and pulses, and reduce consumption of processed and ultra-processed items.
Protect your bone density by avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol, managing chronic stress, engaging in regular weight-bearing exercise, and ensuring adequate calcium and Vitamin D intake.
Incorporate strength training into your routine, as it becomes increasingly important with age to maintain muscle mass, bone density, prevent frailty, and improve overall functional health.
Proactively manage chronic stress, as it can damage nerve cells in the hippocampus and increase the risk of dementia and cognitive decline.
Engage in everyday mindfulness by walking outdoors in fresh air without distractions, focusing on your surroundings to be present and manage stress.
Avoid a sedentary lifestyle and actively engage your body and mind, as inactivity negatively impacts gut health, sleep, and overall well-being, and cannot be fully offset by medication.
If menopausal symptoms persist after 3-6 months of HRT, re-evaluate to determine if they are tightly linked to menopause or are influenced by lifestyle, stress, or other life commitments.
Even if HRT resolves symptoms, continue to apply self-care and lifestyle approaches to support your long-term health and well-being.
If severe symptoms hinder lifestyle changes, use medication as a temporary platform to alleviate symptoms, creating an opportunity to implement and sustain long-term health practices.
Keep a detailed diary of your symptoms to help identify patterns and determine if they are related to your menstrual cycle or other factors in your life.
Actively cultivate a strong social network and prioritize laughter, as these elements are crucial for overall well-being.
Parents, talk openly with your daughters (and sons) about puberty and menstruation to ensure they are informed about bodily changes and reduce potential fear or confusion.
Develop a deeper understanding of the menopause transition, as it is imperative for everyone, regardless of gender, to better interact with and support the significant portion of the population experiencing it.
Contribute to raising awareness about women’s health and menopause, as it is crucial to overcome the historical secrecy surrounding these topics.
Adopt a ‘pro-aging’ and ‘healthy aging’ mindset instead of an ‘anti-aging’ one, valuing life experience and knowledge rather than viewing aging negatively.
Assess your lifestyle, including diet, smoking habits, and alcohol consumption, as smoking and excessive alcohol intake can worsen menopause symptoms.
Reduce exposure to modern sleep disruptors, such as blue light from devices, which can suppress melatonin and delay its release, negatively impacting sleep quality.
Reduce your intake of ultra-processed foods to prevent sugar crashes (reactive hypoglycemia) and break the cycle of cravings for high-sugar carbohydrates.
For women unable to take HRT, discuss with your doctor if clonidine, an antihypertensive medication, could help manage hot flushes, night sweats, sleep, and migraines, particularly if you have high blood pressure.
If HRT is not an option, discuss with your doctor the use of low-dose antidepressant medications, which can help reduce hot flushes, improve mood, and aid sleep.
When using non-hormone medications for menopause symptoms, ensure regular review with your doctor and use them only for the necessary duration.
Do not solely attribute weight gain to menopause hormone changes, as broader societal lifestyle factors are often the primary contributors.
Address midlife weight gain through lifestyle adjustments, including increased exercise and movement, improved nutrition, stress management, and optimizing sleep.
In regions with limited sunlight, such as the UK, consider supplementing with Vitamin D during winter months to ensure adequate levels.
When facing difficult symptoms, focus on making small, controllable changes, as these incremental steps, though seemingly minor, will lead to eventual improvement.
View the post-menopause period as an opportunity for personal growth, easier self-care, building social networks, and career focus, rather than solely a time of loss.