The menopause is something all women will experience, yet the symptoms of the change and how it affects our mental health is still not widely spoken about.
Menopause is a normal part of a woman’s lifecycle where hormone levels decline with age. Periods become less frequent and eventually stop. A person is not considered to have reached menopause until their periods have stopped for 12 months. This most commonly happens between the ages of 45 and 55.
As well as the social and environmental factors of menopause that can cause low mood and anxiety, hormonal changes mean it’s common for women to experience significant changes to their mood, including depression, mood swings, panic attacks, anxiety and low self-esteem. Some women also experience problems with memory, also known as ‘brain fog’ which can cause them to lack confidence and feel low in mood. Menopause can cause an increased risk of depression. There are a number of self-care ways you can look after yourself during this life stage such as:
• Getting plenty of rest and try to keep regular sleeping habits
• Eating a healthy diet, replenishing vitamins and minerals that might be depleted during this stage such as calcium and vitamin D (bone density)
• Regular exercise will help to prevent weight gain, improves your sleep, lifts your mood and strengthens bone density
• Relaxing activities such as yoga, meditation or tai chi
• Wear light cotton clothing, use fans to cool yourself down
• Maintaining work life balance